View source for Thierry Omeyer

{{short description|French handball player (born 1976)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox handball biography
| name                = Thierry Omeyer
| image               = Thierry Omeyer.jpg
| caption             = In 2006
| nationality         = French
| birth_date          = {{Birth date and age|1976|11|2|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Mulhouse]], [[France]] 
| height              = {{height|m=1.92|precision=0}}
| position            = Goalkeeper
| currentclub         = 
| clubnumber          = 
| youthyears1         = 1985–1994
| youthclubs1         = Cernay
| years1              = 1994–2000
| clubs1              = [[Sélestat Alsace Handball|Sélestat HB]]
| years2              = 2000–2006
| clubs2              = [[Montpellier Handball]]
| years3              = 2006–2013
| clubs3              = [[THW Kiel]]
| years4              = 2013–2014
| clubs4              = [[Montpellier Handball]]
| years5              = 2014–2019
| clubs5              = [[Paris Saint-Germain Handball|PSG Handball]]
| nationalyears1      = 1999–2017
| nationalteam1       = [[France men's national handball team|France]]
| nationalcaps1       = 356
| nationalgoals1      = 4
| medaltemplates      = 
{{MedalSport|Men's [[handball]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{hb|FRA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Handball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]]|[[Handball at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|Team]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London]]|[[Handball at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|Team]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2016 Summer Olympics|2016 Rio de Janeiro]]|[[Handball at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IHF World Men's Handball Championship|World Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2001 World Men's Handball Championship|2001 France]]|}}
{{MedalGold|[[2009 World Men's Handball Championship|2009 Croatia]]|}}
{{MedalGold|[[2011 World Men's Handball Championship|2011 Sweden]]|}}
{{MedalGold|[[2015 World Men's Handball Championship|2015 Qatar]]|}}
{{MedalGold|[[2017 World Men's Handball Championship|2017 France]]|}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2003 World Men's Handball Championship|2003 Portugal]]|}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2005 World Men's Handball Championship|2005 Tunisia]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Men's Handball Championship|European Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2006 European Men's Handball Championship|2006 Switzerland]]|}}
{{MedalGold|[[2010 European Men's Handball Championship|2010 Austria]]|}}
{{MedalGold|[[2014 European Men's Handball Championship|2014 Denmark]]|}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2008 European Men's Handball Championship|2008 Norway]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Handball at the Mediterranean Games|Mediterranean Games]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2001 Mediterranean Games|2001 Tunis]]|[[Handball at the 2001 Mediterranean Games|Team]]}}
}}

'''Thierry Omeyer''' (born 2 November 1976) is a retired French [[handball]] goalkeeper.

A member of the French national team since 1999, he has won all major titles with the team: world champion (five times), European champion (three times) and Olympic champion twice.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ihf.info/files/CompetitionData/153/pdf/FRA.pdf |title=2015 World Championship Roster |publisher=[[International Handball Federation|IHF]] |access-date=15 January 2015}}</ref>

He is widely considered to be one of the best handball goalkeepers of all time, and was the third goalkeeper so far to have been elected best player of the world by the [[International Handball Federation]] (the two others being [[Henning Fritz]], in 2004, and [[Árpád Sterbik]], in 2005, since [[Niklas Landin]] in 2021), what he achieved in 2008. In his former club ([[THW Kiel]]), his nickname was ''Die Mauer'' (The Wall).

He was included in the [[European Handball Federation]] Hall of Fame in 2023.<ref name="hof">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurohandball.com/en/news/en/legendary-players-enter-the-hall-of-fame-of-european-handball/ |publisher=[[European Handball Federation]]|website=www.eurohandball.com|title=LEGENDARY PLAYERS ENTER THE HALL OF FAME OF EUROPEAN HANDBALL|date=26 June 2023|accessdate=27 June 2023}}</ref>

==Club career==
Omeyer started handball at the age of 9 in [[Cernay, Haut-Rhin|Cernay]] ([[Alsace]]). In 1994, he joined his first professional club, [[SC Sélestat HB|Sélestat]]. His save percentage being up to 50%, he caught the attention of the best club in the French championship, [[Montpellier HB|Montpellier]]. Quickly becoming the first choice goalkeeper, he won five championships (from 2002 to 2006) and five national cups (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006). The biggest highlight of his time there is the win of the 2003 [[EHF Champions League]], a title that had never been won by a French club before.

In 2006, he decided to leave for a more competitive championship and joined the German club [[THW Kiel]], with whom he won the double, the [[Bundesliga (handball)|championship]] and the national cup in 2007 and 2008, plus the Champions League in 2007, 2010 and 2012.

On 15 April 2014, [[Paris Saint-Germain Handball|Paris Saint-Germain]] announced that both Thierry Omeyer and [[William Accambray]] were leaving Montpellier in order to join their club next season.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Handball/Actualites/Omeyer-et-accambray-au-psg/457379 |title=Omeyer et Accambray au PSG - Hand - D1 (H) |website=L'Équipe |language=fr |access-date=2019-07-08}}</ref>

Omeyer played his last professional match on 6 June 2019 against  [[Cesson Rennes MHB|Cesson-Rennes]], PSG, who had already secured the title, defeated Cesson-Rennes 29-20, which ensured the latter's relegation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Handball/Actualites/Thierry-omeyer-apres-le-dernier-match-de-sa-carriere-c-etait-magique/1026865 |title=Thierry Omeyer après le dernier match de sa carrière : " C'était magique " |website=L'Équipe |language=fr |access-date=2019-07-08}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Handball/Actualites/Cesson-rennes-relegue-thierry-omeyer-honore/1026852 |title=Cesson-Rennes relégué, Thierry Omeyer honoré |website=L'Équipe |language=fr |access-date=2019-07-08}}</ref>

==International career==
He made his debut for the [[France men's national handball team|French national team]] on September 19, 1999 against [[Romania men's national handball team|Romania]].<ref name="ff-handball">[http://www.ff-handball.org/ffhb/html/les_equipes_de_france/masculines/les_internationaux.php?Clef=46&Type=cvm ff-handball.org: France national team] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603014136/http://www.ff-handball.org/ffhb/html/les_equipes_de_france/masculines/les_internationaux.php?Clef=46&Type=cvm |date=2008-06-03 }}</ref> In 2001, he became [[World Men's Handball Championship|World champion]] after beating [[Sweden men's national handball team|Sweden]] 28-25 (after two extra-times) in the final.

In 2008, he became Olympic champion after an excellent tournament where he was voted best goalkeeper with a rate of 41% shots saved all over the competition. In the final, he saved 19 shots out of 39 to ensure France' 28-23 win over [[Iceland men's national handball team|Iceland]].

In 2015, he became [[World Men's Handball Championship|World champion]] after beating [[Qatar men's national handball team|Qatar]] 25-22. He was voted best goalkeeper and the MVP of the tournament.

==Individual awards==
*Most Valuable Player ([[Most valuable player|MVP]]) of the World Championship: [[2015 World Men's Handball Championship|2015]]
*All-Star Goalkeeper of the World Championship: [[2011 World Men's Handball Championship|2011]], [[2015 World Men's Handball Championship|2015]]
*All-Star Goalkeeper of the European Championship: [[2006 European Men's Handball Championship|2006]]
*[[IHF World Player of the Year]]: 2008
*[[European Handball Federation|EHF]] Hall of Fame: 2023<ref name="hof" />

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{European Handball Federation}}
* {{Olympedia}}
* {{Olympics.com|thierry-omeyer}}
* {{Team France}}
* {{CNOSF profile}}

{{Navboxes
|title       = France squads
|bg          = #0055A4
|fg          = #FFFFFF
|bordercolor = 
|list1       =
{{France handball squad 2008 Summer Olympics}}
{{France squad 2009 World Men's Handball Championship}}
{{France squad 2010 European Men's Handball Championship}}
{{France squad 2012 European Men's Handball Championship}}
{{France handball squad 2012 Summer Olympics}}
{{France squad 2014 European Men's Handball Championship}}
{{France squad 2015 World Men's Handball Championship}}
{{France squad 2016 European Men's Handball Championship}}
{{France handball squad 2016 Summer Olympics}}
{{France squad 2017 World Men's Handball Championship}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Awards
|bg=gold
|fg=black
|list1=
{{IHF World Player of the Year}}
{{The EHF Handball Award winners}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Omeyer, Thierry}}
[[Category:1976 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Mulhouse]]
[[Category:French male handball players]]
[[Category:Handball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Handball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Handball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Handball players at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic handball players for France]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for France]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for France]]
[[Category:French twins]]
[[Category:Montpellier Handball players]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in handball]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Officers of the Ordre national du Mérite]]
[[Category:European champions for France]]
[[Category:French expatriate handball players in Germany]]
[[Category:THW Kiel players]]
[[Category:Handball-Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:21st-century French sportsmen]]
[[Category:Paris Saint-Germain Handball players]]
[[Category:Mediterranean Games bronze medalists for France]]
[[Category:Mediterranean Games medalists in handball]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 2001 Mediterranean Games]]