René Burkhalter

{{Short description|Swiss sports administrator (1934–2024)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = René Burkhalter

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2024|11|26|1934|10|27|df=yes}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|10|27|df=yes}}

| death_place = Bern, Switzerland

| office = President of the {{Ill|Swiss Sports Aid Foundation|de|Schweizer Sporthilfe}}

| predecessor = Paul Wyss

| successor = Ruth Metzler

| term_start = 2001

| term_end = 1 January 2005

| office2 = President of the Swiss Olympic Association

| predecessor2 = Daniel Plattner

| termend2 = 1 January 2001

| termstart2 = November 1996

| successor2 = Walter Kägi

| awards = {{Awards|award=Olympic Order |year=2001}}

}}

René Burkhalter (27 October 1934 – 26 November 2024) was a Swiss sports administrator who was a member of the Central Committee and the Technical Commission of the {{Ill|Fédération suisse d'escrime|lt=Swiss Fencing Federation|fr}}. He was the founder and president during 25 years of the {{Ill|Fencing Grand Prix of Bern|fr|Grand prix d'escrime de Berne|de|Grand Prix de Berne}}, as well as the president of the Swiss Olympic Association from November 1996, succeeding Daniel Plattner, until 1 January 2001, when he was succeeded by Walter Kägi.{{Cite web |date=17 February 2022 |title=«Olympische Spiele in der Schweiz erachte ich zurzeit als unrealistisch» |url=https://www.landanzeiger.ch/olympische-spiele-in-der-schweiz-erachte-ich-zurzeit-als-unrealistisch/ |access-date=9 December 2024 |website=Landanzeiger |language=German}}{{Cite web |date=3 December 2024 |title=Swiss Olympic trauert um René Burkhalter |url=https://www.swissolympic.ch/news/news-details-sow?pageId=d60b0cb8-e9bf-44fe-9d6e-e423ddfced54&entryId=S200535 |access-date=9 December 2024 |website=Swiss Olympic Association |language=German}}{{Cite web |date=4 November 2000 |title=Kägi takes over leadership of Swiss Olympic Association |url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-politics/kaegi-takes-over-leadership-of-swiss-olympic-association/1738962 |access-date=9 December 2024 |website=SWI swissinfo}} Burkhalter also served as the president of the {{Ill|Swiss Sports Aid Foundation|de|Schweizer Sporthilfe}} from 2001, succeeding Paul Wyss, until 1 January 2005, when he was succeeded by Ruth Metzler.{{Cite web |last=Gartmann |first=Seraina |last2=Pagotto-Uebelhart |first2=Jan |date=18 November 2014 |title=Wyss, Paul |url=https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/articles/033693/2014-11-18/ |access-date=9 December 2024 |website=Historical Dictionary of Switzerland |language=German}}{{Cite web |date=14 December 2004 |title=Ex-Ministerin leitet Schweizer Sporthilfe |url=https://integration.dosb.de/sonderseiten/news/news-detail/ex-ministerin-leitet-schweizer-sporthilfe |access-date=9 December 2024 |website={{Ill|Integration durch Sport|de|lt=Integration through Sport}} |language=German}}

In 2001, he was awarded the Olympic Order by the IOC.{{Cite web |date=14 July 2001 |title=112th IOC SESSION - Highlights of the day |url=http://www.moscow2001.olympic.org/en/session/jours_14.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070823002903/http://www.moscow2001.olympic.org:80/en/session/jours_14.html |archive-date=23 August 2007 |access-date=9 December 2024 |website={{Ill|112e session du Comité international olympique|fr|lt=112th Session of the International Olympic Committee}}}} Born on 27 October 1934,{{Cite web |title=Profil |url=https://www.swissolympians.ch/de/Mitglieder/SwissOlympians/Profil?id=118 |access-date=9 December 2024 |website=Swiss Olympians |language=German}} Burkhalter died in Bern, on 26 November 2024, at the age of 90.{{cite news |date=3 December 2024 |title=René Burkhalter deceased at the age of 90 |url=https://www.bluewin.ch/en/sport/rene-burkhalter-dies-at-the-age-of-2471723.html |access-date=3 December 2024 |publisher={{Ill|Bluewin|fr|Bluewin|de}}}}{{Cite web |last=Plytkevich |first=Irina |date=3 December 2024 |title=Nécrologie {{!}} René Burkhalter {{!}} 27 octobre 1934 – 26 novembre 2024 |url=https://swiss-fencing.ch/necrologie-rene-burkhalter-27-octobre-1934-26-novembre-2024/ |access-date=9 December 2024 |website={{Ill|Fédération suisse d'escrime|lt=Swiss Fencing Federation|fr}} |language=French}}