Schwingen, skiing, football, Federer

Schwingen is a traditional Swiss sport. It is a form of wrestling. Two men or two women hold on to short trousers made of cloth and fight in a circle of sawdust. Whoever puts the other on their back wins. Every three years there is the big Federal Schwingen and Alpine Festival (Eidgenössisches Schwing- und Älplerfest). The winner is called «Schwingerkönig» (king of Schwingen).

In winter many people in Switzerland go skiing. The Alps offer many ski resorts, and many children learn to ski at school, for example at ski camp. But most people ski privately, not in a club. Successful ski racers are big stars in Switzerland.

The sport most people in Switzerland play in a sports club is football. The football association has hundreds of thousands of members. Almost every municipality has its own football club. The best-known Swiss athlete is the tennis player Roger Federer. He won 20 Grand Slam tournaments, for example Wimbledon eight times.

The circus is also part of entertainment. The largest circus in Switzerland is Circus Knie. It is also called the «Swiss National Circus» and tours many Swiss towns every year. The Knie family has run it for generations. In the ring, acrobats, clowns and animals show their skills.