Thierry Omeyer

About Thierry Omeyer

Thierry Omeyer, born in Mulhouse, is a French handball player. He plays as a goalkeeper for the French national team and for the German club THW Kiel. “Titi” Omeyer is considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in the history of handball.

Having been part of the French national team since 1999, Thierry Omeyer is a double Olympic champion (2008, 2012), triple world champion (2001, 2009, 2011), double European champion (2006, 2010), and was named the best player in the world in 2008 as well as a member of the “All Star Team” (best team of the tournament) during the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games, the 2009 and 2011 World Championships, and the 2006 European Championship. He also won a bronze medal at the 2003 and 2005 World Championships and the 2008 European Championship.

He started playing handball at the age of 9 at the Cernay club in Alsace, where he progressed through all levels of a handball career: departmental committee, League, Pole, Training Center. At the same time, he reached the national UNSS final with the Thann high school (68) in 1991/1992. He then joined the training center of the elite club Sélestat in 1994. He gradually became known for his save percentages per match, reaching over 50%.

In 2000, Montpellier decided to sign him. Omeyer was not yet aware that he was about to experience his greatest moments in handball. The following year, Omeyer became the first goalkeeper for MHB. He won his first trophies (French championship and French Cup). In 2003, he won these same trophies, to which he added victory in the Champions League with the generation of Karabatic, Dinart, Martini, etc. From 2004 to 2006, he managed to achieve the double Cup-championship each time.

At the beginning of the 2006-2007 season, Omeyer, eager to play in a more competitive league, decided to leave Montpellier to join Kiel, where he took the place of Henning Fritz.

On August 22, 2008, he helped the French team reach the Olympic final in Beijing for the first time in its history: after outplaying the Croatian wingers, he stopped two seven-meter throws from Mirza Dzomba in the first half and made two more saves in the last three minutes to secure a two-goal lead for the French against Croatia. The opponent for the Blues in the final was Iceland, who defeated Spain 36 to 30.

On August 24, 2008, thanks in part to his exceptional performance in goal (19 saves on 39 Icelandic shots), France defeated Iceland 28 to 23 in the Olympic final in Beijing. He was named “best goalkeeper of the tournament,” finishing with the best save percentage of the competition (41%), tied with the German Johannes Bitter.

On February 1, 2009, the French team won the handball world championship. Decisive in the final against Croatia (24-19), Thierry Omeyer made 10 saves (34%). He ended the 2009 season with a German championship title, a German Cup, and a Champions League final.

Then on January 31, 2010, the Blues won the European championship and made history by holding a historic treble: Olympic title, world title, and European title.

He was crowned world champion for the third time in Sweden on January 30, 2011, and stood out by saving 38% of the opposing shots in the semi-final against the host country. With this title, he became, along with his teammates Didier Dinart and Jérôme Fernandez, the most decorated player in world championship history, joining Romanian Cornel O?elea, world champion in 1961, 1964, and 1970.

During the London Olympic Games, he was at his best, delivering outstanding performances, particularly in the semi-final against Croatia (25-22), where he made a total of 19 saves. On August 12, 2012, he won the Olympic gold medal with France by defeating Sweden 22 to 21.