| Elena Lengwiler | |
| Birth Name: | Elena Bosshard |
| Birth Date: | 1 June 1996 |
| Birth Place: | Wald |
| Education: | Sports Management at University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons |
| Occupation: | Ice Hockey player turned kitefoiler |
| Spouse: | Jonas |
| Nationality: | Swiss |
Elena Lengwiler born Elena Bosshard (born 1 June, 1996) is a Swiss Ice Hockey player and a nominated kitefoiler for the 24 Olympics. She was fourth in the 2024 European championships and she represents Switzerland in Formula Kite at the 2024 Olympics.
Lengwiler was born in Wald, Zürich in 1996.[1] She became a professional ice hockey player in the Swiss National League playing for the Zurich team of ZSC Lions.[2] She was a forward who shot with her left hand.[3] Her interest turned to kitefoiling and she joined the Gstaad Sailing Club.
In March 2024 she nearly gained a medal at the Formula Kite European Championships in the Mar Menor lagoon in Spain when she was fourth.[4] She was described as the most improved athlete and an Olympic medal contender.[5] The top three finishers Lauriane Nolot, Jessie Kampman and Poema Newland were all French riders competing intensely. It was noted that Lengwiler was their only peer as she had transformed herself from an also-ran into a contender. An Olympic place for Switzerland was expected.[6]
At the Olympic Last Chance Regatta at the end of April 2024 off Hyères in France she was first.[7] She qualified Switzerland to take part in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Fifteen of the twenty places were already allocated to fifteen different countries and their chosen riders. The last five places were awarded at the Last Chance Regatta to the Austrian surfer Alina Kornelli, Julia Damasiewicz of Poland, the Turkish Derin Atakan, Mafalda Pires de Lima of Portugal and Lengwiler.[8] Lengwiler was chosen as the sailor to represent Switzerland at the 2024 Olympics joining fellow foiler Elia Colombo in the national sailing team of Sébastien Schneiter and Arno de Planta, Maud Jayet, and the 470 dinghy mixed pair of Yves Mermod and Maja Siegenthaler.[9]