Gordon Orlikow

Canadian decathlete (born 1960)

Gordon Orlikow

Personal information

Born|  (1960-05-05) 5 May 1960 (age 64)
Home town| Winnipeg, Canada
Alma mater|

* University of Manitoba (BA; master's degree)
* Queens University (master's degree)

Occupation| management consultant
Employer| Korn/Ferry International
Relative(s)| David Orlikow, member of the House of Commons of Canada representing Winnipeg North; uncle
Other interests| Chairman of the board of Athletics Canada

Medal record

Men's athletics
Representing  Canada
Pan American Games
| 1987 Indianapolis | decathlon
Maccabiah Games
|  Israel 1985 | 110 m hurdles
|  Israel 1985 | decathlon
|  Israel 1981 | 110 m hurdles
|  Israel 1981 | decathlon

Gordon Orlikow (born May 5, 1960) is a Canadian former decathlon, heptathlon, and hurdles competitor who won medals in the 73rd Drake Relays, the 1981 Maccabiah Games and 1985 Maccabiah Games in Israel, and the 1987 Pan American Games.[1][2] He is a former chairman of the board of directors of Athletics Canada, and a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee. He is also a senior client partner at Korn/Ferry International.

## Biography

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### Early life

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Orlikow attended Kelvin High School, graduating in 1978, and is a member of the school's Hall of Fame.[1] He lives in Winnipeg, Canada.[3] His uncle was David Orlikow, member of the House of Commons of Canada representing Winnipeg North.[4]

He earned a BA in economics and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Manitoba, and a master's degree in economics from Queens University.[3] Orlikow competed for the Manitoba Bisons in track and field, and is honored on the Bisons Walkway of Honour.[5]

Gordon Orlikow has four children - Daniel Orlikow (1987), Gillian Turnbull (1991), Nicholas Belluk (1999) and Liliana Orlikow (2001).

### Decathlon, heptathlon, and hurdles competitor

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At the 1981 Maccabiah Games in Israel, Orlikow won a bronze medal in the decathlon and a silver medal in the 110 m hurdles.[4][6]

In 1982, Orlikow came from behind in two events to win the two-day 73rd Drake Relays 10-event decathlon at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.[7] Orlikow finished fourth in the javelin and second in the 1,500 meters, amassing 6,974 points.[7] At the 1984 Maccabi Pan American Games in São Paulo, Brazil, Orlikow won four gold medals (high jump, pole vault, discus, and hurdles) and two silver medals (long jump and 400 m) in track & field.[8][9]

At the 1985 Maccabiah Games in Israel, Orlikow won the gold medal in the men's decathlon with 7,141 points.[10][4] He finished in first place in the 110 m hurdles and 1,500 m run, and in second place in the 400 m run, the long jump, discus, javelin, and shot put.[4] He also broke the Maccabiah Games record in the 100-meter hurdles at 14.73 seconds, earning a second gold medal.[11]

Orlikow came in sixth in the decathlon for Canada at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, Scotland.[12] He came in second in the 400 m, third in the 100 m, 4th in the long jump and high jump, and 10th in the shot put.[13]

He competed in track and field for Canada at the Maccabi Pan Am Games in São Paulo, Brazil.[14] Orlikow won four gold medals and two silver medals.[14]

Orlikow was a bronze medalist in the men's decathlon at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States for Canada, with 7,441 points.[3][15] In 1987 he also came in second to Olympian Dave Steen in the Canadian national heptathlon title competition.[16]

### Chairman of Athletics Canada

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In 2009 Orlikow was named chairman of the board of Athletics Canada, the national governing body of athletics in Canada.[3][17] He held the position until 2017, and led the Canadian delegation at the 2017 IAAF World Championships & Congress.[18] He is also a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, which represents Canada at the International Olympic Committee (IOC).[1] Orlikow has been appointed chair by the Bonn, Germany-based International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board of its Nominations Panel.[19]

### Business

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In 1985 Orlikow worked at the Manitoba Ministry of Finance.[4] He began his full-time career at food corporation Cargill, in 1988-91.[20] He was Director of Human Resources of Canadian railway BC Rail Ltd. until 1999, in 2000 he became Senior Vice President, People of The Loewen Group Inc., and worked there until 2003.[21] Orlikow became president of the Strategic Leadership Forum, which seeks to strengthen Canada's global competitiveness in leadership development.[1] He is a Senior Client Partner in the Industrial sector of management consulting firm Korn/Ferry International.[1][22]

## See also

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* List of Pan American Games medalists in athletics (men)

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e "Gordon Orlikow". École Secondaire Kelvin High School History. Archived from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
2. ^ "Gordon Orlikow". Athletics Podium.
3. ^ a b c d "Athletics Canada Chairperson". Athletics Magazine. 5 August 2009.
4. ^ a b c d e Paul Lungen & David Pierson (15 August 1985). "Canada Records Finest Ever Maccabiah Showing". The Canadian Jewish News. p. 6.
5. ^ "Bisons Walkway of Honour". University of Manitoba Athletics.
6. ^ "Track and Field Results Macabiah James At Tel Aviv, July 13". UPI. 13 July 1981.
7. ^ a b "Gordon Orlikow of the University of Manitoba came from behind ..." UPI. 21 April 1982.
8. ^ "Canadians Collect 36 Medals at Pan Am Games". The Canadian Jewish News. 12 January 1984. p. 35.
9. ^ Himmelfarb, Milton (September 1986). American Jewish Year Book, 1986. University of Nebraska Press. p. 245\. ISBN 978-0-8276-0269-4.
10. ^ Northern California Jewish Bulletin. Vol. 134\. San Francisco Jewish Community Publications, Incorporated. July 1985. p. 46.
11. ^ "U.S., Israel Vie for Maccabiah Medals". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 25 July 1985.
12. ^ Groom, Graham (2017). The Complete Book of The Commonwealth Games. Lulu.com. p. 80\. ISBN 978-0-244-94031-7.[self-published source?]
13. ^ "Commonwealth Games Results". UPI. 28 July 1986.
14. ^ a b Milton Himmelfarb (1986). American Jewish Year Book, 1986
15. ^ Jim Sarney (13 August 1987). "Cruz Overcomes Spivey in 1,500". South Florida Sun Sentinel.
16. ^ "McKoy sluggish in easy victory for national title". The Globe and Mail. 23 February 1987.
17. ^ Ewing, Lori (13 June 2013). "Canada's Dylan Armstrong close to shot put bronze from 2008 Games after athlete ban". The Globe and Mail.
18. ^ "Gordon Orlikow to step down as Chair". Athletics Canada. 8 June 2017.
19. ^ Patrick Burke (2 September 2022). "IPC new Constitution comes into force after legal ratification by German authorities". Inside the Games.
20. ^ Costa, Carlos da (23 March 2022). "What Will It Take To Keep Women in Mining and Create a Truly Diverse and Inclusive Industry?". The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy & Petroleum.
21. ^ "Disclosure Statement; In re: Loewen Group International". US Bankruptcy Court; District of Delaware. 10 September 2001.
22. ^ Immen, Wallace (7 March 2007). "Lights, camera ... can I have a job?". The Globe and Mail.