Denmark at the Olympics
Denmark participated in the very first of the modern Olympic Games in 1896. They sent only three athletes to the 1896 Summer Games in Athens Greece, but those three athletes managed to win six Olympic medals. Viggo Jensen became Denmark's first-ever Olympic gold medalist when he won the men's two hand lift. He also managed to win the silver for the men's one hand lift on the same day and the bronze for the men's 300 meter free rifle, three position in April 12. Holger Nielsen on the other hand won the silver in men's 30 meter free pistol, and the bronze for the men's sabre (fencing) and men's 25 meter rapid fire pistol. Those two set the bar for the following Summer Games athletes for Denmark.
Denmark has consistently won at least one gold medal in the Summer Games in most outings. There were only four instances when Denmark was not able to grab the gold in the Summer Games (1908, 1932, 1936 and 1984). Denmark also has attended virtually all of the modern Summer Games, missing only the 1904 Summer Games in St. Louis, USA.
The Winter Games is a little bit trickier for Denmark. Since their debut in 1948, they have missed a total of five Winter Games. And they also had to wait five decades before they took home their first medal from the Winter Games. Their women's curling team won the silver in Nagano, Japan 1998.
Trivia
- In 1896, a Danish football team participated in a demonstration game of Association Football. All three official Danish Olympic participants at the first Olympics are also believed to have been members of this football team.
- Viggo Jensen was Denmark's first Olympic champion, winning a gold medal in the two-hand lift weightlifting competition at the inaugural Games at Athens in 1896. He also won silver in the one hand lift, having been injured when winning the earlier event. A few days later, he claimed a bronze in the free rifle shooting event. If that was not enough, the all-rounder also finished fourth in both the shot put and the rope climbing event.
- Edgar Aaybe was a Danish journalist who was covering the 1900 games in Paris, and was recruited into the combined Sweden/Denmark tug of war team to replace an ill team member, and went on to win a gold medal.
- In Rome 1960, after taking amphetamines, Danish cyclist Knuth Jensen collapsed during a race, fatally fracturing his skull.
- Danish equestrian athlete Lis Hartel was the first woman in the equestrian sports to win an Olympic medal, when she won silver medals at the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics in dressage.
- Denmark's Poul-Erik Høyer is the only non-Asian badminton player ever to win an Olympic gold medal.
Related Pages
- Denmark at the Winter Olympics
- More trivia from each Country at the Olympic Games
- About sport in Denmark
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