Olav Bjortomt
Encyclopedia
Stein Olav Bjortomt is an England international quiz player. He was the winner of the inaugural 2003 individual World Quizzing Championships, in the absence of Kevin Ashman
when it was a fledgling event with then only 45 participants (now in the thousands). In 2009 he won three out of four possible European titles
and was runner-up behind Ashman in the singles to become the most successful participant.
Time Out described him in 2006 as a "former child quiz prodigy
and a rising star of the quiz world".
and Pat Gibson
). He is also part of the Broken Hearts ( with Ian Bayley
, David Stainer
and Mark Grant) quiz team which play in the QLL and have been European Club champions from 2007 to 2009. Bjortomt won the Pairs Championships with partner Stainer in 2009 and has won 11 international medals on aggregate (see medal table). He also holds the title "British Quizzing Grandmaster".
He appeared on the quiz show Fifteen to One
four times, finishing as a series runner-up in 2002.
He captained the University of Nottingham
team to the quarter-finals in the 1999/2000 series of BBC's University Challenge
. When he appeared on the Channel 4
quiz show Grand Slam
in 2003, commentator James Richardson
described him as the "Wayne Rooney
of the quiz world."
In 2007, Bjortomt competed in The National Lottery People's Quiz and was the first contestant to qualify for the grand final, answering 97 per cent of his questions correctly during the show.
In 2008, he appeared in the quiz programme Battle of the Brains
.
On 10 October 2008 he appeared on Mastermind
, scoring eight points on questions about West Indies Test cricket, and fourteen in the General Knowledge section, to finish in second place.
In 2008 and 2009 he unsuccessfully competed in Are You an Egghead?
, which attempts to find another player to join the existing team.
newspaper in London and has set the weekday times2 quiz since July 2005. In 2001 Bjortomt was the joint winner of The Guardian
s overall Student Journalist of the Year award. He has a History degree from the University of Nottingham
and a Postgraduate Diploma in Newspaper Journalism from Nottingham Trent University
.
He regularly appears in amateur productions in his home town Littlehampton, recently appearing as Omar Little
in a re-enactment of thirteen of the best scenes from The Wire
.
His parents are Norwegian
and Filipino
. He has two younger sisters and a younger brother.
Kevin Ashman
Kevin Ashman from Winchester, Hampshire in England is one of the world's most successful quiz players and since 2002 a professional quizzer, an Egghead since 2003...
when it was a fledgling event with then only 45 participants (now in the thousands). In 2009 he won three out of four possible European titles
European Quizzing Championships
The European Quizzing Championships are an annual multi-disciplinary quiz event, in which representatives from various countries compete as individuals, teams and pairs. The last championships took place in Bruges, Belgium 4-6 November 2011...
and was runner-up behind Ashman in the singles to become the most successful participant.
Time Out described him in 2006 as a "former child quiz prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
and a rising star of the quiz world".
National and international titles
After his triumph at the very first World Quizzing Championship 2003 he has not medaled at the world stage ever since (but always was Top10). His absence at Ghent in 2004 (when England won the first European Championship) meant he was not selected for the national team until 2006. He should have played in 2007 but travel problems delayed his arrival at the event. Consequently he has only latterly become a regular in the star-studded English national team (comprising all 4 world champions to date (Ashman, Mark BythewayMark Bytheway
Mark Bytheway was an England International Quiz player best known for becoming Quizzing World Champion in 2008 and winning the Top Brain competition of Brain of Britain.-Brain of Britain:...
and Pat Gibson
Pat Gibson
Pat Gibson is an Irish multiple quiz show winner and a panellist on Eggheads.He was born and educated in Ireland but has lived in the United Kingdom for many years, and has represented England in the European Quizzing Championships since 2005.- Early life and education :Pat was born in Galway in...
). He is also part of the Broken Hearts ( with Ian Bayley
Ian Bayley
Ian Bayley is a UK quiz player who, despite his youth when compared with other leading players , won several medals in quizzing, both in singles and as a member of a team. He is largely known as a strong team player winning the European Championships three times straight from 2007 to 2009 with...
, David Stainer
David Stainer
David Stainer is an English quizzer best known for outstanding team playing skills.After studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oriel College, Oxford he works as a solicitor in the City of London....
and Mark Grant) quiz team which play in the QLL and have been European Club champions from 2007 to 2009. Bjortomt won the Pairs Championships with partner Stainer in 2009 and has won 11 international medals on aggregate (see medal table). He also holds the title "British Quizzing Grandmaster".
TV appearances
Bjortomt's success on TV has been rather moderate compared with that of his teammates in the national team, and he describes himself as a "choker" (see Q&A link).He appeared on the quiz show Fifteen to One
Fifteen to One
Fifteen to One was a popular general knowledge quiz show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. It ran from 4 January 1988 to 19 December 2003, and had a reputation for being one of the toughest quizzes on TV. Throughout the show's run it was presented and produced by William G. Stewart...
four times, finishing as a series runner-up in 2002.
He captained the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
team to the quarter-finals in the 1999/2000 series of BBC's University Challenge
University Challenge
University Challenge is a British quiz programme that has aired since 1962. The format is based on the American show College Bowl, which ran on NBC radio from 1953 to 1957, and on NBC television from 1959 to 1970....
. When he appeared on the Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
quiz show Grand Slam
Grand Slam (TV Series)
Grand Slam is a television quiz show first created for Britain's Channel 4 in 2003. In its first and only series in the UK, the main host was Carol Vorderman. She was joined in the studio by analyst James Richardson...
in 2003, commentator James Richardson
James Richardson
James Richardson may refer to:*James Richardson , Canadian businessman, Chief Marketing Officer of Cisco Systems*James Richardson , British...
described him as the "Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
of the quiz world."
In 2007, Bjortomt competed in The National Lottery People's Quiz and was the first contestant to qualify for the grand final, answering 97 per cent of his questions correctly during the show.
In 2008, he appeared in the quiz programme Battle of the Brains
Battle of the Brains (TV series)
Battle of the Brains is a British game show hosted by Nicky Campbell and produced by Shine Limited for BBC Manchester. The first series was broadcast weekdays on BBC Two at 6:00pm, and started on 28 July 2008, ending on 22 August. The second series began on 9 February 2009 ending on 6 March...
.
On 10 October 2008 he appeared on Mastermind
Mastermind (TV series)
Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness.Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the...
, scoring eight points on questions about West Indies Test cricket, and fourteen in the General Knowledge section, to finish in second place.
In 2008 and 2009 he unsuccessfully competed in Are You an Egghead?
Are You an Egghead?
Are You an Egghead? was a BBC quiz show presented by Dermot Murnaghan. It is a spin off from the quiz show Eggheads, with its goal to find a further Egghead to complement the existing team. The first series was aired weekdays from 20 October to 2 December 2008 and was won by Barry Simmons...
, which attempts to find another player to join the existing team.
Personal details
He works for The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper in London and has set the weekday times2 quiz since July 2005. In 2001 Bjortomt was the joint winner of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
s overall Student Journalist of the Year award. He has a History degree from the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
and a Postgraduate Diploma in Newspaper Journalism from Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University
Nottingham Trent University is a public teaching and research university in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It was founded as a new university in 1992 from the existing Trent Polytechnic , however it can trace its roots back to 1843 with the establishment of the Nottingham Government School of Design...
.
He regularly appears in amateur productions in his home town Littlehampton, recently appearing as Omar Little
Omar Little
Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, portrayed by Michael K. Williams. Omar is a renowned stick-up man who lives by a strict moral code and never deviates from his rules, foremost of which is that he never robs or menaces people who are not involved in "the game"....
in a re-enactment of thirteen of the best scenes from The Wire
The WIRE
the WIRE is the student-run College radio station at the University of Oklahoma, broadcasting in a freeform format. The WIRE serves the University of Oklahoma and surrounding communities, and is staffed by student DJs. The WIRE broadcasts at 1710 kHz AM in Norman, Oklahoma...
.
His parents are Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
and Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
. He has two younger sisters and a younger brother.