Most handsome Swiss is an “older man”

Tim Wielandt, centre, is congratulated by the other candidates Keystone

Swiss television viewers have elected Tim Wielandt, a 33-year-old student from near Lucerne, as Mister Switzerland 2007.

Wielandt, the oldest candidate competing for the title of the most handsome Swiss citizen, said he was overwhelmed to have won the contest.

He beat off competition from 14 other men – among them the son of a parliamentarian – during a live television show broadcast from Geneva on Saturday evening. The prize is worth more than SFr60,000 ($49,000).

“It’s totally surreal, I can’t believe it, I don’t know what to say,” Wielandt told the audience on hearing the result.

Wielandt, who is 1.87 metres tall and weighs 80 kg, won over the voting public with his charm and humour, presenting himself as a “man in his prime”.

The student of “interaction design” also works as a web designer. He lives in Meggen, in canton Lucerne in the German-speaking part of Switzerland.

He said that he enjoyed the countryside. During a film clip he was shown roaming around his neighbours’ farm in the company of his favourite cow, Marisa.

Runner up was 24-year-old Lionel Clerc from Lausanne in French-speaking Switzerland, followed by 25-year-old Marcel Odermatt from Engelberg, central Switzerland.

Coveted title

Wielandt steps into the shoes of Miguel San Juan, the first man from the French-speaking part of the country to be awarded the coveted Mister Switzerland crown.

The competition – and the women’s version Miss Switzerland – are still highly popular events in Switzerland.

The winners are feted across the country, becoming celebrities. The title can also prove to be very lucrative and some winners have gone on to showbusiness careers.

San Juan earned SFr300,000 during his year in office, making him the second-most successful Mister Switzerland after 2005’s Renzo Blumenthal.

Blumenthal, an organic farmer from canton Graubünden in eastern Switzerland, was among the jury on Saturday night.

Also present was current Miss Switzerland Christa Rigozzi. Her successor is due to be elected in October.

swissinfo with agencies

In brief

Annual Mister Switzerland contests have been organised since 1994 and are based on similar competitions for female candidates.

Candidates must have Swiss nationality and have no criminal record. They have to be single, at least 20 years of age and 1.78m.

Mister Switzerland is elected by a panel of five experts from the world of entertainment and television viewers.