Tony Estanguet

Tony Estanguet (French pronunciation: [ɛstɑ̃gɛ]; born 6 May 1978 in Pau)^[1] is a French slalom canoeist and a three-time Olympic champion in C1 (canoe single). He competed at the international level from 1994 to 2012.

Tony Estanguet

Estanguet in 2023
Personal information
Born	(1978-05-06) 6 May 1978 (age 47) Pau, France
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	75 kg (165 lb)
President of the Paris Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
In office 8 August 2021 – 11 August 2024
IOC President	Thomas Bach
Preceded by	Seiko Hashimoto
Succeeded by	Casey Wasserman
Chairman of the Paris Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games
In office 5 February 2018 – 8 September 2024
Preceded by	Committee established
Succeeded by	Committee dissolved
Sport
Country	France
Sport	Canoe slalom
Event	C1
Retired	2012
Medal record Men's canoe slalom Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 0 0 World Championships 5 6 1 European Championships 4 3 3 Junior World Championships 0 1 1 Junior European Championships 0 1 1 Total 12 11 6 Representing  France Olympic Games 2000 Sydney C1 2004 Athens C1 2012 London C1 World Championships 2005 Penrith C1 team 2006 Prague C1 2007 Foz do Iguaçu C1 team 2009 La Seu d'Urgell C1 2010 Tacen C1 1997 Três Coroas C1 team 2003 Augsburg C1 2003 Augsburg C1 team 2005 Penrith C1 2007 Foz do Igauçu C1 2009 La Seu d'Urgell C1 team 1999 La Seu d'Urgell C1 team European Championships 2000 Mezzana C1 2006 L'Argentière-la-Bessée C1 2011 La Seu d'Urgell C1 2011 La Seu d'Urgell C1 team 2002 Bratislava C1 2009 Nottingham C1 team 2012 Augsburg C1 2007 Liptovský Mikuláš C1 team 2010 Bratislava C1 team 2012 Augsburg C1 team Junior World Championships 1994 Wausau C1 team 1996 Lipno C1 team Junior European Championships 1995 Liptovský Mikuláš C1 1995 Liptovský Mikuláš C1 team

He successfully led Paris's bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics and served as the head of the organising committee for those games.

Racing career

Estanguet won three Olympic gold medals in the C1 event in 2000, 2004 and 2012. At the 2004 games in Athens he won the gold medal after a late judges decision to award a 2-second penalty to Michal Martikán,^[2] for which he was promoted to the rank of Commander in the Ordre national du Mérite,^[3] having been inducted as a Chevalier ('Knight') in the order in 2000.^[4]

Estanguet was the flag-bearer for France at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics opening ceremony. He finished in the 9th position (out of 12 competitors; only the first eight would qualify for the final) in the semi-finals of the C1 event and was thus eliminated from the final.

At the 2012 London Summer Olympics, he became the first French Olympian to win three gold medals in the same Olympic discipline.^[5] He was promoted to the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honour on 31 December 2012,^[6][7] having been inducted as a Chevalier in 2000.^[7]

He won 12 medals at the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships with five golds (C1: 2006, 2009, 2010; C1 team: 2005, 2007), six silvers (C1: 2003, 2005, 2007; C1 team: 1997, 2003, 2009), and a bronze (C1 team: 1999).^[8]

Estanguet won the overall World Cup title in C1 in 2003 and 2004. He also won a total of 10 medals at the European Championships (4 golds, 3 silvers and 3 bronzes).^[8]

Together with his brother Patrice, he developed the Pau-Pyrénées Whitewater Stadium (opened in 2008) in their home town of Pau.^[9]

He announced his retirement on 30 November 2012.^[10]

Post-racing career

In 2012, Estanguet was elected to the IOC Athletes' Commission. He served as an IOC member for eight years.^[11][12] In 2016, he was appointed to lead the Paris effort to host the 2024 Summer Olympics. The Paris bid proved successful,^[13] and Estanguet served as the head of the organizing committee for those Games.^[14]

Personal life

Estanguet graduated from French business school ESSEC, specializing in sports marketing.^{[citation needed]}

Tony is the son of Henri Estanguet, himself a canoeist who won medals at the Wildwater Canoe World Championships in the 1970s. His older brother Patrice won a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

World Cup individual podiums

				Total
C1	18	3	6	27

Season	Date	Venue	Position	Event
1996	25 Aug 1996	Prague	1st	C1
1997	3 Aug 1997	Minden	1st	C1
1999	20 Jun 1999	Tacen	3rd	C1
2000	30 Apr 2000	Penrith	3rd	C1
	2 Jul 2000	Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre	1st	C1
	9 Jul 2000	La Seu d'Urgell	3rd	C1
	23 Jul 2000	Prague	1st	C1
2002	26 May 2002	Guangzhou	1st	C1
2003	31 Jul 2003	Bratislava	1st	C1
	3 Aug 2003	Bratislava	1st	C1
2004	23 Apr 2004	Athens	1st	C1
	23 May 2004	La Seu d'Urgell	1st	C1
	11 Jul 2004	Prague	1st	C1
	25 Jul 2004	Bourg St.-Maurice	1st	C1
2005	17 Jul 2005	Augsburg	3rd	C1
	24 Jul 2005	La Seu d'Urgell	1st	C1
	1 Oct 2005	Penrith	2nd	C11
2006	2 Jul 2006	L'Argentière-la-Bessée	1st	C12
	6 Aug 2006	Prague	1st	C11
2007	18 Mar 2007	Foz do Iguaçu	1st	C13
2008	21 Jun 2008	Prague	1st	C1
2009	12 Jul 2009	Augsburg	1st	C1
2010	27 Jun 2010	La Seu d'Urgell	2nd	C1
	4 Jul 2010	Augsburg	2nd	C1
2011	9 Jul 2011	Markkleeberg	3rd	C1
2012	16 Jun 2012	Pau	1st	C1
	23 Jun 2012	La Seu d'Urgell	3rd	C1

¹ World Championship counting for World Cup points

² European Championship counting for World Cup points

³ Pan American Championship counting for World Cup points