Christian Hansen

Christian Hansen rowed in the boat of the Nykøbing Falster Roklub in the coxed fours, inriggers. This class, which was particularly common in Scandinavia at the time, with the dinghy attached to the gunwale (Inriggers) was contested at the 1912 Olympics only. The Danish boat benefited from a bye in the semi-final. In the final on the following day they beat the Swedish boat from Stockholm by 12 seconds. Hansen and Ejler Allert was multiple Danish champions in the fours. Together with Knud Gøtke and Hans Jørgensen they formed an inrigger four, which was unbeaten in Denmark for some years.

The trained machine turner Christian Hansen later worked in a sugar factory in Nykøbing Falster. There, he was a blacksmith like at least two other rowers in the team. Hence, they were called “Smedeholdet” (Blacksmith team), although coxswain Poul Hartmann was a bookbinder. The team won the Nordic championships in 1910 and 1911 and Danish trials for the Olympics in June 1912. A few days after their triumph at the Olympics, the crew won their third Nordic championship at the same venue.

With his wife Sophie Adeline (née Nielsen) he had two daughters. In 1948, he was awarded the Danish Rowing Association’s golden badge.