Winter Olympics 2026: Patrick Burgener overcomes memory loss to represent Brazil for first time in his third Games

The No. 9 bib is not the most sought after in snowboard, unless you are Patrick Burgener.

He was delighted to be sporting the 9 at Milano Cortina 2026, emulating Olympic men’s football bronze medallist Ronaldo (who wore the same number) in a photo at the top of the halfpipe.

The snowboarder represented Brazil for the first time at an Olympic Winter Games, having competed for his birth country of Switzerland at his previous two appearances.

His mother - who was in Livigno to support him - grew up in Brazil and paved the way for her son to switch nationalities. Although it was a landmark moment for the 31-year-old to be competing, his 14th-place finish in qualifying was not enough to advance.

"It's a mixed feeling,” Burgener told Olympics.com after missing out on the final by 5.50 points. “I woke up in the hospital a week ago. I wasn't even sure I was going to be here. I'm obviously very sad to miss the finals, I've done every finals this year.

“It’s been hard: I woke up not remembering anything of my life for a day. I fell on my head really hard last week. It's been a really tough year as well, training a lot. It’s been a lot, and it's disappointing to not make finals when you give so much energy and effort.”

Australia's Scotty James leads field advancing to men’s snowboard halfpipe finals

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Milano Cortina 2026 – Patrick Burgener, Brazil’s snowboarding trailblazer

Burgener’s appearance on the halfpipe was a special sight. He and teammate Augustinho Teixeira are the first Brazilians to compete in the event, while Burgener’s result is the highest finish for any Brazilian male athlete in Winter Olympic history.

After a self-confessed challenging year, the Lausanne native was naturally downbeat about not reaching the final. With that, though, he knows better than anyone that his presence goes well beyond sporting results.

“The level is incredible,” he said. “I must say this is the best level we've seen in snowboarding in the qualifications. I'm also sad for Brazil: I really wanted to put Brazil in the finals. I'm very happy for the people who made the finals, they deserve it.”

Burgener’s busy schedule is also down to his other profession as a musician, having released several EPs and singles over the years. When it comes to his snowboard status as a three-time Olympian, it is certainly a joint effort between homelands.

“It's not my achievement, it's Brazil’s,” Burgener said. “They welcomed me, they gave me everything for the energy I needed for this amazing year. We've done a beautiful season so far. I really want to thank Brazil, I want to thank Switzerland as well for making me who I am today.”

At the end of the day, the 31-year-old's journey is about expressing himself on the snow while showing that he is more than just an athlete. His greatest privilege is to represent humanity on the greatest sporting stage – whichever nation’s colours he may be dressed in.

“People like to label, ‘You’re a snowboarder, you're a musician, you're an artist’ and I've always tried to prove the world that we are just humans,” Burgener concluded. “When you look up under this beautiful sky, we're all the same, that's how my mother grew up.

“With this journey, I just want to show people that we are just all the same: Swiss, Brazilian, Indian, African, whatever you are, we're all the same doing sports. The Olympics brings people together. It's just a beautiful event and I'm just going to try to enjoy the end of it.”

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