Geir Helgemo

Geir Helgemo (born 14 February 1970)

Helgemo was born in Vinstra, Norway. For several years through 1994 he represented Norway on both its junior and open teams. The juniors won the 1990 European Championship and both teams finished second in the 1993 World Championships. From that time Helgemo played with Tor Helness on the open team, which was always strong and won another world silver medal in 2001.

Reporting False Scores - Suspension Helgemo's team reported a false score (claiming a match was played when it was not to the benefit of both teams) in a match in Norway. All players involved were suspended by the Norwegian Bridge Federation. Three of the players involved, Terje Aa (ACBL # 9027661), Geir Helgemo (ACBL # 4036808) and Jørgen Molberg (ACBL # 8896631) were members of the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL) and were suspended by the ACBL.

Use of prohibited drugs On 1 March 2019, at which time Helgemo was the world's highest-ranked player, the World Bridge Federation (WBF) announced that he had been suspended for a year after testing positive for two banned substances in a sample he had provided at the World Bridge Series in Orlando in September 2018: clomifene and synthetic testosterone. The drugs were said to be "not performance enhancing" by Kari-Anne Opsal, the president of the Norwegian Bridge Federation. The WBF is recognised by the International Olympic Committee and therefore follows the World Anti-Doping Agency's rules on which drugs are permissible. The ban, backdated to begin when he accepted a provisional suspension, expired on 20 November 2019. A spokesperson for the Monaco Bridge Federation said: "We regret that a talent such as Geir Helgemo is sanctioned under an anti-doping regulation that is certainly adapted to physical sport but totally unsuitable for brain sport."

Books

Helgemo's World of Bridge: the maestro reveals his secrets, Geo Tislevoll and Helgemo (High Wycombe: Five Aces, 2000), 102 pp. – biography; translated from Norwegian, Bridge with Imagination, David Bird and Helgemo (London: Finesse Bridge, 2000), 160 pp.,

Bridge accomplishments

Awards Herman Trophy 1999 IBPA Award (Personality of the Year) 1996 Le Bridgeur Award (Best Played Hand of the Year) 1997 Digital Fountain Award (Best Played Hand of the Year) 2003 Romex Award (Best Bid Hand of the Year) 1999 Precision Award (Best Defended Hand of the Year) 1991 Sender Award (Best Defended Hand of the Year) 1998

Major wins

Bermuda Bowl (1) 2007 Rosenblum Cup (1) 2006 World Junior Pairs (1) 1995 World Transnational Open Teams Championship (1) 2009, 2015 North American Bridge Championships (12) Reisinger (4) 1998, 1999, 2012, 2013 Vanderbilt (1) 2010 Spingold (2) 2011, 2012 Open Board-a-Match Teams (1) 1999 Jacoby Open Swiss Teams (2) 1997, 2005 Blue Ribbon Pairs (1) 2003 Open Pairs I (1) 1998 European Championships (4) Open Teams (2) 2008, 2012, 2024 Junior Teams (1) 1990 Nordic Championships (3) Open Teams (1) 2003 Junior Teams (1) 1989 School Teams (1) 1987 Norwegian Championships (34) Open Pairs (7) 1993, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007 Club Teams (8) 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2014, 2022 Premier League (12) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2014, 2015, 2022 Swiss Pairs (1) 2022 Mixed Pairs (3) 1995, 2001, 2014 Mixed Teams (1) 2006 Junior Pairs (1) 1993

Other notable wins Cap Volmac World Top Invitational Pairs (2) 1994, 1996 Cap Gemini Ernst & Young World Top Invitational Pairs (1) 2002 Macallan Invitational Pairs (2) 1998, 1999 Politiken World Pairs (1) 1997 Hecht Cup (1) 2006 Generali World Masters Individual (1) 1996 Cavendish Invitational Teams (1) 2010

Major runners-up Bermuda Bowl (4) 1993, 2001, 2013, 2023 Rosenblum Cup (1) 2014 The Vanderbilt Trophy (1) 2016 World Mixed Teams (1) 2022 World Junior Teams (1) 1993 North American Bridge Championships (5) Master Mixed Teams (1) 1998 Blue Ribbon Pairs (1) 1997 Life Master Pairs (2) 1996, 1997 Open Pairs I (1) 1997 European Championships (2) Open Teams (2) 2001, 2014

Other notable 2nd places Buffett Cup (1) 2006 World Mind Sports Games Individual (1) 2008 Cavendish Invitational Pairs (1) 2010