Andreas Thorkildsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Andreas Thorkildsen

Thorkildsen in 2008
Personal information
Nationality	Norwegian
Born	(1982-04-01) 1 April 1982 (age 43) Kristiansand, Norway
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	90 kg (198 lb)
Sport
Country	Norway
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Javelin throw
Club	Kristiansand IF
Coached by	Åsmund Martinsen
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	NR 91.59 m (2006)
Medal record Representing  Norway Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Javelin Gold 2008 Beijing Javelin World Championships Gold 2009 Berlin Javelin Silver 2005 Helsinki Javelin Silver 2007 Osaka Javelin Silver 2011 Daegu Javelin European Championships Gold 2006 Gothenburg Javelin Gold 2010 Barcelona Javelin Representing Europe Continental Cup Gold 2010 Split Javelin

Andreas Thorkildsen (born April 1, 1982) is a famous Norwegian athlete who used to compete in the javelin throw. He won gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. He was also the European Champion in 2006 and 2010, and the World Champion in 2009.

Andreas made history as the first male javelin thrower ever to hold the European, World, and Olympic titles all at the same time! He also won three silver medals at the World Championships in 2005, 2007, and 2011. His best throw ever was 91.59 meters, which he achieved in 2006. This is still the Norwegian record!

About Andreas Thorkildsen

Andreas Thorkildsen was born on April 1, 1982. He grew up in Kristiansand, Norway.

Family and Background

Andreas comes from a family of athletes. His father, Tomm Thorkildsen, was also a javelin thrower. His mother, Bente, was a national champion in the 100 metres hurdles in 1972. Andreas has one older brother. He went to high school at Kristiansand Cathedral School.

Life Outside Sports

Andreas had a relationship with Norwegian hurdler Christina Vukicevic. Their relationship sometimes attracted a lot of media attention. In March 2011, they announced that they were no longer together.

In 2007, Andreas also tried his hand at modeling. He worked for former football player Martin Dahlin, showing off his winter and autumn clothing collections.

Andreas's Javelin Career

Thorkildsen at the GE Money Grand Prix in Helsinki, July 2005

Andreas started throwing the javelin when he was 11 years old. His father, Tomm, was his coach until 1999. As a teenager, Andreas set many national records for young athletes.

• In 1996, he set a record for 14-year-olds (53.82 meters).
• In 1998, he set a record for 16-year-olds (61.57 meters).
• In 1999, he set a record for 17-year-olds (72.11 meters).
• In 2000, he set a record for 18-year-olds (77.48 meters).

In 1999, he finished seventh at the European Junior Championships.

In 2000, Andreas won his first medal at the Norwegian championships, taking silver. This led to him being called up to the Norwegian European Cup team. In October, he won a silver medal at the World Junior Championships.

Early Professional Years (2001–2003)

In 2001, Andreas moved to Oslo and joined the club SK Vidar. He started training with coach Åsmund Martinsen. This new partnership helped Andreas a lot. He soon threw over 80 meters, reaching 83.87 meters in June. This was a world junior record until 2011.

He won another silver medal at the European Junior Championships. Andreas also competed at the World Championships in Edmonton. However, he finished last in that competition. He described his own throwing as "completely awful."

At home, Andreas became the Norwegian champion for the first time. In 2002, his best throw was 83.43 meters. He competed at his first European Championships but did not make it to the final. In 2003, he reached his first major international final at the World Championships in Paris, finishing eleventh. He also won his second national title.

Olympic Gold in 2004

Throwing at the European Cup

The year 2004 was very important for Andreas because of the Olympic Games. He showed great form leading up to the Olympics. He qualified with a throw of 84.12 meters. In July, he won his first major international meet in Stockholm.

At the Olympic javelin final in Athens, Andreas surprised everyone. He started strong with 84.82 meters. In the second round, he threw a personal best of 86.50 meters. No one could beat this throw, and Andreas won a surprising Olympic gold medal! He was the second Norwegian man to win Olympic javelin gold. Andreas said the feeling was "completely insane."

World Championships Success (2005–2008)

In 2005, Andreas continued to improve. He broke the Norwegian record with a throw of 86.82 meters in June. He then improved it again to 87.66 meters. At the World Championships in Helsinki, he won a silver medal. He finished second to Andrus Värnik of Estonia.

In 2006, Andreas joined his original club, Kristiansands IF. He broke the 90-meter barrier for the first time with a throw of 90.13 meters. At the Bislett Games, he set a new Norwegian record of 91.59 meters. This was his goal of throwing 300 feet! He won the European Championships with 88.78 meters. He also won his first World Athletics Final.

In 2007, Andreas aimed for the World Championships in Osaka. He won another silver medal there, losing to Tero Pitkämäki.

Thorkildsen celebrating his gold medal in Beijing

In 2008, Andreas won the Golden League event in Oslo. His main goal was the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He won another gold medal at the Olympics, setting a new Olympic record with 90.57 meters. Andreas was in control of the competition from his very first throw. All five of his throws would have been enough to win a medal!

World Champion and Retirement (2009–2016)

In 2009, Andreas made history. He became the first male javelin thrower to hold all three major titles at once: European, World, and Olympic champion. He won the World Championship in Berlin with a throw of 89.59 meters. He also had the best throw of the season, 91.28 meters.

He started his 2010 season strong with a throw of 90.37 meters. He then defended his European title at the European Championships with 88.37 meters. In 2011, he won another silver medal at the World Championships in Daegu.

In 2012, Andreas finished fourth at the European Championships in Helsinki. This was the first time since 2003 that he did not win a medal at a major championship. At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, he finished fifth. His last major competition was the World Championships in Moscow, where he placed sixth.

Injuries forced Andreas to stop competing in 2014. He decided to take a break in 2015, hoping to return in 2016. However, in May 2016, Andreas Thorkildsen announced that he was retiring from sports.

Awards and Recognition

Andreas received several important awards during his career:

• At the end of 2004, he was named Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year by Norwegian sports journalists.
• In 2008, he was awarded the European Athlete of the Year trophy by the European Athletic Association. They recognized his success at the Beijing Olympics and his amazing 90-meter throws.

Best Throws Each Year

Here are Andreas Thorkildsen's best javelin throws for each year:

• 1998 – 61.57 meters
• 1999 – 72.11 meters
• 2000 – 77.48 meters
• 2001 – 83.87 meters
• 2002 – 83.43 meters
• 2003 – 85.72 meters
• 2004 – 86.50 meters
• 2005 – 89.60 meters
• 2006 – 91.59 meters (His personal best and Norwegian record!)
• 2007 – 89.51 meters
• 2008 – 90.57 meters
• 2009 – 91.28 meters
• 2010 – 90.37 meters
• 2011 – 90.61 meters
• 2012 – 84.72 meters
• 2013 – 84.64 meters
• 2014 – 80.52 meters

See also

In Spanish: Andreas Thorkildsen para niños