Bernhard Russi: highs and lows

Former skier Bernhard Russi is one of Switzerland’s best-known celebrities, enjoying “national treasure” status. While younger people will recognise his cheeky smile and twinkly eyes from various television adverts and billboards, older ones will remember cheering him on to Olympic and World Championship gold in the 1970s.

After retiring from racing at 29, Russi had a successful career commentating and designing ski courses. But while he appears to have led a charmed and enviable life, he has had to deal with multiple personal tragedies. His sister has been severely disabled since early childhood, one of his brothers died young from a sudden infection, his first wife died in an avalanche, and he crashed into the crowd as he pushed himself to win a race for his father, who was on his death bed.

In this 2019 documentary by Swiss public television, SRF, Russi, still remarkably fit in his seventies, talks frankly about his attitude to life and family and the many highs and lows he has experienced, on the piste and off it.