Since 1936 in Olympic Games
Liechtenstein has taken part in the Olympic Games since 1936. To date the delegations have included 13 (Winter Games, 1988 Calgary) and 2 (Summer Games, 1948 London, 1952 Helsinki, 1964 Tokyo, 1972 Mexico and 1996 Atlanta) active athletes. The main sports at the Winter Games are Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and luge, while at the Summer Games these are track and field, judo, cycling and shooting. 

Nine Olympic medals for Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein’s athletes have so far won nine Olympic medals. All of these medals were obtained in Alpine skiing, which can be described as Liechtenstein’s national sport:

1976 Innsbruck
• Bronze slalom - Willi Frommelt
• Bronze slalom - Hanni Wenzel 

1980 Lake Placid
• Gold slalom - Hanni Wenzel
• Gold giant slalom - Hanni Wenzel
• Silver downhill - Hanni Wenzel
• Silver giant slalom - Andi Wenzel

1984 Sarajevo
• Bronze giant slalom - Ursula Konzett
• Bronze giant slalom - Andi Wenzel

1988 Calgary
• Bronze slalom - Paul Frommelt

1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Alpine skiing: Nägele Hubert, Triesenberg / Schädler Franz, Triesenberg
Two-man bob: Büchel Eugen / v.Falz-Fein Eduard 15.09.1912

1936 Berlin
Track and field: Frick Xaver, Balzers / Ospelt OSCAR, Vaduz
Cycling: Schreiber Adolf
Shooting: Hilty August / Senti Rudolf / Jehle Rudolf

1948 St. Moritz
Alpine skiing: Beck Franz, Triesenberg / Gassner Max, Triesenberg / Sele Theodor, Vaduz
Schädler Poldi, Triesen / von Liechtenstein Prince Constantin, Schaan
Nordic skiing: Matt Egon, Mauren / Jehle Erwin, Schaan / Meier Arthur, Mauren
Frommelt Christof, Schaan / Frick Xaver, Balzers

1948 London
Track and field: Büchel Gebhard, Seger Josef, Vaduz

1952 Helsinki
Cycling: Hasler Ewald, Eschen / Lampert Alois

1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo
Alpine skiing: Eberle Ewald, Triesenberg / Sele Theodor, Triesenberg
Schädler Poldi, Triesenberg / Beck Franz, Triesenberg / Kindle Hermann, Triesenberg
von Hohenlohe Max 1931
Two-man bob: Wolfinger Weltin, Triesen / Heidegger Moritz, Triesen

1960 Squaw Valley
Alpine skiing: Kindle Hermann, Triesen / Kindle Silvan, Triesen / Fehr Adolf, Triesenberg

1960 Rome
Cycling: Heeb Adolf, Vaduz
Shooting: Gustav Kaufmann, Mauren / Quido Wolf, Vaduz
Track and field: Egon Oehri, Mauren / Alois Büchel, Schaan

1964 Innsbruck
Alpine skiing: Hans-Walter Schädler, Triesenberg / August Wolfinger, Balzers
Josef Gassner, Triesenberg / Wolfgang Ender, Vaduz / Edmund Schädler, Triesenberg
Luge: Hans Nägele, Triesenberg / Magnus Schädler, Vaduz / Alois Beck, Triesen
Johann Schädler, Triesenberg

1964 Tokyo
Track and field: Hugo Walser, Schaan / Alois Büchel, Schaan

1968 Grenoble
Alpine skiing: Martha Bühler, Triesenberg / Josef Gassner, Triesenberg
Wolfgang Ender, Vaduz / Hans-Walter Schädler, Triesenberg / Albert Frick, Schaan
Luge: Simon Beck, Triesenberg / Werner Sele, Triesenberg / Julius Schädler, Triesenberg

1968 Mexico
Track and field: Xaver Frick, Vaduz / Franz Biedermann, Vaduz

1972 Sapporo
Alpine skiing: Willi Frommelt, Schaan / Herbert Marxer, Vaduz / Martha Bühler, Triesenberg
Luge: Werner Sele, 9497 Triesenberg

1972 Munich
Judo: Armin Büchel, 9491 Ruggell / Hans-Jakob Schädler, 9494 Schaan
Rad: Paul Kind, 9491 Ruggell
Shooting: Louis Frommelt, 9496 Balzers / Raimund Sele, 9490 Vaduz
Gymnastics: Bruno Banzer, 9495 Triesen

1976 Innsbruck
Alpine skiing: Willi Frommelt, 9494 Schaan / Paul Frommelt, 9494 Schaan
Andreas Wenzel, 9487 Gamprin / Hanni Wenzel, 9498 Planken / Ursula Konzett, 9495 Triesen
Nordic skiing: Claudia Suess-Sprenger, 9497 Triesenberg
Luge: Wolfgang Schädler, 9497 Triesenberg / Max Beck, 9497 Triesenberg
Rainer Gassner, 9497 Triesenberg

1976 Montreal
Track and field: Günther Hasler, 9485 Nendeln / Maria Ritter, 9493 Mauren
Helen Bischof-Ritter, 9494 Schaan
Judo: Fritz Kaiser, 9485 Nendeln / Paul Büchel, 9491 Ruggell
Hans-Jakob Schädler, 9494 Schaan

1980 Lake Placid
Alpine skiing: Ursula Konzett, 9495 Triesen / Hanni Weirather-Wenzel, 9498 Planken
Petra Wenzel, 9494 Schaan / Andreas Wenzel, 9487 Gamprin / Paul Frommelt, 9494 Schaa
Luge: Wolfgang Schädler, 9497 Triesenberg / Rainer Gassner, 9497 Triesenberg

1984 Sarajevo
Alpine skiing: Petra Wenzel, 9494 Schaan / Ursula Greck-Konzett, USA
Jolanda Vogt-Kindle, Balzers / Andreas Wenzel, Gamprin / Paul Frommelt, 9494 Schaan
Günther Marxer, 9486 Schaanwald / Hubert Hilti, 9494 Schaan / Mario Konzett, Triesen
Nordic skiing: Konstantin Ritter, 9492 Eschen
Luge: Wolfgang Schädler, 9497 Triesenberg / Rainer Gassner, 9497 Triesenberg

1984 Los Angeles
Track and field: Manuela Marxer, 9488 Schaanwald / Helen Ritter, 9493 Mauren
Markus Büchel, 9496 Balzers
Shooting: Theo Schurte, 9495 Triesen / Remo Sele, 9490 Vaduz
Judo: Johannes Wohlwend, 9485 Nendeln / Magnus Büchel, 9491 Ruggell

1988 Calgary
Alpine skiing: Jolanda Vogt-Kindle, 9496 Balzers / Jacqueline Vogt, 9496 Balzers
Robert Büchel, 9494 Schaan / Paul Frommelt, 9494 Schaan / Gregor Hoop, Ruggell
Günther Marxer, 9486 Schaanwald / Gerald Näscher, 9487 Gamprin
Andreas Wenzel, 9487 Gamprin / Silvio Wille, 9496 Balzers
Nordic skiing: Benjamin Eberle, 9497 Triesenberg / Patrick Hasler, 9492 Eschen
Konstantin Ritter, 9492 Eschen
Luge: Peter Beck, 9497 Triesenberg

1988 Seoul
Judo: Daniel Brunhart, Schaan / Magnus Büchel, Ruggell / Arnold Frick, Schaan
Johannes Wohlwend, Nendeln
Track and field: Markus Büchel, 9496 Balzers / Yvonne Hasler, Eschen
Manuela Marxer, Schaanwald
Cycling: Yvonne Elkuch, Schellenberg / Peter Hermann, Schaan / Patrick Matt, 9493 Mauren
Horse-riding: Thomas Batliner, Mauren
Shooting: Gilbert Kaiser, Vaduz

1992 Albertville
Alpine skiing: Marco Büchel, Balzers / Markus Foser, Balzers / Günther Marxer, Schaanwald
Achim Vogt, Balzers / Daniel Vogt, Balzers / Brigit Heeb, Mauren
Nordic skiing: Markus Hasler, Eschen

1992 Barcelona
Judo: Biggi Blum, Mauren / Walter Kaiser, Schaan
Track and field: Manuela Marxer, Schaanwald / Roland Wille, Vaduz
Cycling: Yvonne Elkuch, Schellenberg / Patrick Matt, Mauren
Shooting: Josef Brendle, Schellenberg

1994 Lillehammer
Alpine skiing: Foser Markus, Balzers / Büchel Marco, Balzers / Burkhard Hans, Triesenberg
Hasler Jürgen, Ruggell / Heeb Brigit, Mauren / Vogt Achim, Balzers / Vogt Daniel, Balzers
Nordic skiing: Hasler Markus, Eschen / Kunz Stefan, Triesenberg
Luge: Felder Marco, Triesenberg

1996 Atlanta
Judo: Biggi Blum, Mauren
Track and field: Manuela Marxer, Schaanwald

1998 Nagano
Alpine skiing: Brigit Heeb, Mauren / Tamara Schädler, Triesenberg
Diana Fehr, Triesenberg / Marco Büchel, Balzers / Achim Vogt, Balzers / Jürgen Hasler, Triesen
Markus Ganahl, Triesenberg
Nordic skiing: Markus Hasler, Eschen / Stephan Kunz, Triesenberg

2000 Sydney
Judo: Ulrike Kaiser, Schaa
Shooting: Oliver Geissmann, Planke

2002 Salt Lake City
Alpine skiing: Brigit Heeb-Batliner, Mauren / Marco Büchel, Triesenberg / Achim Vogt, Balzers
Jürgen Hasler, Triesen / Markus Ganahl, Triesenberg / Michael Riegler, Schaan
Nordic skiing: Markus Hasler, Eschen / Stephan Kunz, Triesenberg

2004 Athens
Shooting: Oliver Geissmann, Planken

2006 Turin
Alpine skiing: Marco Büchel, Triesenberg / Claudio Sprecher, Gamprin / Jessica Walter, Planken
Tina Weirather, Planken
Nordic skiing: Markus Hasler, Eschen

Liechtenstein - a sporting country
There is hardly any place where sport is as popular as it is in Liechtenstein. Over 15,000 of the 35,000 inhabitants are members of an association or club. If one considers multiple memberships, over a third of the population belongs to a sports club. One in 230 people officiates as president of a sporting association. Time and again, the country proves itself to be astonishing - not just thanks to the wide range of activities available in popular sport, but also through top class international results.

The sporting history of the country has its origins in the late nineteenth century. Already by this time, the enjoyment of activity, relaxation and a love of nature were important parts of life for the people of Liechtenstein. The first known report of sporting activity concerned shooting clubs in 1800. The first skier was sighted in 1895. People thought he was mad. Swiss frontier guards brought about the boom in skiing as a sport after 1924. Even today in Malbun - the only skiing resort in Liechtenstein - skiing heads the list of the residents’ favorite leisure activities.

First Olympics in 1936
Baron Eduard von Falz-Fein strove for success on the Olympic stage in 1936. Since then participation in the Olympic Games and Paralympics has been a tradition for the athletes of this little country. The delegations included between thirteen (1988 Winter Games in Calgary) and one active athlete (2004 Summer Games in Athens). Most of the qualifications were successful in the Winter Games in skiing, cross-country skiing and luge. In the Summer Games Liechtenstein competed for Olympic honors in track and field, judo, cycling and shooting. To date the country has won nine Olympic medals, thanks to its successful skiers.

Sport as image promoter
The umbrella organization of Liechtenstein sport is the Liechtenstein Olympic Sport Association (LOSV). The LOSV supports and advises associations, clubs and organizations in their activities and developments. The national sport structure, formed in 1992 from the fusion of the FLSV (Royal Liechtenstein Sport Association), the LOK (Liechtenstein Olympic Committee) and the SLSH (Liechtenstein Sport Aid Association) serves as an example. For instance, Germany was only able to organize sport under a unified umbrella organization with the fusion of the German Sport Federation and the National Olympic Committee in 2006. This demonstrates one of the advantages of being small.

Sport teaches values
There are many sides to sport in Liechtenstein. You can take part in sport in 41 sport associations with over 120 affiliated sport clubs – from swimming to climbing. Getting started is facilitated by sport taster courses open to all or through the presentation of its diversity on the Fit ’n Fun Day of the LOSV.
The LOSV and its affiliated associations in this way make an outstanding contribution to youth work. They provide a social environment, the necessary personal support and goals towards which it is worth making an individual effort. The associations are places where generations meet, share responsibility, support each other and spend time together. Young people get to know the value of relationships, public spirit and active cooperation. In addition, they learn discipline, fairness, to follow the rules and not least, how to lose as well.

Government and Swiss Olympic support
The LOSV and its sub-associations are actively supported in this regard by the royal government. With the entry into force of the Sport Act on April 1, 2000, the government set up the Government Sport Commission in order to promote and coordinate sport. Top athletes benefit from the sport promotion, as does popular sport from the Sport Commission assuming the costs of the coaches’ youth and sport training and from the fact that the use of sport facilities is for the most part free of charge.
On August 18, 2004, the first sport class at the Liechtenstein Sport School underwent its first day of teaching. An outstanding milestone, created by the government.
Thanks to a reduction in teaching time – subject majors are excluded – the sport students can train intensively from Tuesday to Friday afternoons. To catch up on the teaching subjects that the students have missed during training and competitions, they receive remedial and additional tuition. In return, they are expected to train hard and refrain from alcohol, nicotine, drugs and doping.
Liechtenstein can count on the partnership with Swiss Olympic in its efforts to combat doping abuse. Over and above this, cooperation with Switzerland is close, facilitating optimal support of the athletes with regard to diagnosis, training and events. Most associations take part in the Swiss championships. This is greatly appreciated by athletes and officials.

Soccer is number 1
The biggest associations in the country are those for classic sports such as soccer, skiing and tennis. As the biggest national association, the Liechtenstein Soccer Association (LFV) with seven clubs has 2,700 members. Of these, 1,200 are licensed soccer players. Established 1934, the year 1974 was a milestone for the LFV in its own history: It was in this year that the LFV was admitted to the world soccer association FIFA (142^nd member) and to the European soccer association UEFA (34^th member). The first official national game took place on March 9, 1982, in Balzers against its neighbor Switzerland (0:1 defeat). The greatest successes of the Liechtenstein national team so far were the 2006 world championship qualification games. Victories were achieved against Luxembourg (3:0 and 4:0) and two draws against Portugal (2:2) and Slovakia (0:0). Special value is attached to new blood in the LFV. With the team selections U15 to U21 in top class soccer and the teams U14 and U13 in competitive soccer, the rising generation of hopefuls enjoys an excellent training. An annual highlight is the cup final, whose winner can later participate in the qualification for the UEFA Cup. In the team championships the soccer club Vaduz plays in the Challenge League, the second highest league in Switzerland.

National sport skiing
There are about 2,500 members in the Liechtenstein Skiing Association with eight affiliated clubs. Proud recollections are the world championship titles of Hanni (1974) and Andi Wenzel (1978) and the 1980 double Olympic win of Hanni Wenzel in Lake Placid. Since 1988 the skiers have admittedly not been honored at major events, but athletes have been able to make headlines at the top international level in the recent past with Marco Büchel (second in the 1999 world championships in Vail/Beaver Creek, USA) and the cross-country athletes Markus Hasler and Stephan Kunz. Up to now Liechtenstein has had 57 wins in the history of the skiing world cup. The last time was Mark Hasler’s 1996 cross-country win.
Tennis is in third place behind soccer and tennis. The Tennis Association takes care of the elite with two junior trainers. The training for the rising top athletes is intensive, the selection criteria hard. The aim of the association is to be able to take part in international events like the Fed Cup and Davis Cup. At the club level 40 teams compete in seven clubs in the Interclub.

Model aircraft aerobatics, martial arts and luge
Liechtenstein has repeatedly made a name for itself in marginal sports. For example, Oliver Geissmann has competed internationally for years as an air rifle marksman.
Liechtenstein has a special flair for model aircraft aerobatics. The Matt family has time and again provided world- and European champions over a span of 40 years and three generations. Wolfgang Matt has already won over 300 international competitions, winning the world championship title twice and European championship title five times. He has passed his talent on to his son Roland, who not only provided a surprise at the “Tournament of Champions” when he was the first to use smoke cartridges in model aircraft history, but also shone with world championship and European medals.
Liechtenstein has a junior world champion in kickboxing in Metin Kayar and in Martin Kaiser – the pioneer of kick boxing in the country – a senior world champion. The winter triathlete Marc Ruhe also achieved a world championship title, in addition to winning the 2002 overall world cup.
Wolfgang Schädler had less luck in his active career; instead as coach he led the US national luge team to world leadership. Moreover, Schädler builds the famous Schädler luge for the international luge elite: a high tech racing sledge with sophisticated functions and attractive design.
The team sports repeatedly grab headlines too. For example, the Squash Rackets Club Vaduz won the 2004 Swiss championship and the volleyball players of Golina Schaan played in the Swiss national A league for two years.

Special Olympics to the World Games
People with mental or multiple disabilities like being active too. The Special Olympics is an impressive demonstration of this. Special Olympics Liechtenstein (SOLie) began in 1999 with initial training opportunities in swimming and cross-country skiing. In the meantime additional sports have been added and the Liechtenstein delegation travels to the World Games every two years from which it returns with golden experiences and achievements.

Looking forward to the second Lie-Games
Despite the diminutive size of the country and its associations, it has proved possible time and again to organize major events. Thanks to the LGT Marathon, cycling races in Ruggell and Mauren, the U19 European soccer championship, international volleyball tournaments, international competitions in cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing, model aircraft aviation or national soccer games, Liechtenstein’s name is repeatedly publicized worldwide. This will also be the case in 2011, when for the second time since 1999 Liechtenstein will be the organizer of the European Small States Games and as a result the host of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) too.

Contact with the IOC
Contacts with the IOC have always been cultivated. Prince Franz Josef like his daughter Princess Nora have supported popular sport in the country for over 20 years and high-level sport in the IOC. Princess Nora in particular has devoted herself to the concerns of the small countries and is a member of the IOC commission «Women and sport», in which she helps to strengthen the status of women in sport. Peter Ritter, as a co-founder of «Olympic Solidarity» was an additional trailblazer. Thanks to the commitment of sport officials with initiative, doors have opened for little Liechtenstein. For example, they have striven for simplified Olympic participation for athletes from small countries.

Sport in Liechtenstein reveals the same facets as in most countries in the world. The sporting enthusiasm, diversity, density and successes are remarkable when measured against the size of the country.