Gérard Balanche

Gérard Balanche ( born January 18, 1968 in Le Locle ) is a retired Swiss ski jumper.

Balanche was December 30, 1984 his debut in the World Cup Ski Jumping. However, his first event in the Four Hills Tournament 1984/85 went still unsuccessful. In March 1985, he then achieved a breakthrough in the World Cup. In the Swedish Falun he reached the 13th place first World Cup points. Two days later he jumped in Oslo for the first time and the last time on the podium. The following seasons went by grow. The jumping to Four Hills Tournament, he remained mostly depend on mediocre places. In the other World Cup competitions he usually reached World Cup points. His most successful season 1986/87 he finished in 27th place in the overall World Cup standings.

At the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary in 1988 Balanche jumped on the normal hill on the 37th and on the large hill on the 30th place. In the team competition, he reached the 8th place together with Christoph Lehmann, Fabrice Piazzini and Christian Hauswirth. In the first World Cup after the Games in Lahti Balanche could again win World Cup points with 13th place.

The Four Hills Tournament 1988/89 was unsuccessful for Balanche. Also in the following Nordic World Ski Championships 1989 in Lahti, when he jumped from the normal hill on the 34th and on the large hill on the 49th place, was rather without much success. After the World Cup Balanche ended his ski jumping career.