1. Oliver Ortmann was born on 11 June 1967 and is a German professional pool player from Gelsenkirchen.
31 Facts About Oliver Ortmann
1. 2.
Oliver Ortmann became the second player to win three WPA world championships.
3.
Oliver Ortmann is the second most successful player on the Euro Tour, winning fourteen events.
4.
Oliver Ortmann was the first non-American player to win the BCA US Open Straight Pool Championship, in 1989.
5.
Oliver Ortmann has represented Europe eight times in the annual Mosconi Cup competition between 1994 and 2004, and was on the winning side in 1995 and 2002.
6.
In 2014, Oliver Ortmann was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame.
7.
Oliver Ortmann won his first championship in 1985 at age 17, defeating Sweden's Per Anda in the final.
8.
Oliver Ortmann studied in Munich to become an electronics technician, and at age 20 he became the manager of a billiard centre with 80 pool and billiard tables.
9.
Oliver Ortmann was the first player from Europe to win the BCA US Open Straight Pool Championship in 1989.
10.
Oliver Ortmann won the event despite it being his first trip outside of Europe.
11.
Oliver Ortmann entered his first Euro Tour event in 1993, finishing second at that year's German Open and winning the following events in Austria and Hungary.
12.
Oliver Ortmann won his second BCA US Open Straight Pool Championship later that year.
13.
Oliver Ortmann won five Euro Tour events the following year, and finished second twice.
14.
Oliver Ortmann won his first world championship, playing the American Dallas West in the final.
15.
In 1996, Oliver Ortmann was the first cue-sports player to receive the Silbernes Lorbeerblatt; fellow pool player Ralf Souquet won the award the following year.
16.
Oliver Ortmann won the winner-take-all International Challenge of Champions event in 1997.
17.
Oliver Ortmann was runner-up two years later, losing the final to Francisco Bustamante.
18.
In 2000 Oliver Ortmann defeated Bustamante in the final for his second championship.
19.
Oliver Ortmann formed Oliver Ortmann Billiards, a pool-product manufacturer and retailer, in 2004.
20.
Oliver Ortmann progressed to the semifinals the following year, defeating Earl Herring and Jonni Fulcher before losing to Mika Immonen.
21.
Oliver Ortmann won his third world championship in 2010, defeating Immonen in the straight-pool final.
22.
Since the straight-pool tournament is no longer sanctioned by the WPA, Oliver Ortmann remains the last official world straight-pool champion.
23.
Oliver Ortmann is the second player to win three world championships, after Earl Strickland.
24.
Oliver Ortmann defeated Lo Li-wen in the first knockout round, followed by Nick van den Berg and Li Hewen, before losing to eventual champion Chang Jung-Lin the following year.
25.
Oliver Ortmann has reached the semifinals of a tour event 35 times, with eight second-place finishes.
26.
In 2014, Oliver Ortmann was inducted into the Billiard Congress of America Hall of Fame with promoter and historian Charles Ursitti.
27.
Oliver Ortmann is a three-time European player of the year, receiving the award in 1990,1993, and 1996.
28.
The 2002 victory with Oliver Ortmann was described by six-time snooker world champion Steve Davis as "one of the best moments of my career".
29.
Oliver Ortmann competed in the team on eight occasions, and was the non-playing captain in 2003.
30.
At the World Cup of Pool, Oliver Ortmann has represented Germany three times.
31.
Oliver Ortmann appeared at the World Team Championship in 2010 and 2012, reaching the quarter-finals in 2010.