Fritz Tschannen
Swiss musician and ski jumper (1920–2011)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fritz Tschannen (13 May 1920 – 23 March 2011) was a Swiss accordion player and former ski jumper born in Saint-Imier, who competed at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz.[1] He received his first accordion at the age of five and gave his first solo concert three years later. By the age of 18 he was working as an accordion teacher,[2] in addition to ski jumping out of Skiclub Adelboden.
Switzerland| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 May 1920 Saint-Imier, Switzerland |
| Died | 23 March 2011 (aged 90) Val-de-Travers, Switzerland |
| Sport | |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sport | Skiing |
| Club | SC Adelboden |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | 120 m (390 ft) Planica, Yugoslavia (15 March 1948) |
Career
He joined the Swiss National Team in 1945 and attended the Winter Olympic Games three years later, where he placed ninth in a field of forty-nine competitors in the men's normal hill event. The same year he became the Swiss national champion.[1] On 15 March 1948 he set a new world record distance with a jump of 120 metres (394 ft) at Bloudkova velikanka hill in Planica, Yugoslavia.[3][4]
Personal life
After his experience at the Olympics, Tschannen was invited to train with the United States team, but moved to Canada when he was denied a work visa because of the ongoing Korean War. He had a career with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation from 1952–1954 as a musician and orchestrator, including a stint with his own French-language television show. He returned to his native country in 1964 and founded a musical school in the city of Bex. He worked as a conductor until 1999, when he retired to the municipality of Fleurier.[2] He died in Val-de-Travers in March 2011.[5]
Ski jumping world record
| Date | Hill | Location | Metres | Feet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 March 1948 | Bloudkova velikanka K120 | Planica, Yugoslavia | 120 | 394 |
