Daniel Hubmann (born 16 April 1983[1] in Eschlikon, Thurgau) is a Swiss orienteering competitor. Hubmann is the most successful male Swiss orienteer of all time, with 9 Gold medals at the World Orienteering Championships. In 2023, with his victory in the relay at the 2023 World Orienteering Championships, Hubmann became the oldest competitor to win a gold medal at the World Orienteering Championships, at the age of 40 years and 61 days. Hubmann is currently the third most successful male orienteer of all time, behind Thierry Gueorgiou and Olav Lundanes, and has won more medals in total than any other male orienteer.
Hubmann started orienteering at the age of 12.[2] Hubmann originally trained to be a carpenter[3] from 1999-2003.[4] He became Junior World Champion in 2002 in Alicante, both in the long distance and with the Swiss relay team. He first competed at the World Orienteering Championships for Switzerland in 2004- his first year as a senior- where he finished in the top 10 twice.[5]
Hubmann received a silver medal at the Sprint World Orienteering Championships in 2005, and again in 2006, and a bronze medal in the relay event in 2005 as member of the Swiss Relay team.[6] Hubmann turned professional in 2007.[2]
Hubmann won the men's overall World Cup in 2008, before Thierry Gueorgiou and Matthias Merz.[7][8]
He won the long distance at the 2008 World Orienteering Championships in Olomouc (before Anders Nordberg), and finished second in the sprint event after Andrey Khramov. He received a bronze medal in the relay event with the Swiss team, together with Baptiste Rollier and Matthias Merz.
He also had success in the European Orienteering Championships, receiving three silver medals.
In the 2009 season, Hubmann, together with teammate Matthias Merz, became the first man to take World Championship medals in all four orienteering disciplines. He accomplished this feat by earning the silver medal in the middle distance at the World Championships in Miskolc, Hungary on 19 August 2009. He followed this up a day later by winning the bronze medal in the sprint distance. In addition Hubmann anchored Kristiansand OK's relay teams to victory in both Tiomila and Jukola. After transferring to Koovee orienteering club he anchored the team to victory in Jukola in 2016 and 2018.
From 2010 to 2012, Hubmann struggled with injuries. In 2012, he missed the World Championships in his home country of Switzerland due to an achilles tendon rupture. Despite this, Hubmann still won medals in the middle distance and the sprint during this time.[3]
From 2013 to 2019, Hubmann had his most dominant period. From 2006 to 2021, Hubmann only finished outside of the top 10 at a World Championships on one occasion- the middle distance in 2014, where he came 11th- and from 2013 to 2017 Hubmann was in the top 3 in the Orienteering World Cup every year, winning two medals in the Sprint distance and one in the Middle distance. From 2008 to 2018, either Hubmann or fellow swiss Matthias Kyburz won the world cup every year.
In 2023, Hubmann won a gold medal in the relay in the home World Championships in Switzerland, winning with teammates Joey Hadorn and Matthias Kyburz, at the age of 40. This made Hubmann the oldest competitor to win a gold medal at the World Championships.[9]
Hubmann was ranked no. 1 on the IOF (International Orienteering Federation) World Ranking per October 2006,[10] and was also ranked no. 1 on the list at the end of the 2008 season (per 10 October 2008).[10] For a brief period in 2015 he was ranked as no. 1 in both Sprint, and Classic orienteering.
Hubmann married his long-term partner, Annette Kindschi, in June 2015.[11] He is the brother of Martin Hubmann. Daniel also has his own fan club which is run by New Zealand Orienteer Joseph Lynch.