Swiss · Unteriberg, Switzerland · Born 12 May 1993Swiss slalom and combined specialist, a five-time Olympic medalist known for consistency across technical events.
Wendy Holdener was born on 12 May 1993 in Unteriberg, in the Swiss canton of Schwyz, and made her World Cup debut in Sölden in October 2010 aged 17. She announced herself at the 2011 Junior World Championships in Crans-Montana with a remarkable three medals in three days - gold in combined, silver in downhill, and bronze in giant slalom - establishing her as a versatile prospect across disciplines. Holdener developed into one of the sport's premier combined specialists, winning the World Cup crystal globe in the discipline in both 2016 and 2018, and claiming her first World Championship gold in combined on home snow at St. Moritz in 2017. At the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics she won a full set of three medals in three different disciplines - gold in the mixed team event, silver in slalom, and bronze in combined - and four years later at Beijing 2022 she added silver in combined and bronze in slalom for her fifth career Olympic medal. Despite being renowned for years as the record-holder for most World Cup slalom podiums without ever winning a race, Holdener finally broke through with her maiden World Cup slalom victory in November 2022 at Killington, sharing the win with Sweden's Anna Swenn-Larsson, and added a second slalom win two weeks later at Sestriere. By the 2025 World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm she had accumulated nine World Championship medals and five Olympic medals, making her one of Switzerland's most consistently successful female alpine skiers of the 21st century, still competing into her early thirties.
Winning three Olympic medals in three different disciplines at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games
How They Played
Technical all-rounder equally strong in slalom and combined, known for meticulous course visualisation and relentless consistency across major championships
Lasting Impact
Regarded as one of Switzerland's most versatile and consistent female alpine skiers of her generation, renowned for excelling across slalom and combined events over a remarkably long career
Career Honours
- 5 Olympic medals (1 gold, team event 2018)
- 3 World Championship golds
- 2 crystal globes (Combined 2016, 2018)
- 7 career World Cup wins
Swiss Athletes