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Thierry Gueorgiou

Thierry Gueorgiou (French pronunciation: [tjɛʁi ʒɔʁʒu];[1] born 30 March 1979)[2] is a French orienteer who holds the record for gold medals won at the World Orienteering Championships for a male athlete, with 14 gold medals between 2003 and 2017.[3] Gueorgiou has won more than 20 gold medals in international competitions, including the World Orienteering Championships (WOC) middle distance event a record eight times: 2003–2005, 2007–2009, 2011 and 2017.

Thierry Gueorgiou
Gueorgiou at the World Cup event
in Norway 2007
Personal information
Born (1979-03-30) 30 March 1979 (age 45)
St. Étienne, France
Years active1997-2017
SpouseAnnika Billstam
Children2
Sport
SportOrienteering
Club
  • Kalevan Rasti
  • NO St-Etienne
Medal record
Men's orienteering
Representing  France
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2003 Rapperswil/Jona Middle
Gold medal – first place 2004 Västerås Middle
Gold medal – first place 2005 Aichi Middle
Gold medal – first place 2007 Kyiv Middle
Gold medal – first place 2007 Kyiv Sprint
Gold medal – first place 2008 Olomouc Middle
Gold medal – first place 2009 Miskolc Middle
Gold medal – first place 2011 Savoie Middle
Gold medal – first place 2011 Savoie Long
Gold medal – first place 2011 Savoie Relay
Gold medal – first place 2013 Vuokatti Long
Gold medal – first place 2014 Asiago-Lavarone Long
Gold medal – first place 2015 Inverness Long
Gold medal – first place 2017 Tartu Middle
Silver medal – second place 2005 Aichi Relay
Silver medal – second place 2009 Miskolc Long
Silver medal – second place 2013 Vuokatti Middle
Silver medal – second place 2016 Stromstad Long
Silver medal – second place 2017 Tartu Relay
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Rapperswil/Jona Sprint
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Trondheim Middle
Bronze medal – third place 2010 Trondheim Long
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Asiago-Lavarone Relay
World Games
Gold medal – first place 2005 Duisburg Middle
World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2006 WC Overall
Gold medal – first place 2007 WC Overall
Silver medal – second place 2005 WC Overall
Silver medal – second place 2008 WC Overall
Silver medal – second place 2009 WC Overall
Silver medal – second place 2011 WC Overall
Bronze medal – third place 2010 WC Overall
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2004 Roskilde Middle
Gold medal – first place 2006 Otepää Middle
Gold medal – first place 2008 Ventspils Middle
Silver medal – second place 2010 Primorsko Relay
World University Championships
Gold medal – first place 2000 Roanne Short
Gold medal – first place 2000 Roanne Long
Gold medal – first place 2000 Roanne Relay
Gold medal – first place 2002 Varna Short
Gold medal – first place 2002 Varna Relay
Junior World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1998 Reims Long
Silver medal – second place 1999 Varna Relay
Bronze medal – third place 1998 Reims Relay
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Varna Short

In November 2016 it was announced he will become the Sweden national team head coach following his retirement at the 2017 World Championships.[4] From October 2021 he has been the head coach of the Finnish national orienteering team.[5]

Early life

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Gueorgiou was born in St. Étienne, France in 1979.[2] Gueorgiou stated in an interview that his interest in being a World Champion in Orienteering started when he spectated the 1987 World Orienteering Championships, held in Gérardmer, which was the first time the World Championships was held in France. Gueorgiou was 8 years old at the time.[3][6] In 1991, Gueorgiou won his age category at the spectator races for the 1991 World Orienteering Championships in Czechoslovakia.[6]

Running for Fédération Française de Course d'Orientation, Gueorgiou made his debut at the 1995 Junior World Orienteering Championships in Denmark at the age of 16, coming 60th in the Short distance and 10th in the relay.[7] He would finish his junior career by achieving two silver medals and two bronze medals in the 1998 and 1999 Junior World Championships. Gueorgiou made his senior international debut at the 1997 World Orienteering Championships in Grimstad, Norway, at the age of 18.

World Orienteering Championships

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Thierry Gueorgiou and Simone Niggli-Luder, WOC 2007 middle distance champions

After his Debut in 1997, it took Gueorgiou 6 years to achieve his first medal. Gueorgiou has said that this was his hardest period in orienteering. in 2001 Gueorgiou came 19th in the Short distance after a near perfect run, which led him to make changes to his technique that would eventually lead him to multiple world championship victories.[8]

His breakthrough season came in 2003, where he won his first gold medal in the Middle Distance. Gueorgiou has since won all 3 individual disciplines, winning the Sprint Distance for the first time in Kyiv in 2007 and the Long Distance for the first time in 2011. Gueorgiou won his most recent Long Distance gold medal in 2015, winning the gold in the Long Distance at Glen Affric ahead of Daniel Hubmann and Olav Lundanes. Thierry has won 14 gold medals at world championships.

Gueorgiou announced his retirement from international competition after the 2017 World Orienteering Championships in Estonia, where he won his final gold medal in the Middle Distance.[9]

Gueorgiou was a member of the French relay team at WOC 2008 in Olomouc, Czech Republic. While running in a clear lead on the third leg, he suffered a bee sting on the back of his tongue. He left the course to go directly to the finish, where he collapsed, barely able to breathe. He was transported by helicopter to a hospital.[10][11]

At WOC 2009 in Miskolc, Hungary, during the last leg of the relay race Gueorgiou, Anders Nordberg (Norway), and Michal Smola (Czech Republic) were close behind the lead runner, Martin Johansson (Sweden), when Johansson suffered a 12 cm deep penetrating trauma from a stick in his right thigh. While Nordberg ran for help, Gueorgiou and Smola stayed with Johansson. Gueorgiou pulled out the stick, then applied compression to the wound using his own shirt and GPS tracking harness. Gueorgiou and Smola then carried Johansson to a road. Nordberg brought a physician there.[12][13][14]

Style of orienteering

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Gueorgiou has stated in interviews that his style is "Full speed, no mistakes".[8] Gueorgiou is noted for his incredible map- reading, and is frequently named as "The King of Middle Distance" for his multiple victories at world championships. Alongside his victories in Classic foot orienteering, Gueorgiou was the 2006 European champion in trail orienteering.[2]

Personal life

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Gueorgiou's nickname is Tero and he is commonly known as Tero Kettunen in Finland and Terje Gundersen in Norway.[12] He currently lives in Uppsala, Sweden with his partner elite orienteer Annika Billstam. Gueorgiou and Billstam met in 2011 when Gueorgiou was asked to speak to members of the Swedish orienteering team.[14] Gueorgiou has two children with Billstam, named Ines and Leon.[15] His brother, Remi Gueorgiou, also competed for France in Orienteering, coming 36th in the Middle Distance at the 2004 World Orienteering Championships (won by Thierry). Remi was born in 1975.[16]

Clubs

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Gueorgiou runs for two orienteering clubs, the French NO St-Etienne[17] and the Finnish Kalevan Rasti.[2] With Kalevan Rasti he has won the Jukola Relay five times (2004, 2005, 2007, 2013 and 2014).

World Championship results

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Year
Age Long Middle Sprint Relay Sprint
Relay
1997 18 — 50 — 12 —
1999 20 — 24 — 12 —
2001 22 — 18 12 11 —
2003 24 — 1 3 14 —
2004 25 — 1 5 7 —
2005 26 7 1 — 2 —
2006 27 8 4 — 11 —
2007 28 — 1 1 6 —
2008 29 — 1 5 DSQ —
2009 30 2 1 — 25 —
2010 31 3 3 — 8 —
2011 32 1 1 — 1 —
2012 33 — 4 — 5 —
2013 34 1 2 — 8 —
2014 35 1 DSQ — 3 —
2015 36 1 7 — — —
2016 37 2 4 — 6 —
2017 38 — 1 — 2 —

References

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  1. ^ How Thierry Gueorgiou pronounces his name
  2. ^ a b c d "Profile: Thierry Gueorgiou". runners.worldofo.com. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  3. ^ a b Garrido, Laura. "WOC: Thierry Gueorgiou from a different and new point of view". orienteering.sport. International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  4. ^ Sara Stylbäck Vesa (25 November 2016). "Drömvärvning av orienteringslandslaget" (in Swedish). SVT Sport. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  5. ^ "Thierry Gueorgiou suunnistuksen päävalmentajaksi" (in Finnish). 9 September 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  6. ^ a b Kocbach, Jan. "Gueorgiou's story – Part I". worldofo.com. World of O. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Junior World Orienteering Championships 1995". old.orienteering.sport. International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Gueorgiou's story – Part II".
  9. ^ "Home". woc2017.ee.
  10. ^ John McCullough (2008-07-28). "High drama at the WOC Relay". The Irish Orienteer. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
  11. ^ "Cruel bee sting costs French world orienteering title". CzechNews. 2008-07-21. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
  12. ^ a b Thierry Gueorgiou (2009-08-27). "25th in WOC relay…". Thierry Gueorgiou. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
  13. ^ Martin Johansson (2009-08-26). "The WOC-relay and the days after". Archived from the original on 2009-08-29. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
  14. ^ a b Borden, Sam (8 July 2015). "Orienteering's Key to Winning: Not Getting Lost". New York Times. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  15. ^ Vanhatalo, Nina (8 September 2021). "Multiple world champion Thierry Gueorgiou is the new head coach of the Finnish orienteering team – "The goal is to be the best orienteering country in 2025"". yle.fi. YLE. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  16. ^ "IOF Eventor- Remi Gueorgiou". eventor.orienteering.org. International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  17. ^ "Thierry Gueorgiou". tero1.free.fr. Archived from the original on 2011-01-24. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
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