Kestenholz won third place in the snowboard giant slalom at the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano, when the sport was included in the Olympic program for the first time.
This Olympic event is also remembered for the case of Canadian winner Ross Rebagliati, who was temporarily stripped of his gold medal due to a positive test for cannabis, but was later returned. Kestenholz made two more appearances at the ZOI, was a two-time X-Games champion in snowboard cross, and continued his career in professional extreme sports.
The accident happened on Sunday in the Lechenthal valley in the canton of Valais, when for unknown reasons an avalanche was triggered at an altitude of about 2,400 meters. Kestenholz was buried under the snow and died in hospital, police confirmed.
(Vijesti.ba)
