Colette BRAND

Freestyle skier Colette Brand made her debut for Switzerland at a World Cup event in March 1987, where she placed 12th in the aerials. It was not until January 1991, however, that she earned her first podium finish, third, in the discipline. After an additional seven podium finishes, including a victory in March 1991, she attended the 1992 Winter Olympics, where freestyle skiing was held as a demonstration sport, and won the aerials. After a seventh-place finish at the 1993 World Championships, she returned to the Olympics in 1994 and came in 15th in freestyle skiing’s debut as an official Olympic sport. She was ninth at the 1995 World Championships, but returned to the Olympics in 1998 in top form and captured a bronze medal. She competed in three more World Cup events and then retired from active competition, having earned a total of 37 podium finishes at the World Cup, 14 of which were victories. She won the aerials title at the World Cup in 1996, came in second in 1992, 1993, and 1994, and third in 1991 and 1995.