Henri Thorsen

All-round track and field star Henri Thorsen dominated Danish athletics for the best part of a decade from 1915 until 1924. During this time Thorsen won 18 national titles, set nine Danish records, and competed at two Olympic Games. In 1914 he won his first medal at the Danish national athletics championships when he finished third in the high jump before winning his first gold, also in the high jump, the following year. This was the start of an incredible run that saw him win a further 17 Danish titles across four events with gold in the 110 metres hurdles (1916–24), decathlon (1916–18), high jump (1917–19), and long jump (1918–19). He broke the Danish record in the 110 metres hurdles on three occasions in 1916 before breaking it a further three times in the 1920s (1920, 1923, 1924). He also set two national records in the 400 metres (1916, 1918) and a record in the decathlon in 1916.

Thorsen finished fifth in the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1920 Antwerpen Olympics along with teammates Fritiof Normann Andersen, August Sørensen, and Marinus Sørensen. He also ran in the 110 metres hurdles in Antwerpen where he reached the semi-finals. Four years later at the 1924 Paris Olympics he ran in the 110 metres hurdles, the 400 metres hurdles, and the 4 × 100 metres relay, reaching the semi-finals in all three events.

Personal Bests: 100 – 11.0 (1920); 110H – 15.1 (1924); 400H – 56.0 (1924).