Nicola Spirig facts for kids
Nicola Spirig at the Sprint World Championships in Lausanne, 2011
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| Nickname(s) | Nic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 7 February 1982 Winkel, Switzerland |
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| Alma mater | University of Zurich | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Reto Hug | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Triathlon, long-distance running | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Brett Sutton (2006- ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Updated on 9 August 2018. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nicola Spirig Hug (born 7 February 1982) is a famous Swiss athlete. She used to be a professional triathlete and is also a lawyer. She won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games and has been a European champion six times in triathlon.
Contents
Nicola Spirig's Amazing Career
Nicola Spirig is a very successful triathlete who has competed in five Olympic Games. She won the gold medal at the Olympics in 2012. Four years later, in 2016, she earned a silver medal.
Early Success and Championships
Nicola was the Junior World Champion in 2001. She also won the Junior European Championship in 1999. As an adult, she became the Elite European Champion many times. She won this title in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2018. When she won in Glasgow in 2018, she was one of the oldest athletes competing.
Olympic Gold Medal Moment
Nicola Spirig was born in Winkel, Switzerland. On August 4, 2012, she won the gold medal in the Women's Olympic Triathlon. It was a very close race! She won by just a tiny bit in a photo finish against Lisa Nordén from Sweden.
Triathlon Achievements
Between 1998 and 2010, Nicola competed in 72 races organized by the International Triathlon Union (ITU). She finished in the top ten 39 times! In 2010, she won the European Championships. She also won a World Championship Series triathlon in Madrid. She earned a silver medal at another World Championship Series race in London. Overall, she finished second in the World Championship Series that year.
Other Sports and Activities
Besides triathlon, Nicola is also a talented long-distance runner. In 2014, she came in second at the Swiss Cross-Country Championships. She also ran in the marathon at the 2014 European Athletics Championships in Zürich. She finished 24th in that race. In 2021, she placed second in the 10,000 meters at the Swiss National Athletics Championships.
Nicola even tried bobsleigh! In 2015, she raced on the St. Moritz-Celerina Olympic Bobrun track. She was invited by a Swiss pilot named Beat Hefti. She joined his four-man team and they finished 27th.
Recent Olympic Appearances
In 2021, Nicola competed in the women's triathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. She also took part in the mixed relay event there.
Nicola Spirig's Personal Life
Nicola Spirig lives in Bachenbülach, Switzerland. She studied law and has a degree in the subject. Her older sister and brother also enjoyed sports before they started their careers. Nicola's parents were both physical education teachers.
Nicola is married to Reto Hug, who was also a triathlete. They have three children. Their son was born in 2013, and their first daughter was born in 2017. Their third child was born in April 2019. After her first child was born, Nicola wasn't sure if she would return to triathlon. But she did! Just 12 weeks after her third child was born, she was back competing. She raced in the World Triathlon Series Grand Final in Lausanne, Switzerland, in August 2019.
Major Competition Results
Here are some of Nicola Spirig's top results in big competitions:
Olympic Games
| Date | Competition | Place | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-08-25 | Summer Olympics | Athens, Greece | 19 |
| 2008-08-18 | Summer Olympics | Beijing, China | 6 |
| 2012-08-04 | Summer Olympics | London, United Kingdom |  |
| 2016-08-20 | Summer Olympics | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |  |
| 2021-07-26 | Summer Olympics | Tokyo, Japan | 6 |
World Championships
| Date | Competition | Place | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-06-23 | World Triathlon | Kitzbühel, Austria | |
| 2012-05-26 | World Triathlon | Madrid, Spain | |
| 2011-08-21 | Team World Championships | Lausanne, Switzerland | |
| 2010-09-08 | World Championship Series, Grand Final | Budapest, Hungary |  |
| 2010-07-24 | World Championship Series | London, United Kingdom | |
| 2010-06-05 | World Championship Series | Madrid, Spain | |
| 2009-08-15 | World Championship Series | London, United Kingdom | |
| 2009-07-11 | World Championship Series | Kitzbühel, Austria | |
| 2005-09-10 | World Championships (Under 23) | Gamagori, Japan | |
| 2002-11-09 | World Championships (Under 23) | Cancún, Mexico | |
World Cups
| Date | Competition | Place | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-03-25 | World Cup | Mooloolaba, Australia | |
| 2010-10-10 | World Cup | Huatulco, Mexico | |
| 2008-07-20 | World Cup | Kitzbühel, Austria | |
| 2007-12-01 | World Cup | Eilat, Israel | |
European Championships
| Date | Competition | Place | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-08-09 | European Championships | Glasgow, United Kingdom | |
| 2014-06-20 | European Championships | Kitzbühel, Austria | |
| 2012-04-20 | European Championships | Eilat, Israel | |
| 2010-07-03 | European Championships | Athlone, Ireland | |
| 2009-07-02 | European Championships | Holten, Netherlands | |
| 2007-06-29 | European Championships | Copenhagen, Denmark | |
| 2005-07-17 | European Championships (Under 23) | Sofia, Bulgaria | |
European Games
| Date | Competition | Place | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-06-13 | 1st European Games | Baku, Azerbaijan | |
Junior Results
| Date | Competition | Place | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-07-22 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | |
| 2001-06-23 | European Championships | Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic | |
| 2000-04-30 | World Championships | Perth, Australia | |
| 1999-07-03 | European Championships | Funchal, Portugal | |
Awards and Recognition
Nicola Spirig has received several awards for her amazing sports career:
- 2000: She was named the Best Swiss Junior Sportswoman.
- 2001: She received the Swiss Newcomer of the Year award.
- 2012: She was recognized as the Swiss Sports Personality of the Year.
- 2015: The European Triathlon Union named her their Female Athlete of the Year.
See also
In Spanish: Nicola Spirig para niños
