Gustav Fischer (8 November 1915 – 22 November 1990) was a

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...

athlete who competed at five

Summer Olympic Games The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The 1896 Summer Olympics, inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, ...

, winning a total of five medals. He won medals in the team dressage events in the 1952, 1956, 1964, and 1968 games; there was no team dressage event held in 1960, but he won an individual dressage medal in that year. In 1968, he and fellow equestrian

Henri Chammartin Henri Chammartin (30 July 1918 – 30 May 2011) was a Swiss equestrian who won an individual gold medal in dressage at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.Paul Martin Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and retired politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006. Th ...

Early life

Fischer was born on 8 November 1915 in

Meisterschwanden, Switzerland Meisterschwanden is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Lenzburg (district), Lenzburg in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Aargau in Switzerland. History There were two neolithic lake side settlements, at ''Seero ...

Olympic career

Fischer first competed in the

1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad (, ) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. After Japan declared in ...

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

at the age of 36, in both the individual and team dressage events. He came in a disappointing 8th place in the individual event, behind both of his Swiss teammates;

Gottfried Trachsel Gottfried Trachsel (5 October 1907 – 15 June 1974) was a Swiss equestrian. He placed fourth in individual dressage, won a silver medal in team dressage at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, and a won bronze medal in team dressage at the ...

, who finished 4th, and

Henri Chammartin Henri Chammartin (30 July 1918 – 30 May 2011) was a Swiss equestrian who won an individual gold medal in dressage at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XVI Olympiad and officially branded as Melbourne 1956, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December ...

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, Fischer again medaled in the team event, and again fell short in the individual. This time, Trachsel, Chammartin, and Fischer took bronze, and finished 6th, 8th, and 10th respectively in the individual event. Of the three athletes, only Fischer and Chammartin would compete in the

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad () and commonly known as Rome 1960 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 25 August to 11 September 1960 in Rome, Italy. Rome had previously been awar ...

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, although in any case no team dressage event was held that year. However, Fischer found new success, winning second place and a silver medal in the individual dressage competition, the only individual medal of his career. The

1964 Summer Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subseq ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, saw Fischer as the oldest member of the Swiss team, at 48 years of age. That year, he just missed winning a second individual medal in dressage, taking fourth place while his teammate Henri Chammartin took gold. However, with Chammartin and 21-year-old

Marianne Gossweiler Marianne Gossweiler (born 15 May 1943 in Schaffhausen) is a Swiss Equestrian. She placed seventh in individual dressage and won a silver medal in team dressage at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She a won bronze medal in team dressage at the ...

, the youngest Swiss equestrian athlete at the games, Fischer earned yet another silver medal in team dressage. He won his final Olympic medal at the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

at the age of 52, a bronze in team dressage, again with Chammartin and Gossweiler.

Later life

Fischer died on 22 November 1990.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer, Gustav 1915 births 1990 deaths Swiss male equestrians Swiss dressage riders Olympic equestrians for Switzerland Equestrians at the 1952 Summer Olympics Equestrians at the 1956 Summer Olympics Equestrians at the 1960 Summer Olympics Equestrians at the 1964 Summer Olympics Equestrians at the 1968 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for Switzerland Olympic bronze medalists for Switzerland Olympic medalists in equestrian Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics 20th-century Swiss sportsmen

Early life

Olympic career

Later life

See also

References

External links