Thierry Gueorgiou ( ; born March 30, 1979 ) is a French orienteer who has won more than 20 gold medals in international competitions, including the World Orienteering Championships (WOC) middle distance event six times: 2003–2005 and 2007–2009. .

Clubs

Gueorgiou runs for two orienteering clubs, the French NO St-Etienne and the Finnish Kalevan Rasti. With Kalevan Rasti he has won the Jukola Relay three times (2004, 2005 and 2007).

Running for Fédération Française de Course d'Orientation, he made his senior international debut at WOC 1997 in Grimstad, Norway, at the age of 18.

World Orienteering Championships

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. Only after Johansson was on his way to the hospital did the other three continue on the course. All this happened so quickly, and the lead runners had been so far in the lead, that the relay race was still in progress. Gueorgiou, Nordberg, and Smola jogged together to the finish, graciously yielding to other relay race competitors who were not aware of the incident. They finished 25th, 26th, and 27th.

Foot orienteering races are cross-country, off-rail races across meadows and through forests. Spectators worldwide who were following the men's relay race, via GPS tracking shown live on the Internet, witnessed the strange behavior of the four leaders' GPS tracks on the race map – the tracks stopped. Soon Nordberg’s track started moving again, but it went to the road and then to the finish area.

After much deliberation on whether or not to void the relay, the organizers declared that it stood. Interpretation of IOF Foot-O Competition Rules was at issue: rule 26.13 states "The organiser must void a competition if at any point it becomes clear that circumstances have arisen which make the competition unfair or dangerous for the competitors." IOF president Åke Jacobson told Gueorgiou, Nordberg and Smola "What you did today is a great example of extreme sportsmanship and fair play. You are an inspiration for all of us!" An orienteering relay team has 3 runners. Orienteers have dubbed Gueorgiou, Nordberg and Smola "Team Fairplay".

Gueorgiou also 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.

European Championships

Gueorgiou was the 2006 European champion in trail orienteering, and is noted for his technical expertise.

Personal life

Gueorgiou's nickname is Tero and he is commonly known as Tero Kettunen in Finland and Terje Gundersen in Norway. He lives in St. Etienne, France, where he studies biology.

References

1. How Thierry Gueorgiou pronounces his name

External links

• Nordberg, Smola and Gueorgiou are jogging to the finish of the 2009 relay in Miskolc. Gueorgiou lost his shirt to harness the wound of Johansson
• Personal website of Gueorgiou