Franz Nietlispach

Who is Franz Nietlispach?

Franz Nietlispach is a Swiss wheelchair athlete, handcyclist, and politician.

He has competed in every Summer Paralympic Games from 1976 to 2008, winning a total of fourteen gold, six silver, and two bronze medals. All of these medals were for athletics, except for one bronze earned in handcycling at the 2004 Games. At the 2008 Beijing Games, Nietlispach competed only in cycling; this was the first time he appeared at the Paralympics without participating in an athletics event. He also competed in table tennis early in his career, taking part in that sport at the 1976 and 1980 Paralympics.

He has won the men's wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon five times. He has also held political office in Aargau.