Denmark is not a traditionally strong fencing nation, but when women’s fencing made its Olympic début at the 1924 Olympics, the final pool included three Danish fencers: Ellen Osiier, Grete Heckscher and Yutta Barding. Ellen Osiier won all her final bouts, as she had done in the preliminary rounds, and won the gold medal undefeated, while Heckscher took third place. As of 2010, Osiier’s gold medal remains Denmark’s only Olympic title in the sport. The Olympic gold remained Ellen Osiier’s only title, as World or European Championships for women were not held yet, and the tough competition at home meant she never won a Danish championship either. In 1919, Ellen Osiier had married Ivan Osiier, also an Olympic fencer. He won an Olympic silver medal in 1912, and competed in seven Olympic Games over a span of 40 years (1908-48).
Denmark