Denmark (DEN)

Denmark’s connection with the Olympic Movement began in 1894 when Fredrik Bajer, a member of the Danish Parliament, was an honorary member of the International Congress in Paris at which the Olympic Games were revived. After Denmark had participated in the 1896 Olympics, the first Danish International Olympic Committee (IOC) Member, Niels Holbeck, was co-opted in 1899 but it was not until 29 October 1905 that a Danish National Olympic Committee (NOC) was formed. In 1993 the Danish National Olympic Committee merged with the Dansk Idræts-Forbund to become the Danmarks Idræts-Forbund. Denmark has competed at every summer Olympic Games except 1904, but their attendance at the Olympic Winter Games has been less consistent. Since making their winter début in 1948, they have missed the Winter Olympics of 1956, 1972, 1976, 1980, and 1984, but have participated in all Winter Games since 1988. Also a few athletes from Greenland, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark, have competed for Denmark.

Danish athletes have won 204 Olympic medals, 45 of them gold. Denmark has won one medal in the Olympic Winter Games, that a silver in women’s curling in 1998. Two shooters from the early 20th century won the most Olympic medals for Denmark with five – Lars Jørgen Madsen and Niels Larsen. In 2012 the rower Eskild Ebbesen also won his fifth Olympic medal for Denmark. But their greatest Olympian has likely been sailor Paul Elvstrøm who won four gold medals, winning the monotype class consecutively from 1948-60.

In 1921 the Dansk Idræts-Forbund was awarded with the Olympic Cup.