“My goal is the top 10,” says Kimmy Repond ahead of her Olympic debut.
imago
With Kimmy Repond and Livia Kaiser, Switzerland will be represented twice in the women’s figure skating in Milan. Both are about to make their Olympic debut.
It is not a matter of course for two Swiss women to compete in the singles at the Olympic Games. The last time this happened was in 1984, when Sandra Cariboni and Myriam Oberwiler represented Switzerland. Swiss Olympic has now selected another duo for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina: Kimmy Repond and Livia Kaiser. Both earned their ticket in a difficult year.
Repond can look back on a long period of suffering. After months of foot problems and an odyssey with various diagnoses, an operation was even on the cards at times. “If I’d had this operation in December, I don’t know if I’d be here now,” the 19-year-old from Basel told Keystone-SDA three days before her Olympic debut. When the cause of her pain was finally found, she felt “a huge relief”.
Level raised again
Repond made her comeback in mid-January at the European Championships in Sheffield. After an eight-month injury break, it was the first competition of the season for the 2023 European Championship bronze medal winner and 2024 World Championship fifth-place finisher. She was satisfied with 7th place.
After the European Championships, she felt a slight pain again, she says, which is why she had to slightly reduce her training. “As a result, I wasn’t able to do the jumps I wanted to adapt between the European Championships and the Olympics as planned.” She is now pain-free again and her level is significantly better than before the European Championships, says Repond. She has a clear goal for Milan: “If I can skate two flawless programs, then my goal is the top 10.”
Overcoming setbacks
Livia Kaiser also had to contend with setbacks last year. A year ago, she missed the European Championships after her calf was cut open in a collision during training. It also remained unclear for a long time whether her performance would be enough for an Olympic selection. “It wasn’t an easy time, partly because things didn’t go as planned. But I always saw the positives in training,” says the 21-year-old from Thurgau. “Knowing that it was enough was a great pleasure and also makes me proud.”
Both are in Milan after a difficult year: Livia Kaiser (left) and Kimmy Repond
Keystone
Kaiser recommended herself for the Olympics at the European Championships, even though she fell back from 9th place to 17th in the free skate. She has adapted her free skate for Milan and is skating an older program again, with which she came fourth at the 2024 European Championships. That gives her confidence.
Kaiser remains reluctant to make a prediction: “In terms of results or points, it’s difficult to estimate what is possible. For me, it’s mainly about showing how I’ve worked.” She has steadily improved in training. “I want to concentrate on myself, enjoy my programs and then see what I can achieve.”
Two approaches, one goal
In the immediate preparation, the two chose different approaches. While Repond returned to Basel for a final week of training after the opening ceremony, Kaiser stayed in the Olympic village and continued training in Milan.
The short program is scheduled for both on Tuesday, followed by the free skate on Thursday. After a year full of setbacks and uncertainties, Repond and Kaiser now have the opportunity to present themselves on the biggest possible stage at their Olympic debut and finally put the difficult months behind them.
