Switzerland at the Olympics

Switzerland has sent athletes to compete in every Olympic Games since it first participated in the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. Switzerland boycotted the main events of the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne, joining several other nations in protest of the Soviet Union's invasion of Hungary, due the Hungarian Uprising. However, Swiss athletes did take part in the equestrian events, which were held earlier that year in Stockholm, Sweden, due to Australian quarantine laws. Notably, the Swiss dressage team earned a bronze medal in those competitions.

In addition to its sporting achievements, Switzerland holds a unique place in Olympic history as the only country to have won medals in all three discontinued Olympic non-sport competitions: aeronautics, alpinism, and art competitions. These events were once part of the Olympic program in the early 20th century. Unlike the other two non-sports competitions, only one medal was ever awarded for aeronautics. Swiss pilot Hermann Schreiber was honored with an Olympic gold medal in aeronautics at the 1936 Summer Olympics, for being the first person to cross the Alps in a glider.

Switzerland is also the home of the International Olympic Committee, whose headquarters are based in Lausanne. The Swiss National Olympic Committee, known as Swiss Olympic, was established and recognized by the IOC in 1912.