Michael Greis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Michael Greis

Greis at the World Championships in Antholz-Anterselva.
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Michi
Born	(1976-08-18) 18 August 1976 (age 48) Füssen, West Germany
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Professional information
Sport	Biathlon
Club	SK Nesselwang
World Cup debut	28 February 2001
Retired	5 December 2012
Olympic Games
Teams	3 (2002, 2006, 2010)
Medals	3 (3 gold)
World Championships
Teams	9 (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012)
Medals	12 (3 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	13 (2000/01–2012/13)
Individual victories	11
All victories	21
Individual podiums	34
All podiums	64
Overall titles	1 (2006–07)
Discipline titles	4: 3 Individual (2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09); 1 Sprint (2006–07)
Medal record Men's biathlon Representing  Germany Olympic Games Gold 2006 Turin 20 km individual Gold 2006 Turin 15 km mass start Gold 2006 Turin 4 × 7.5 km relay World Championships Gold 2004 Oberhof 4 × 7.5 km relay Gold 2007 Antholz-Anterselva 15 km mass start Gold 2008 Östersund Mixed relay Silver 2005 Hochfilzen 20 km individual Silver 2007 Antholz-Anterselva 20 km individual Silver 2011 Khanty-Mansiysk Mixed relay Bronze 2005 Khanty-Mansiysk Mixed relay Bronze 2007 Antholz-Anterselva 4 × 7.5 km relay Bronze 2008 Östersund 4 × 7.5 km relay Bronze 2009 Pyeongchang 4 × 7.5 km relay Bronze 2009 Pyeongchang Mixed relay Bronze 2012 Ruhpolding 4 × 7.5 km relay

Michael Greis (born August 18, 1976) is a famous German former biathlete. A biathlete is an athlete who competes in biathlon, a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.

Michael Greis's Biathlon Career

Michael Greis started his Olympic journey at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He finished 15th in the 10 km sprint and 16th in the 12.5 km pursuit biathlon events.

Early Success and World Championships

Greis won the World Cup in the individual category during the 2004-2005 season. He was also part of the winning 4 × 7.5 km relay team at the 2004 Biathlon World Championships. In 2005, he earned a silver medal in the individual 20 km category at the World Championships.

Olympic Glory in Turin 2006

At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Michael Greis was a top contender. He won the first Olympic gold medal of the games in the individual 20 km event. He beat the previous Olympic champion, Ole Einar Bjørndalen. Greis also helped the German team win gold in the 4 × 7.5 km relay event.

On February 25, 2006, Greis won his third gold medal in the men's 15 km mass start event. This made him the first athlete to win three gold medals at the Turin Olympic Games. Later that day, two Korean athletes, Jin Sun-Yu and Ahn Hyun Soo, also achieved this feat in short track speed skating.

After his amazing performance, journalists named Michael Greis, along with fellow biathlete Kati Wilhelm, as German Sportsperson of the Year.

World Cup Achievements

In the 2006-2007 World Cup season, Greis won the overall title and the sprint competition. The next season, 2007-2008, he often finished on the podium. He achieved three victories, three second-place finishes, and three third-place finishes. At the World Championships in Östersund that season, he helped his team win a gold medal in the mixed relay and a bronze in the men's relay.

Before the 2008-2009 World Cup season, Greis decided to train on his own. This was due to a disagreement with the German head coach, Frank Ullrich. Despite this, he had a strong season, winning two more World Cup victories. He also earned a bronze medal in the relay at the Biathlon World Championships 2009 in South Korea.

Later Career and Retirement

Greis competed in the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada. However, these games were not as successful for him. He finished 10th in both the individual and mass start events. He also placed 5th in the relay and pursuit races. This marked the first time in Olympic history that no German male biathlete won a medal.

After the first round of the 2012-2013 World Cup, Michael Greis announced his retirement on December 5, 2012. He mentioned a lack of motivation as the reason. His last competition was the 20 km race in Östersund on November 28, 2012.

After retiring from biathlon, Greis studied International Management. He also worked as a sports commentator for Eurosport. In 2016, he became the head coach at the national biathlon training center for east Switzerland in Lenzerheide. There, he coached young biathletes. In April 2018, he was named the head coach of the United States men's biathlon team. After one season, in May 2019, he became the head coach for the Polish women's biathlon team.

Michael Greis's Biathlon Results

All of Michael Greis's results come from the International Biathlon Union.

Olympic Games Medals

3 medals (3 gold)

Event	Individual	Sprint	Pursuit	Mass start	Relay
2002 Salt Lake City	—	15th	16th	N/A	—
2006 Turin	Gold	33rd	8th	Gold	Gold
2010 Vancouver	10th	21st	5th	10th	5th

*The Mass start event was added to the Olympics in 2006.

World Championships Medals

12 medals (3 gold, 3 silver, 6 bronze)

Event	Individual	Sprint	Pursuit	Mass start	Relay	Mixed relay
2002 Oslo Holmenkollen	N/A	N/A	N/A	19th	N/A	N/A
2003 Khanty-Mansiysk	—	29th	DNS	—	—	N/A
2004 Oberhof	—	5th	9th	21st	Gold	N/A
2005 Hochfilzen	Silver	6th	5th	10th	6th	Bronze
2007 Antholz-Anterselva	Silver	19th	12th	Gold	Bronze	5th
2008 Östersund	36th	—	—	13th	Bronze	Gold
2009 Pyeongchang	19th	7th	13th	DNF	Bronze	Bronze
2011 Khanty-Mansiysk	7th	9th	11th	20th	7th	Silver
2012 Ruhpolding	11th	26th	23rd	22nd	Bronze	—

*During Olympic years, World Championship competitions are only held for events not included in the Olympics.

**The mixed relay event was added in 2005.

Individual Victories in Biathlon

11 victories (3 Individual, 4 Sprint, 2 Pursuit, 2 Mass Start)

Season	Date	Location	Discipline	Level
2004–05 1 victory (1 Individual)	9 February 2005	Turin	20 km individual	Biathlon World Cup
2005–06 2 victories (1 Individual, 1 Mass Start)	11 February 2006	Turin	20 km individual	Winter Olympic Games
	25 February 2006	Turin	15 km mass start	Winter Olympic Games
2006–07 2 victories (1 Sprint, 1 Mass Start)	14 December 2006	Hochfilzen	10 km sprint	Biathlon World Cup
	11 February 2007	Antholz-Anterselva	15 km mass start	Biathlon World Championships
2007–08 4 victories (2 Sprint, 2 Pursuit)	12 January 2008	Ruhpolding	10 km sprint	Biathlon World Cup
	13 January 2008	Ruhpolding	12.5 km pursuit	Biathlon World Cup
	18 January 2008	Antholz-Anterselva	10 km sprint	Biathlon World Cup
	29 February 2008	Pyeongchang	12.5 km pursuit	Biathlon World Cup
2008–09 2 victories (1 Individual, 1 Sprint)	3 December 2008	Östersund	20 km individual	Biathlon World Cup
	19 March 2009	Trondheim	10 km sprint	Biathlon World Cup

*These results include races from the Biathlon World Cup, Biathlon World Championships, and the Winter Olympic Games.

See also

In Spanish: Michael Greis para niños

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event