Simone Niggli-Luder facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Simone Niggli-Luder

Simone Niggli-Luder in 2006.
Personal information
Nationality	Swiss
Born	(1978-01-09) 9 January 1978 (age 47) Burgdorf
Residence	Münsingen, Switzerland Ulricehamn, Sweden
Alma mater	University of Bern
Years active	1988 - 2013
Sport
Sport	Orienteering
Club	OLV Hindelbank
Medal record Women's orienteering Representing  Switzerland World Championships Gold 2001 Tampere Long Gold 2003 Rapperswil-Jona Sprint Gold 2003 Rapperswil-Jona Middle Gold 2003 Rapperswil-Jona Long Gold 2003 Rapperswil-Jona Relay Gold 2004 Västerås Sprint Gold 2005 Aichi Sprint Gold 2005 Aichi Middle Gold 2005 Aichi Long Gold 2005 Aichi Relay Gold 2006 Aarhus Middle Gold 2006 Aarhus Long Gold 2007 Kyiv Sprint Gold 2007 Kyiv Middle Gold 2009 Miskolc Long Gold 2010 Trondheim Sprint Gold 2010 Trondheim Long Gold 2012 Lausanne Sprint Gold 2012 Lausanne Long Gold 2012 Lausanne Relay Gold 2013 Vuokatti Sprint Gold 2013 Vuokatti Middle Gold 2013 Vuokatti Long Silver 2006 Aarhus Sprint Silver 2010 Trondheim Middle Bronze 2001 Tampere Sprint Bronze 2006 Aarhus Relay Bronze 2007 Kyiv Long Bronze 2009 Miskolc Middle Bronze 2009 Miskolc Sprint Bronze 2013 Vuokatti Relay World Games Gold 2005 Duisburg Middle Gold 2005 Duisburg Relay World Cup Gold 2002 WC Overall Gold 2004 WC Overall Gold 2005 WC Overall Gold 2006 WC Overall Gold 2007 WC Overall Gold 2009 WC Overall Gold 2010 WC Overall Gold 2012 WC Overall Gold 2013 WC Overall Silver 2000 WC Overall European Championships Gold 2002 Sümeg Classic Gold 2004 Roskilde Sprint Gold 2004 Roskilde Long Gold 2006 Otepää Sprint Gold 2006 Otepää Long Gold 2010 Primorsko Middle Gold 2010 Primorsko Long Gold 2012 Falun Sprint Gold 2012 Falun Middle Gold 2012 Falun Long Silver 2000 Truskavets Short Silver 2002 Sümeg Relay Silver 2006 Otepää Relay Silver 2010 Primorsko Sprint Bronze 2010 Primorsko Relay Nordic Championships Gold 2007 Bornholm Middle Gold 2007 Bornholm Long Silver 2001 Mikkeli Classic Silver 2005 Notodden Sprint Silver 2005 Notodden Middle Silver 2005 Notodden Long Silver 2007 Bornholm Relay Bronze 2005 Notodden Relay Junior World Championships Gold 1997 Leopoldsburg Classic Silver 1996 Govora Relay Bronze 1997 Leopoldsburg Relay Bronze 1998 Reims Relay

Simone Niggli-Luder is a famous Swiss orienteering athlete. She was born on January 9, 1978. Many people think she is one of the greatest orienteers of all time. She even won all four women's competitions at the World Championships twice! This happened in 2003 and 2005.

About Simone Niggli-Luder

Early Life and Family

Simone Luder grew up in Burgdorf. This town is in the Canton of Bern. She studied biology at the University of Bern. She finished her studies in 2003. That same year, she married Matthias Niggli. He is also a Swiss orienteering athlete. They live in Münsingen near Bern and in Ulricehamn, Sweden.

What is Orienteering?

Orienteering is a sport where you use a map and a compass. You have to find your way through different types of land. The goal is to visit several checkpoints as fast as you can. It's like a race and a treasure hunt combined!

Simone's Amazing Achievements

Starting Her Orienteering Journey

Simone started competing in orienteering at a young age. She joined the Swiss club OLV Hindelbank. She was only ten years old when she took part in her first competition. From then on, she achieved many great things.

World and European Success

Simone won a gold medal at the junior world championships in 1997. She became the Swiss champion 20 times. She also won the Finnish championships once. And she won the Swedish championships nine times!

She won the World Cup five times. She also earned seven gold medals at the European Championships. Overall, she won an amazing 23 gold medals at the World Championships.

In 2003, Simone won every women's competition at the World Championships. These games were held in Rapperswil, Switzerland. She won the sprint, middle, and long distance races. She also won the relay race with her teammates Birgitte Wolf and Vroni König-Salmi.

She did this incredible feat again two years later. This was at the World Championships in Aichi, Japan.

Simone Niggli-Luder and Marianne Andersen at the World Orienteering Championships 2007

At the European Championships in 2006, she won gold in two races. These were the sprint and long distance events in Otepää, Estonia. The Swiss team got second place in the relay race.

In 2007, at the World Championships in Kyiv, Ukraine, she won two more gold medals. These were for the middle and sprint distances. She also got a bronze medal in the long distance race.

Simone Niggli-Luder and Thierry Gueorgiou, middle distance gold medalists, World Orienteering Championships 2007

Taking Breaks and Returning Strong

Simone took a break from orienteering in 2008. This was to have her first child. She took another break in 2011 when she had twins.

She came back to the sport in 2009. She won bronze medals in the middle and sprint distances. She also won a gold medal in the long distance at the World Championships in Miskolc, Hungary.

At the World Championships in 2013 in Vuokatti, Finland, she won all three individual races. These were the sprint, middle, and long distance. She also helped her team get a bronze medal in the relay event. Her teammates were Sara Luescher and Judith Wyder.

Her Clubs and Retirement

In 2001, Simone spent a year in Finland. She ran for the Finnish club Turun Suunnistajat. During that time, she won the Finnish championship. After July 2003, she ran for the Swedish club Ulricehamns OK.

In September 2013, Simone Niggli-Luder announced her retirement. She decided to stop competing at the elite level at the end of that year. Her last race was a World Cup event in New Zealand. Simone holds over 60 World Cup race victories.