Denmark at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Denmark at the
2020 Summer Olympics
IOC codeDEN
NOCNational Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark
Websitewww.dif.dk (in Danish and English)
in Tokyo, Japan
July 23, 2021 (2021-07-23) – August 8, 2021 (2021-08-08)
Competitors108 in 16 sports
Flag bearers (opening)Sara Slott Petersen
Jonas Warrer
Flag bearer (closing)Emma Jørgensen
Medals
Ranked 25th
Gold
3
Silver
4
Bronze
4
Total
11
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
Other related appearances
1906 Intercalated Games

Denmark competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] Danish athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games, with the exception of the 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis. Before the start of the games, DIF sat an official medal goal of 8–10 medals for the Tokyo games.[2]

Denmark stood with 108 athletes in 16 sports. Danish athletes won a total of 11 medals (3 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze) at the Tokyo Olympiad. This was the most gold medals won by Denmark since the 1996 Summer Olympics, and the fifth highest amount of medals won in the Summer Olympics. Three of these 11 medals were won in cycling, two in canoeing and one each in badminton, handball, rowing, sailing, shooting and swimming.[3][4]

Among the Danish medalists were Viktor Axelsen, winning gold in men's singles in badminton. He became the second Danish gold medalist in badminton, the first being Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen in 1996. Former gold medalist Pernille Blume won bronze in Women's 50 m freestyle swimming, marking her third Olympic medal in her career. Emma Jørgensen also reached three Olympic medals, having a silver medal from the 2016 Olympics and winning two bronze medals in canoeing at the 2020 Olympics. The Danish national handball team won Denmark's first silver medal in handball, having previously won four gold medals. Lasse Norman Hansen won his fourth and fifth Olympic medals, winning silver in men's team pursuit and gold in men's madison. This tied Hansen for most medals won by an individual Danish athlete, tying with Niels Larsen, Eskild Ebbesen and Lars Jørgen Madsen.[5][6]

The Danish NOC represented not only Denmark, but also the constituent countries of Greenland and the Faroe Islands, neither of which have their own NOC. With the men's handball team winning a silver medal, Faroese handball player Jóhan Hansen became the first Faroese athlete to win a medal.[7]

  1. ^ "Joint Statement from the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee". Olympic Games. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Danmarks OL-atleter er langt fra at nå medaljemålsætningen".
  3. ^ "Guld, guld og mere guld: Det danske OL er det mest gyldne i 25 år". Dr.dk. 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  4. ^ "NOC Entries - Team Denmark". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Viktor Axelsen vinder OL-guld". Sport.tv2.dk. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Stolt Lasse Norman: En ordentligt streg i regningen". Feltet.dk. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Danmarks færing har skrevet OL-historie". Sport.tv2.dk. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.