Joseph Benz

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Joseph Benz

| image =

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| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1944|5|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Zurich, Switzerland

| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|2|5|1944|5|20|df=y}}

| death_place = Zurich, Switzerland

| headercolor = lightsteelblue

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry| {{SUI}}}}

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Joseph "Josef" or "Sepp" Benz (20 May 1944 – 5 February 2021) was a Swiss bobsledder who competed from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s. Competing in two Winter Olympics, he won four medals with one gold (Two-man: 1980), two silvers (Four-man: 1976, 1980), and one bronze (Two-man: 1976).

Career

Benz, who was born in Zurich, won eight medals at the FIBT World Championships with three golds (Two-man: 1978, 1979; Four-man: 1981), two silvers (Four-man: 1977, 1978), and three bronzes (Two-man: 1981, Four-man: 1979, 1981).

In 2008, he was named chairman of the Sport Commission for artificial track luge for the International Luge Federation (FIL). Benz also was a postal clerk in his native Switzerland. He served as chairman of the FIL Youth Commission before serving as chairman of the Sport Commission from 2008 to 2014. During his tenure in Artificial track, Benz created the team relay event that was first held at the 2008 world championships and became an event at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Death

Benz died from COVID-19 on 5 February 2021, at age 76, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland.[https://www.fil-luge.org/de/news/fil-trauert-um-ehemaliges-exekutivmitglied-josef-benz FIL trauert um ehemaliges Exekutivmitglied Josef Benz] {{in lang|de}}

References

External links

[http://sports123.com/bob/mo-2.html Bobsleigh two-man Olympic medalists 1932-56 and since 1964] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810054549/http://sports123.com/bob/mo-2.html |date=10 August 2011 }}
[http://sports123.com/bob/mo-4.html Bobsleigh four-man Olympic medalists for 1924, 1932-56, and since 1964] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323143804/http://sports123.com/bob/mo-4.html |date=23 March 2019 }}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070929091333/http://sports123.com/bob/mw-2.html Bobsleigh two-man world championship medalists since 1931]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20071211002351/http://sports123.com/bob/mw-4.html Bobsleigh four-man world championship medalists since 1930]
{{databaseOlympics|BENZJOS01|archive=20070826190039}}
[http://www.fil-luge.org/news/news-detail/article/election-of-the-chairman-of-the-sport-commission.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=45&cHash=4ca7ee635e FIL-Luge.org June 20, 2008 article on Benz's selection as FIL chairman of the artificial track sport commission] - accessed 27 June 2008.
[https://www.fil-luge.org/en/news/fil-mourns-former-executive-board-member-josef-benz FIL-Luge listing of Benz's 5 February 2021 death.] - accessed 6 February 2021
[https://www.ibsf.org/en/news/8-bobsleigh/22061-ibsf-mourns-the-death-of-sepp-benz IBSF listing of Benz's 5 February 2021 death.] - accessed 6 February 2021.
{{Olympedia}}
{{Olympics.com profile|joseph-benz}}

Category:1944 births

Category:2021 deaths

Category:Bobsledders from Zurich

Category:Swiss male bobsledders

Category:Swiss referees and umpires

Category:Olympic bobsledders for Switzerland

Category:Olympic medalists in bobsleigh

Category:Olympic gold medalists for Switzerland

Category:Olympic silver medalists for Switzerland

Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Switzerland

Category:Bobsledders at the 1976 Winter Olympics

Category:Bobsledders at the 1980 Winter Olympics

Category:Medalists at the 1976 Winter Olympics

Category:Medalists at the 1980 Winter Olympics

Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland

Category:20th-century Swiss sportsmen