Andreas Thorkildsen

Andreas Thorkildsen (born 1 April 1982 in Kristiansand) is a Norwegian javelin thrower. He is the world junior record holder in the event and has won gold medals at the Summer Olympics and European Championships in Athletics as well as a silver medal at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. He is leading the IAAF world ranking in javelin throw as of September 2008. [ [http://www.world-rankings.net/mjt.html World Rankings in Athletics ] ]

Personal life

His father Tomm Thorkildsen was a decent javelin thrower in his active career, achieving a personal best throw of 71.64 metres in 1974.cite news |first=Bjørn Arne |last=Johannessen |title=- Skapt for spyd |url=http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=242096 |work=VG |date=2004-08-29 |language=Norwegian |accessdate=2007-01-03 ] cite web |url=http://www.friidrett.no/friidrett/statistikk/at/sen/MJT.htm |title=Norwegian all-time list - men's javelin throw |work= |author=Norwegian Athletics Association |authorlink= |language= |date=2007-01-01 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ] His mother Bente (née Amundsen) became national champion in the 100 metres hurdles in 1972, representing Hamar IL. [cite web |url=http://www.friidrett.no/friidrett/statistikk/nm/k100h.htm |title=Norwegian championships in 100 metres hurdles |work= |author=Norwegian Athletics Association |authorlink= |language= |date=2007-01-01 |accessdate=2007-04-19 ] In addition he has one older brother. [cite news |first=Jacob |last=Lund |title=Champagne i strie strømmer |url=http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=242084 |work=VG |date=2004-08-29 |language=Norwegian |accessdate=2007-04-19 ]

Andreas Thorkildsen is currently in a relationship with the Norwegian hurdler Christina Vukicevic.cite news |first=Vidar |last=Enerstvedt |title=Kjæresteparet tok kongepokalene |url=http://www.vg.no/pub/vgart.hbs?artid=124915 |work=VG |date=2006-07-30 |language=Norwegian |accessdate=2007-04-19]

Career

Thorkildsen took up javelin throwing at the age of 11. Until 1999 he was coached by his father Tomm.b] Andreas Thorkildsen established numerous national boys' records as a teenager. [cite web |url=http://www.friidrett.no/files/{D8BE9AB5-7178-4F6F-BE64-F903DC26BD60}.htm |title=Norwegian athletics records - boys |author=Norwegian Athletics Association |language=Norwegian |date=1 January 2007 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ] The year 1999 saw him finish seventh at the European Junior Championships.

In 2000 Thorkildsen took his first medal at the Norwegian championships, finishing in silver medal position behind Ronny Nilsen.cite web |url=http://www.friidrett.no/friidrett/statistikk/nm/mjt.htm |title=Norwegian championships in javelin throw |author=Norwegian Athletics Association |date=2007-01-01 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ] His form earned Thorkildsen his first call-up to the Norwegian European Cup team. In October he participated at the World Junior Championships and won the silver medal behind Gerhardus Pienaar of South Africa.

2001-2003

In 2001 he moved to Oslo and started competing for the club SK Vidar under coach Åsmund Martinsen, [ [http://web.mac.com/a_thorkildsen/iWeb/www.andreasthorkildsen.com/Welcome.html Official site] ] a former javelin thrower who won the bronze medal at the 1994 Norwegian Championshipsb] and had a career best throw of 68.12 metres.b] The cooperation proved fruitful as Thorkildsen soon broke the 80 metre barrier, throwing 83.87 metres on Fana stadion in June.cite web |url=http://www.friidrett.no/files/{3C67B98A-11EF-4005-89B9-E2087A9F83CA}.htm |title=Norwegian athletics statistics 2001 - jumping and throwing events |author=Norwegian Athletics Association |date=31 December 2001 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ] This is the current world junior record. [cite web |url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/wrecj.htm |title=World Junior Records and Best Performances |work=GBR Athletics |author=Athletics Weekly |authorlink=Athletics Weekly |date=2006-08-06 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ] Participating in his second European Junior Championships, he won a silver medal behind Aleksandr Ivanov. Both competed at the World Championships in Edmonton, but while Ivanov managed to reach the final, Thorkildsen finished last in the entire competition with only 68.41 metres. When asked to comment on his own throwing he described it as "completely awful". [cite news |author=NTB |authorlink=Norsk Telegrambyrå |title=Kastet for kort |url=http://www.nrk.no/sport/meisterskap/friidretts_vm_2001/1206553.html |work=NRK |date=2001-08-11 |accessdate=2007-01-25 ]

On the national level Thorkildsen became Norwegian champion for the first time.c] In August he competed in a discus throw meet at Sognsvann, establishing a personal best of 38.02 metres.b] He has not competed on national level in other athletic events.

In 2002, he recorded a season best of 83.43 metres in June before witnessing his form gradually declining over the next months.cite web |url=http://www.friidrett.no/files/{F4DEE2E3-2D2C-40EC-A1F3-2A08B4296ECA}.htm |title=Norwegian athletics statistics 2002 - jumping and throwing events |author=Norwegian Athletics Association |date=31 December 2002 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ] At his first European Championships, which were held in August in Munich, he again failed to progress from the qualifying round. With a best throw of 78.36 metres he finished fifteenth overall, 68 centimetres behind Ari Pakarinen who secured the last spot in the final. [cite web |url=http://www.athletix.org/Eurochamps/MunichEC02_day2.html |title=2002 European Championships results, day 2 |work=The Athletics Site |author=7 August 2002 |date=2007-01-01 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ] Although Thorkildsen only managed to take silver at the Norwegian championships behind Pål Arne Fagernes,d] his result of 83.43 metres was enough to front the national top list in javelin throw for the first time.b]

The next year he finished eleventh at the 2003 World Championships in Paris, his first major international final. His performance and throw of 77.75 metres was slightly disappointing as he had thrown 79.44 metres in the qualifying round, [cite news |author=NTB |authorlink=Norsk Telegrambyrå |title=Thorkildsen: - Kjipt |url=http://www.nrksport.no/friidrett/3031452.html |work=NRK |date=2003-08-31 |accessdate=2007-01-03 ] having travelled to Paris with a personal best of 85.72 metres, established in June in Ventspils. [cite web |url=http://www.friidrett.no/files/{CF5B1C75-5CAB-429E-8851-DB5B9EF4EEC2}.htm |title=Norwegian athletics statistics 2003 - throwing events |author=Norwegian Athletics Association |date=31 December 2003 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ] On the lighter side he took his second national title, consolidating his spot as Norway's leading javelin thrower.e]

2004

In 2004, however, he suddenly faced competition from Ronny Nilsen, who threw 84.73 metres in May. Although Thorkildsen did not retake the national number one spot right away, he did display increasing form in the preparations for the Olympic Games. He qualified for the Olympics with an 84.12 m throw at the Bergen Bislett Games, an event which was won by Breaux Greer with a North American record and world leading throw of 87.39 metres. [cite news |author=NTB |authorlink=Norsk Telegrambyrå |title=Thorkildsen klarte OL-kravet |url=http://www.nrksport.no/friidrett/3858096.html |work=NRK |date=2004-06-12 |accessdate=2007-01-25 ] On 27 July Thorkildsen took his first victory in an IAAF Grand Prix meet, beating Breaux Greer by a comfortable margin at the DN-galan meet in Stockholm. [cite news |author=NTB |authorlink=Norsk Telegrambyrå |title=Thorkildsen vant DN-galan i spyd |url=http://www.nrksport.no/friidrett/3960311.html |work=NRK |date=2004-07-27 |accessdate=2007-01-25 ] Three days later he improved his season best to 84.45 metres at the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace. [cite web |url=http://www.friidrett.no/friidrett/statistikk/mskast04.htm |title=Norwegian athletics statistics 2004 - throwing events |author=Norwegian Athletics Association |date=2004-12-22 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ]

Even though several throwers, including Nilsen, still towered above Thorkildsen on the world list, [cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/toplists/inout=O/ageGroup=N/season=2004/gender=M/discipline=JT/legal=A/index.html |title=IAAF top list 2004 - men's javelin throw |author=IAAF |authorlink=International Association of Athletics Federations |date=2004-12-31 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ] the Olympic javelin contest was regarded as widely open - "one of the most open finals in Olympic history", according to the IAAF Olympic coverage.cite news |author="CT" |title=Men's Javelin Throw - Qualification Round |url=http://www.iaaf.org/OLY04/news/Kind=4/newsId=26683.html |work=IAAF |date=2004-08-26 |accessdate=2007-01-25 ] Thorkildsen threw 81.74 m in the qualification round, barely earning a mention in the event report as he safely passed the automatic qualifier mark of 81 metres to go through to the final. Breaux Greer won the qualification with 87.25 m, but left the stadium in a limping state.b]

In the javelin final held two days later, Thorkildsen opened with an 84.82 m release which saw him ranked third at the end of the first round. Vadims Vasiļevskis of Latvia had thrown a personal best of 84.95 m to earn a surprising lead ahead of reigning World champion Sergey Makarov. In the second round Thorkildsen threw a personal best of 86.50 metres. As neither Aleksandr Ivanov, Greer nor anyone else managed to beat this, Thorkildsen won a surprising Olympic gold medal with Vasiļevskis and Makarov staying in place to take the silver and bronze medals respectively. Commenting on his win, Thorkildsen described the feeling as "completely insane". [cite news |author="CT" |title=Men's Javelin Throw Final |url=http://www.iaaf.org/OLY04/news/Kind=4/newsId=26719.html |work=IAAF |date=2004-08-28 |accessdate=2007-01-01 ]

A second place behind Breaux Greer at the World Athletics Final in Monte Carlo rounded off the season. At the end of the year Thorkildsen was selected Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year by Norwegian sports journalists. [cite news |author=NTB |authorlink=Norsk Telegrambyrå |title=Sportsjournalistene kåret Thorkildsen |url=http://www.nrksport.no/4385877.html |work=NRK |date=2004-12-30 |accessdate=2007-01-02 ]

2005

The most important event of 2005 was the World Championships. The preparations for this event looked promising for Thorkildsen as he improved his personal best to 86.82 metres in Kuortane in June, beating the Norwegian record of Pål Arne Fagernes.c] Tero Pitkämäki from Finland, who achieved a world leading result of 91.53 metres in the same competition, seemed a likely contender for the world champion title. In July, When Thorkildsen further improved his national record to 87.66 metres at the Bislett Games, reigning world champion Sergey Makarov had already thrown 90.33 metres two weeks earlier at the Russian Championships in Tula. [cite news |first=Rostislav |last=Orlov |coauthors=Nickolai Dolgopolov |title=Fabulous results - 90 metres men’s Javelin and 1:56 women’s 800 m - Russian Champs, Day Two |url=http://www.iaaf.org/news/newsId=30224.html |work=IAAF |date=2005-07-12 |accessdate=2007-03-12 ] Going into the World Championships, Pitkämäki was still in first place on the world top list ahead of Makarov and Thorkildsen, who in turn was ahead of Breaux Greer by one centimetre.cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/toplists/inout=O/ageGroup=N/season=2005/gender=M/discipline=JT/legal=A/index.html |title=IAAF top list 2005 - men's javelin throw |author=IAAF |authorlink=International Association of Athletics Federations |date=2005-12-31 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ]

In the qualification round at the World Championships, held in windy conditions on the Helsinki Olympic Stadium, only Pitkämäki, Makarov and Thorkildsen managed to beat the automatic qualification mark of 81 metres. [cite news |author=IAAF |authorlink=International Association of Athletics Federations |title=Event Report - Men Javelin Throw Qualification |url=http://www.iaaf.org/WCH05/news/Kind=4/newsId=31175.html |work=IAAF |date=2005-08-09 |accessdate=2007-03-12 ] Rain supplemented the wind the following day, constituting difficult weather conditions for the javelin final. Thorkildsen, in the lead after three rounds with 86.18 metres, eventually finished in silver medal position behind Andrus Värnik of Estonia as the latter threw 87.17 metres in the fourth round. [cite news |author=IAAF |authorlink=International Association of Athletics Federations |title=Event Report - Men Javelin Throw Final |url=http://www.iaaf.org/WCH05/news/Kind=4/newsId=31286.html |work=IAAF |date=2005-08-10 |accessdate=2007-01-01 ]

Pitkämäki, who finished a disappointing fourth at the World Championships, bounced back to win the World Athletics Final ahead of Thorkildsen, despite the latter improving his national record to 89.60 metres. 89.60 metres was enough to finish third on the world top list that season, behind Pitkämäki and Makarov.b]

2006

In 2006 Thorkildsen returned to his original club Kristiansands IF, having represented SK Vidar in competitions the five previous seasons. [cite news |author=NTB |authorlink=Norsk Telegrambyrå |title=Thorkildsen tilbake til moderklubben |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/sport/friidrett/article1123347.ece |work=Aftenposten |date=2006-06-02 |language=Norwegian |accessdate=2007-01-01 ]

In May he broke the 90 metre barrier for the first time, with 90.13 metres from the Doha Super Grand Prix. [cite web |url=http://www.friidrett.no/friidrett/statistikk/2006/ute/mskast06.htm |title=Norwegian athletics statistics 2006 - throwing events |work= |author=Norwegian Athletics Association |authorlink= |language= |date=2006-12-31 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ] At the Bislett Games he yet again improved his record to 91.59 metres, reaching his goal of 300 feet.cite news |author=NTB |authorlink=Norsk Telegrambyrå |title=- Jeg kjente at jeg traff! |url=http://www.nrksport.no/friidrett/1.1187897 |work=NRK |date=2006-06-02 |language=Norwegian |accessdate=2007-01-01 ] As no one managed to top his 91.59 metre result, he entered the 2006 European Championships as a favorite, together with Tero Pitkämäki who had won the IAAF Golden League meet in Paris. [cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/GLE06/results/eventCode=3540/gender=M/discipline=JT/index.html |title=Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis - 8 July 2006 - men's javelin throw |work= |author=IAAF |authorlink=International Association of Athletics Federations |date=2006-07-08 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ] Thorkildsen won the event with 88.78 metres, having led the competition since the second round. [cite news |author= |title=Tero Pitkämäki wins javelin silver in Gothenburg |url=http://www.hs.fi/english/article/Tero+Pitk%C3%A4m%C3%A4ki+wins+javelin+silver+in+Gothenburg/1135221002014 |work=Helsingin Sanomat - International Edition |date=2006-06-02 |accessdate=2007-01-01 ] Thorkildsen finished the season by winning his first World Athletics Final as well as the 2006 IAAF World Cup. With 91.59 metres he finished on top of the world list for the first time. [cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/toplists/inout=O/ageGroup=N/season=2006/gender=M/discipline=JT/legal=A/index.html |title=IAAF top list 2006 - men's javelin throw |work= |author=IAAF |authorlink=International Association of Athletics Federations |date=2006-12-31 |accessdate=2007-03-17 ]

Thorkildsen's relationship with the Norwegian hurdler Christina Vukicevic generated a good deal of unwanted publicity on his part. When Thorkildsen and Vukicevic won the King's Cup [ _no. kongepokal, an award for the best result at the Norwegian championships] for men and women respectively at the 2006 Norwegian championships, Thorkildsen left the stadium to avoid photographers, [cite news |first=Magnar |last=Taule |title=Tok kongepokalen og stakk |url=http://www.bt.no/sport/article285535.ece |work=Bergens Tidende |date=2006-07-31 |language=Norwegian |accessdate=2007-01-01 ] whom he had shown the finger the previous day.b] On a related note Thorkildsen was recruited by Martin Dahlin to perform as a fashion model. [cite news |first=Heidi |last=Løland-Andersen |title=Her er Andreas' modellbilder |url=http://www.fvn.no/sport/friidrett/article433696.ece |work=Fædrelandsvennen |date=2007-01-18 |language=Norwegian |accessdate=2007-01-25 ]

2007

His main goals for the 2007 season were the Bislett Games and the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, [cite news |author=ANB |authorlink=Avisenes Nyhetsbyrå |title=VM og Bislett hovedmålene |url=http://www.dagsavisen.no/sport/article2484733.ece |work=Dagsavisen |date=2006-12-22 |language=Norwegian |accessdate=2007-01-01 ] as well as winning the Golden League jackpot.cite news |author=IAAF |title=Thorkildsen looks to spear $1 million Jackpot – IAAF Golden League |url=http://www.iaaf.org/GLE07/news/Kind=512/newsId=38424.html |work=IAAF.org |date=2007-04-23 |accessdate=2007-05-23 ] In addition he aims to beat the old record of Terje Pedersen, who threw 91.72 metres with the old javelin implement,b] by throwing in the range of 93 to 94 metres.b]

The season started in a mediocre manner as he threw 81.10 metres in Dakar and 86.39 m in Doha. [cite web |url=http://www.friidrett.no/friidrett/statistikk/2007/ute/mskast07.htm |title=Norwegian athletics statistics 2007 - throwing events |author=Norwegian Athletics Association |date=2007-05-16 |accessdate=2007-05-23 ]

He recovered his form at the world championships, but once again could only achieve a silver medal, this time losing to Pitkämäki finally fulfilling his potential with a throw of 90.33 (though he'd already been assured the medal by this point).

2008

He won the Golden League event at Bislett in Oslo, his main goal besides the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He won a gold medal in the Olympics where he set a new Olympic record with 90.57 metres. [cite news |first=Rolleiv |last=Solholm |coauthors= |title=Beijing Olympics: Thorkildsen secured Norway's third Gold |url= http://www.norwaypost.no/cgi-bin/norwaypost/imaker?id=186399 |work=Norway Post|date=23 August 2008 |language= |accessdate=2008-08-23 ] Thorkildsen dominated the competition, leading it from his first throw and making the two longest throws in the competition without using his last attempt. All of his 5 throws would have given a medal.

Thorkildsen also won the javelin competition of the 2008 IAAF Golden League in Zürich on 29 August. [cite news |first=Rolleiv |last=Solholm |coauthors= |title=Golden League: Thorkildsen wins again |url= http://www.norwaypost.no/cgi-bin/norwaypost/imaker?id=188350 |work=The Norway Post |date= |language= |accessdate=2008-08-30 ]

Andreas Thorildsen was awarded the European Athlete of the Year Trophy by the European Athletic Association on 2 October 2008. The award will be presented to Thorkildsen the European Athletics Awards Dinner in Amsterdam on 18 October. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) is the male Waterford Crystal European Athlete of the Year 2008. |url=http://www.european-athletics.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6733&Itemid=2 |work= |publisher=European Athletic Association |date=2 October 2008 |accessdate=2008-10-02 ] The Association cited Thorkildsen's success at the Beijing Olympics and his breaching of the 90-metre barrier as part of their reasoning for the award. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Javelin star wins award |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/english/sports/article2689048.ece |work= |publisher=Aftenposten |date=2 October 2008 |accessdate=2008-10-02 ]

References

*iaaf name|id=176447|name=Andreas Thorkildsen
* [http://www.friidrett.no/friidrett/statistikk/internasjonal/mt.htm Norwegian international athletes - T] no icon

Notes

External links

* [http://www.andreasthorkildsen.com Official site]