Switzerland takes top spots in Swiss-British parliamentary ski race

Swiss lawmakers Jürg Stahl and Andrea Gmür won the 62nd edition of the Swiss-British parliamentary ski race on Saturday in Davos. 

Winners Gmür, far left, and Stahl, centre, pose in sunny Davos with some of their Swiss and British colleagues Keystone

The annual Swiss-British ski week meeting between members of parliament from the United Kingdom and Switzerland goes back to a 1956 event in Davos, when the Swiss and British delegates spontaneously challenged each other to a ski race. The first organised parliamentary race took place the following year. 

Saturday’s giant slalom race, the culmination of this year’s event, saw Stahl of the conservative right Swiss People’s Party win the men’s race for the fourth time in a row with a time of 52.94 seconds. Gmür of the centre-right Christian Democrats took home the women’s title with a 59.35-second run. 

The top British finisher was Henry Smith in eighth place. There were 22 total racers from the UK. 

In addition to a chance to ski the Swiss Alps, the annual inter-parliamentary event is a forum for lawmakers from the two countries to network and discuss current political issues. This year, discussions over Brexit took centre stage. 

+ More on Swiss-British political discussions regarding Brexit