Heinz Stettler was a track and field athlete who won several medals at the Swiss national championships in the shot put and discus throw and represented Switzerland internationally. His biggest national success in this sport was earning the 1978 Swiss discus throw title. He was most known for bobsledding, however, which he took up after his career in athletics ended. He came to prominence on the international bobsledding scene in 1982 when he won a gold medal in the four-man event at the World Championships alongside Rico Freiermuth, Silvio Giobellina, and Urs Salzmann. The quartet slipped to bronze at the 1983 European Championships, but then claimed in the European crown in 1984 and 1985. Along the way they also participated in the 1984 Winter Olympics, where they finished third behind the two teams from East Germany. After earning a bronze medal at the 1985 World Championships, Stettler retired from active competition, having been Swiss national champion in the four-man five consecutive times between 1981 and 1985. He died in May 2006, two weeks after suffering a heart attack, at the age of 54.
Switzerland