Fredy Glanzmann joined the Swiss national Nordic combined team in 1983 and made his World Cup debut that year in the 15 km. It was not until 1985, however, that he became a regular on the squad and first appeared at the World Championships, where he finished fifth in the 15 km. He earned his first World Cup podium finish in 1986, was fifth in the team competition at the 1987 World Championships, and captured two more podium finishes, including a victory, during the 1987 World Cup season. He made his only Olympic appearance in 1988, where he won silver in the team event alongside Hippolyt Kempf and Andreas Schaad, and placed 35th individually. The trio took another silver medal at the 1989 World Championships, after which Glanzmann retired from active competition. As of 2013 he runs a business that sells sports equipment and offers skiing and snowshoeing courses.
Switzerland