Stéphane Lambiel is Switzerland's leading figure skater. He has won popularity not only for his skill but also for his charisma.
From an early age he had been seen as a rising star, with good placings in Swiss and international competitions, but hit the headlines in 2005 when he became world champion in Moscow. He retained his title in 2006.
He was the first Swiss world champion in the discipline since Denise Biellmann in 1981.
In the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Lambiel took silver for the men's free skating. In the Tokyo world championships of 2007 he won bronze.
