Livio Wenger

Injuries	He was diagnosed with COVID-19 two months before the start of the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Although he was still able to compete at the Games in Beijing, it took him about one year to fully recover. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023) He suffered an adductor muscle injury in 2012. (basellandschaftlichezeitung.ch, 07 Jan 2014) He sustained an Achilles tendon injury while competing in roller speed skating. (Athlete, 03 Dec 2015)
Other sports	He has represented Switzerland in roller speed skating, and won silver in the 10,000m points elimination race at the 2017 World Games in Wroclaw, Poland. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023; SportsDeskOnline, 28 Oct 2022)
Most influential person in career	Coach Kalon Dobbin. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)
Hero / Idol	US basketball player LeBron James, US speed skater Shani Davis, coach Kalon Dobbin. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)
Ambitions	To win a medal at the Olympic Winter Games. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)
Awards and honours	He was named the 2010 Best Junior Athlete of Central Switzerland. (luzernerzeitung.ch, 05 Sep 2011)

When and where did you begin this sport?

He first tried roller speed skating at age four in Switzerland, and began speed skating in 2012 in Davos, Switzerland.

Sporting philosophy / motto

"Hard work." (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)

www.liviowenger.ch/
www.facebook.com/liviow93/
twitter.com/LivioWenger

Reason for choosing this sport	He wanted to compete at the Olympic Winter Games. "I come from a very sport orientated family. My parents and two older siblings were cross-country skiers, so I came into roller speed skating through them. My father Ruedi and his friend Hans Bertschi got me interested in the sport from an early age."
Name of coach	Kalon Dobbin [personal], NZL

Famous relatives	His older sister Nadja Wenger has represented Switzerland in speed skating at the Olympic Winter Games [in 2022] and in roller speed skating at the world championships. His partner Dalia Soberanis has represented Guatemala in roller speed skating, and won a silver medal and a bronze medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. (Facebook profile, 16 Sep 2022; SportsDeskOnline, 28 Oct 2022; liviowenger.ch, 31 Aug 2017)
Memorable sporting achievement	Competing at the Olympic Winter Games in 2018 and 2022, claiming two medals at the European single distances championships [bronze in 2020, silver in 2022], and winning silver in the 10,000m points elimination race while competing in roller speed skating at the 2017 World Games in Wroclaw, Poland. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)
Milestones	He became the first speed skater representing Switzerland to win a European championship medal in an individual event when he claimed silver in the mass start at the 2022 European Single Distances Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands. (srf.ch, 09 Jan 2022; SportsDeskOnline, 27 Oct 2022) He, Oliver Grob and Christian Oberbichler won bronze in team sprint at the 2020 European Single Distances Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands, which was the first European championship medal in speed skating for Switzerland. The trio previously became the first speed skaters representing Switzerland to win a World Cup medal in team sprint when they claimed bronze at the 2019 event in Astana, Kazakhstan. (isu.org, 11 Jan 2020; SportsDeskOnline, 19 Nov 2021)
Other information	TEAM SPRINT DECISION He admits he was hesitant about joining the Swiss sprint team ahead of the 2019/20 season because he wanted to focus his attention on longer distance races. He was convinced to join the team by the national coaches and sprint teammates Oliver Grob and Christian Oberbichler, and the trio went on to win the nation's first European championship medal at the 2020 European Single Distances Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands. "To be honest, I didn't want to ride with the team, because I didn't think we would have a chance anyway. The coaches, and Christian and Oli persuaded me to try it anyway. Two weeks before the first World Cup [event] we did our first test race. It was horrible. I said to the boys, 'We'll never do this again'. But we did it anyway and I am very happy to be here now." (schaatsen.nl, 11 Jan 2020)
Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs	He has a lucky pig amulet. (blick.ch, 05 Feb 2022)

Club / Team

EC Zurich: Switzerland

Hobbies	Sports, cooking, spending time with friends. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)
Nicknames	Liv (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)