micand57@gmail.com

Both the Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF) and Team Denmark are very dependent on the quality of the political and administrative leadership of the individual federations. Regardless of whether it is about medals for Denmark, talent development, recruitment of children, dropouts among youth, development of new activities or good facilities, a close and well-functioning collaboration between the two organizations and the individual federation is paramount to the success or failure of the parties.

Wide range among DIF’s federations

The culture, tasks, content and resources of DIF’s 62 individual federations are very different – from Modern Pentathlon Denmark with less than 100 members, DKK 60,000 in annual turnover and extremely modest coverage in the local media to the Danish Football Association (DBU) with 360,000 members, 300 million DKK in annual turnover and gigantic media exposure. However, in my opinion and experience, the quality of the individual federations’ leadership is far from proportional to the federation’s membership, financial resources, media coverage or other factors. For several decades, I have been both surprised and amazed at how (smaller) federations have achieved sporting success at international level or created lots of sports joy and enthusiasm among children, youth or the elderly, while (larger) federations have been characterized by personal power struggles and waste of obvious development potentials. In my opinion, the quality of an individual federation’s leadership can be assessed based on the following four factors.

Continuity – minimum 4 and maximum 10 years for board members

Firstly, there must be continuity in the federation’s political and administrative leadership. Far too many of DIF’s federations are characterized in these years by far too frequent replacements of chairmen, board members and/or directors. The board is of course democratically elected at the federation’s annual meetings and there is no list of facts for the optimal duration of terms of office, either for chairmen/women, board members or directors. Replacement of board members should take place continuously and it should be avoided that all board members leave the federation’s political leadership at the same time. Frequent changes of the top administrative management – director, general secretary, sports manager, development manager or communication manager – should also be avoided, as the result of this is a significant loss of knowledge and experience for the federation. A term of office for board members and administrative managers should be at least 4 years and at most 10 years.

Long-term strategy with ownership on the board

Secondly, the federation must work based on a long-term strategy, which is continuously discussed and adopted at the federation’s annual meeting. The strategy, with a time perspective of 3-5 years, must contain both a vision, concrete objectives and descriptions of the resources that must make the strategy’s implementation realistic. The federation’s members and employees can advantageously be involved in the preparation of the strategy through hearings, proposals and committee work, but the “ownership” of the strategy should always be the board. Most federations’ strategies are often far too comprehensive and imprecise, which means that it becomes very difficult for both the board and the administration to focus on the most important key points. This also means that the federation’s political leadership (the board) must entrust case management, personnel management and daily operational tasks to the federation’s administrative management (director or executive board).

Diversity must reflect membership composition

Thirdly, the board must reflect the individual federation’s diversity in relation to the members’ gender, age, geography and attitudes. There are far too many federations where one gender is significantly underrepresented or where the average age of board members is far higher than the composition of the members. People over the age of 55-60 often have a great deal of knowledge about a specific sport – and naturally many years of experience – but boards also tend to “solidify” if all the board members are over this age. Likewise, the federation’s leadership also has a great responsibility for nominating candidates for the board, so that different views and positions become visible and represented in the federation’s leadership.

Essential cooperation between the federation’s two “key persons”

Fourthly – but by no means the least important – the cooperation between the federation’s chairperson and CEO must be trustworthy and trusting. The two “key persons” should complement each other through a coordinated distribution of roles and responsibilities, i.a. in relation to internal and external communication. Unfortunately, there are far too many examples in Danish sports of bad – and sometimes embarrassing – constellations between the federation’s political chairmen/woman and the CEO of administration. There are many skilled chairmen/women and directors in DIF’s confederation, but the number of confederations with both a skilled chairperson/woman and a skilled CEO’s is relatively few. In my opinion, this is the primary reason why many of DIF’s individual federations have not had the development that the individual sport deserves.

New book about sports with lots of facts, subjective analyzes and significant attitudes

There are books about sports which should absolutely be published, because with this we can become wiser about ourselves, the communities and the society of which we are a part. And there are books about sports that should never have been published due to lack of research, thin content or poor language. Let it be said immediately: “Danish sports policy – sports in the Ministry of Culture through 50 years” (Gads Forlag, 2023), which was prepared by cand.polit. Claus Bøje and cand.scient.pol. Søren Riiskjær clearly belongs to the first category. Anyone with an interest in sports, culture and politics can become wiser by reading the book, which contains lots of facts, subjective analyzes and significant attitudes. It is already emphasized in the preface that “… the book was written based on the desire to uncover the state’s management of sports in the Ministry of Culture. The production is supported by the authors’ personal view of the development and strong commitment to sports”. This point of view becomes the book’s greatest strength and weakness at the same time.

Shared ideological position: Sports Research Center at Gerlev Sports Academy

Both Claus Bøje, who has been sports policy advisor at the Ministry of Culture (1972-1987), editor at Danmarks Radio (1976-2008), researcher at Sports Research Center at Gerlev Sports Academy (1989-2000) and head of development at the Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities (2000-2008) and Søren Riiskjær, who has been sports policy advisor at the Ministry of Sports (1979-1997), researcher at Sports Research Center at Gerlev Sports Academy (1997-2005), CEO of Team Denmark (2005-2006) and head of department at DGI (2006-2016), has to a very large extent contributed to putting sport on the (cultural) political agenda over the past five decades. The ideological starting point for those authors was Sports Research Center at Gerlev Sports College, which from the end of the 1970s until the turn of the millennium played a very decisive role in connection with the establishment and development of a critical humanistic-social science sports research in Denmark.

Clash with the thesis about the unity of sports

It was especially Claus Bøje’s article – “Clash with the thesis about the unity of sports” (1978) – which was published on the occasion of Gerlev Sports Academy’s 40th anniversary, which in subsequent decades came to shape conflicts and power struggles in Danish sports. The article was a showdown with the perception of sport as one big movement, where everything is naturally connected from top to bottom and from one participant group or activity to the many others. Bøje argued that the thesis “elite creates sport for all, and sport for all creates elite” served to postulate connections and camouflage contradictions and thus limited the possibilities of sport as a cultural factor. The article was also a direct attack on the Confederation of Danish Sports’ (DIF) monopoly as sports’ “mouthpiece” vis-a-vis both the Danish Parlament and changing governments.

The diversity of sports with different wishes and needs of citizens was empirically documented a few years later by Søren Riiskjær, who, together with Eigil Jespersen from Sports Research Center, published the report “80’s sports – towards a new grassroots sport” (1984). The report concluded that unorganized sports – such as running, cycling, swimming, outdoor activities and aerobics outside of organized clubs – formed a very significant part of the overall sporting picture. In other words, both the state, municipalities and the sports organizations were “necessary” to find new solutions, if the slogan about “sport for all” was to be anything more than a rhetorical speech.

Ministers of culture with varying quality with and without a passion for sports

Bøje and Riiskjær have, as personal advisers to ministers of culture of varying quality and with greater or lesser passion for sport – both directly and indirectly – contributed to the vast majority of sports policy visions, initiatives and concrete legislative proposals put forward by changing ministers of culture in the period 1972-2005. A period where the Act on Elite Sports (1984), the Act on Public Education (1990), Revision of the Lottery Act with the establishment of the Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities (1992), Sports Policy Ideas Program (1997) and Act on Anti-Doping in Sports (2004), changed the distribution of roles and responsibilities between the state and the main “autonomous” sports organizations: DIF, DGI and DFIF. The book’s source material is both ministerial reports, parliamentary reports, articles from the media, non-fiction as well as the two authors’ personal experiences and experiences.

Sports in the Ministry of Culture: From a peripheral position to ministerial profiling through sports

The book contains a foreword, 10 chapters, an afterword, an overview of Danish ministers of culture in the period 1968-2022, Minister of Culture Ebbe Lundgaard’s speech on 10 November 1997 and a bibliography. The individual chapters follow a chronological timeline from the end of the 1960s, when a cultural policy statement was prepared without a single word about sports to the beginning of the 2020s, when topics such as doping, match-fixing, mega-events, children’s certificates, dissatisfaction in elite sports, good governance and sport-washing require political involvement from the Parlament, government and the Ministry of Culture. In the course of the book, the two authors describe and discuss a number of central themes: The expanded concept of culture, cultural political principles such as freedom of expression, cultural democracy, quality and decentralization, ministry of culture activism, cultural and sports policy statements, establishment and development of Team Denmark, anti-doping at national and international level, elite sports and art, media rights, grassroots sports and public health, leisure law and public education, architecture and urban planning, charter for the voluntary sector, sports research, Sports in the EU Treaty, liberalization of gambling legislation, distribution of the lottery, alliances and power struggles between DIF and DGI, performance contracts and framework agreements, sports as combat, play, dance and immersion and much, much more. Individual chapters could benefit from sharper editing, just as references and notes (always) strengthen the credibility of books and articles.

A great sporting political “testament”

The book’s final chapter – “Tensions in sports policy” – deserves top marks. Here, Bøje and Riiskjær succeed with wide and precision in summarizing and concluding on the biggest challenges of Danish sports policy. Bøje and Riiskjær have consistently and credibly maintained sports as an important cultural phenomenon for half a century, while most other actors – the sports organizations, governments, ministers of culture, political parties, municipalities, associations and federations – have focused to a (far) greater extent on the health, social and entertainment dimensions of sport. However, Bøje and Riiskjær’s sporting political “testament” is full of both value and meaning. “Danish sports policy – sports in the Ministry of Culture through 50 years” should henceforth be a mandatory curriculum for all future ministers of culture and their staff, political decision-makers in sports, culture, health and education as well as sports students at all higher education institutions. Sports managers from organizations, federations and associations can also “broaden their horizons” by reading the book, either in full or in excerpts.

A number of the Confederation of Danish Sports’ federations – i.a. The Danish Handball Federation (DHF), the Danish Ice Hockey Federation (DIU), the Danish Basketball Federation, Floorball Denmark and Volleyball Denmark – have during the past year entered into cooperation agreements with the international, commercial company “Sportway” for live streaming of children’s and youth matches and tournements. The agreements mean that cameras with artificial intelligence are now installed in more than 100 indoor sports halls in Denmark. There can be good arguments for live streaming of matches at senior elite level, not least in sports that have difficulty obtaining direct transmissions on nationwide television. But when it comes to matches and tournaments for children and youth under the age of 18, the disadvantages of live streaming training, matches and tournements far outweigh the advantages. The board of the Conferation of Danish Sports (DIF) reached the same conclusion a few days ago after more than half a year of dialogue meetings with the above federations, selected municipalities, commercial streaming companies, national sports organizations in Sweden and Norway and not least professional knowledge institutions such as “Conditions of Children” and Team Denmark, both of which are something and more than “experts in their own sports”. DIF’s official recommendation is “… that DIF’s federations should not live-stream matches, performances, training sessions, competitions and tournements for children and youth under the age of 18”.

DIF’s recommendations lack a legal analysis

DIF’s written note on live streaming of sports for children and youth contains a definition of the concept and a description of “the well-functioned and safe sports environment for children and youth”, potential risks and benefits of live streaming for children and youth, as well as a number of “important considerations”, questions and “guide to live streaming in practice” for federations, who do not wish to follow DIF’s recommendation. The ethical considerations, questions and the guide contain many qualities, but DIF’s note lacks – unfortunately – a legal analysis of whether live streaming of children and youth is legal, i.a. in relation to the personal data regulation (GDPR), which applies to all EU countries – including Denmark.

Some federations continue (apparently) with live streaming of children and youth

It will of course now be interesting to follow the decisions of the individual federations and elite sport municipalities regarding (continued) use of live streaming of sports for children and youth under 18 years of age. Some associations – Swim Danmark, Volleyball Denmark, Danish Basketball Federation, Floorball Denmark and Denmark’s Ice Hockey Federation – have decided to continue with live streaming to a greater or lesser extent, while the Danish Handball Federation has not yet made a final decision.

Direct contrast between Age-related Training (ATK) and live streaming

However, it will be far more interesting to follow Team Denmark’s decision to cooperate with – and thereby also provide financial support to – federations that do not follow DIF’s recommendations on “the well-functioned and safe sports environment for children and youth”. Live streaming of sports for children and youth under the age of 18 will be in direct contrast with recent years’ research on ” social sustainable sports environments” for youth and Team Denmark’s recommendations on age-related training (ATK). Sports psychologists Kristoffer Henriksen and Carsten Hvid Larsen from the University of Southern Denmark – who have also been associated with Team Denmark for a number of years – highlight ” …. that for children and youth, it is important to have an inner drive and willingness to train, a passion of sport, good friendships and a balanced identity, where there is room to feel both human and athlete, as well as a desire to take responsibility for one’s own development ”. And further ” … not least to create a safe and well-functioned environment without too much focus on results. The goal must be for young people to thrive, develop and stay in the sport” (ATK 2.0 – Training of children and youth, Team Denmark, 2015).

Talent development with ethics, values and legal obligations

Team Denmark’s collaboration with currently 25 out of DIF’s 62 associations are based on the Act on Elite sports and legal collaboration agreements, which typically applies for a period of 4 years. The purpose and content of the collaboration is described in Team Denmark’s strategy and support concept, where talent development – the individual federations’ activities for children and youth under the age of 18 – constitute a very significant part. The talent development has focus on developing and strengthening the quality of talent environments in clubs and elite sport municipalities, which happens through sports schools, youth education, dual career, age-related training (ATK), “Values for talent development in Danish sports” and much more. These activities cannot be “opted out” by Team Denmark’s partners, neither federations, clubs, elite sport municipalities, schools or educational institutions. The current legal cooperation agreements emphasize ” … that the individual confederation undertakes to implement and comply with Team Denmark’s and DIF’s overall rules and policies, including the “Code of Ethics for Danish competitive sports” and “Values for talent development in Danish sports”.

There is a difference between a member organization and a statutory knowledge institution

Team Denmark’s current strategy and support concept will expire at the end of 2024, i.e. in 18 months. This also means that the preparations and internal discussions in the elite sports institution about objectives, strategies, efforts and new initiatives in the upcoming support concept 2025-2028 have (hopefully) begun. In this connection, there can – and should, in my opinion – be a significant difference between DIF’s and Team Denmark’s words and actions in relation to live-streaming for children and youth under 18 years of age. Namely, Team Denmark is – cf. the Act of Elite Sports – obliged to set a number of requirements and criteria towards the federations and elite sport municipalities in relation to the development of talent in elite sports in an ethical, social and socially responsible manner. My recommendation for Team Denmark’s strategy and support concept 2025-2028 regarding talent development is clear and unambiguous: Federations and elite sport municipalities must comply with DIF’s recommendation not to live-stream sports for children and youth under the age of 18.

“The sun rises and the sun sets, but Broendby IF is here tomorrow too”. Thus stated the legendary mayor Kjeld Rasmussen, when the heart club at the Western part of CPH was very close to financial collapse at the beginning of 1990 in connection with the club’s failed attempt to take over the Danish “Interbank”. A debt of almost DKK 400 million seemed almost unmanageable, but a long-term rescue plan with the “town king” Rasmussen at the helm was launched and a few years later Broendby IF was once again Denmark’s supremely strongest football club, both sportingly and financially.

Broendbyernes IF – A cultural and social community with strong values

The Social Democrat Kjeld Rasmussen was elected mayor of Broendby Municipality in 1966, but already two years earlier the charismatic lawyer was one of the initiators of – and the first chairman of – the football club Broendbyerne IF. The visionary Rasmussen, who held the post of mayor for 39 years until 2005, together with the doctor Per Bjerregaard, who in 1974 became chairman of the club, was largely the driving force behind the “adventure” at the Western part of CPH. Both Rasmussen and Bjerregaard stressed that Broendbyernes IF should be a strong community of cultural values for children, young people and families in a municipality with many social and economic challenges. The community with strong values should also include the many refugees and immigrants who in these years chose to settle in non-profit housing in Broendbyoester, Broendbyvester or Broendby Strand. The community with strong values was anchored in the club’s motto: “Supra Societatem Nemo” – No one above the community. The club’s biggest and most important quality was – and still is today – volunteers who provide selfless and loyal efforts for the community. It is also this quality that is essential for more than 500 volunteers who contribute to solving large and small tasks in connection with the Super League team’s home matches. In my opinion, there are no other clubs in Danish football that have so many and so faithful coaches and volunteers over three, four or five decades.

The 1990s: Broendby IF’s golden years

Broendby IF with Per Bjerregaard as chairman moved from 1974 to 1982 from Denmark’s 4th best League to the best League – 1st division – with only 17-year-old Michael Laudrup in the team. And just 3 years later, the club won its first Danish Championship (DC). In the 1980s it was very much Broendby IF, which set the standard for Danish club football. In 1987, the club was listed on the stock exchange as a limited company and introduced full-time professional players and began selling players abroad. Broendby IF also achieved a number of remarkable results internationally, including was the club in 1991 after a drama against A.S. Roma in the semi-finals just seconds away from a final place in the UEFA Cup. It was achievements like this that meant that Brøndby IF ranked among Europe’s 20 best clubs in the 1990s: a position that no other Danish club has since achieved. Also in the Super League, which was introduced in 1991, Broendby IF was clearly the most knowledgeable club until 2006, when the sporting down trip began. In the first 15 Super League seasons, Broendby IF won no fewer than 6 gold, 7 silver and 2 DC bronze medals.  On the other hand, in the past 15 seasons it has “only” been a total of 7 DC medals: One gold, 2 silver and 4 bronze medals, while FC Copenhagen has won 14 DC medals (8 gold, 5 silver and one bronze medal) and FCM 10 DC medals (3 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze medals) in the same period.

Broendby Stadium – Denmark’s strongest home ground

Broendby IF’s sporting success – both nationally and internationally – throughout the 1990s also meant a modernization and expansion of Brøndby Stadium. The developer was Brøndby Municipality, but in 1998 the club bought the stadium from Brøndby Municipality for a “modest” DDK 23.5 million. Brøndby Stadium is also today, with a spectator capacity of 26,000, one of Denmark’s absolute best home grounds.

The fight against the “Team of CPH” and the Woolly Jutlanders

For the past 15 years, however, Brøndby IF – both sportingly and financially – has been on a rollercoaster ride of dimensions. A rollercoaster ride that has really hurt self-understanding and emotions, both at the Western part of CPH and with the many BIF fans all over Denmark, who have followed the club since the “golden” years from the mid-1980s to the mid-00s. Both FC Midtjylland (FCM) and not least FC Copenhagen (FCK) have overtaken the club from the Western part of CPH with different strategies and financial investments, which have been significantly larger than Broendby IF. The number of CEO’s, sports managers, head coaches and “main shareholders” in Broendby IF’s professional department has been high and the quality often extremely fluctuating. But most importantly, it has been more than difficult to spot the club’s strategy, both on and off the pitch. Both sportingly and financially, the club has been on a disaster course several times and restructuring of the club’s share structure as well as countless share issues have been necessary for the club’s survival. It was also with mixed feelings, both in the “mother club” and among the club’s various fan factions, that the businessman and billionaire Jan Bech Andersen was welcomed in 2013 as the main shareholder and later as chairman of the board in Broendby IF.

GFH – huge capital across countries, clubs and sports

All Broendby supporters had equally mixed feelings when Global Football Holdings (GFH) took over the role of main shareholder and thus new owner of Brøndby IF A/S in autumn 2022. GFH is a global capital fund with 14 owners – of which 4 wish to be “anonymous” – which invests in both European football clubs and clubs within sports and brands such as basketball, American football and Formula 1. Currently, GFH is main shareholder in 7 different football clubs, of which Crystal Palace (UK) from the Premier League and Augsburg (Germany) from the Bundesliga are the highest ranked clubs. Global Football Holdings is – like the majority of listed companies in the U.S. – registered as a company in the U.S. state of Delaware, where no VAT is payable and where income tax is minimal. The primary purpose of GFH’s investment in Broendby IF – initially close to DKK 220 million – is of course to make money. However, this will only happen if Broendby IF in the coming years achieves good sporting results in the form of titles and not least participation in European club tournaments. In addition, the sale of top players as well as the development of talent with high international potential will be important “tools” in relation to financial returns for GFH’s owners.

“Clash” between culture vs. capital

There have been very mixed reactions and great uncertainty associated with Global Football Holdings’ purchase of the majority share in Broendby IF. Some of the club’s fan factions, commercial partners and smaller shareholders have seen the many millions of DKK and ambitious goals from GFH and Jan Beck Andersen as the club’s (only) opportunity to get back to the absolute top of Danish club football.

Other fan factions – The Alpha group, which for a number of years has created a unique atmosphere on the South Side – has met GFH with great skepticism and demanded a declaration from GFH about “loyalty” to Broendby IF’s “original” culture and values. Despite several dialogue meetings, it is currently failed to reach an “agreement of values” between Brøndby IF’s owner(s) and fans. The “clash” between culture and capital is far from unique for both Danish and international club football in these years. Broendby IF is also here tomorrow too – but undoubtedly in a different version than the former mayor Kjeld Rasmussen had imagined and probably also dreamed of.

Friday 27 July 2012 was a magical night at the Olympic Stadium in East London, where British humor created one of the most surprising moments in modern Olympic history. The opening ceremony consisted of a number of formal rituals; the athletes’ entry, speeches, swearing-in and lighting of the Olympic flame, but it was Queen Elizabeth II and James Bond – in the shape of actor Daniel Craig – in a surprising interaction that became the absolute highlight of the show ahead of the 65,000 spectators in the Olympic stadium and more than 1 billion TV viewers worldwide. James Bond’s collection of the 86-year-old Queen at Buckingham Palace, the helicopter ride over central London and the Queen’s “parachute jump” from the helicopter to the podium can be described in one word – brilliant. The British humor and hospitality also became some of the strongest memories that I experienced both in the following 15 days in London and two weeks later at the Paralympic Games, which for the first time in history were completely equated with the Olympics by the British hosts.

From skepticism to success: British gentleman as an ambassador

When the IOC in 2005 awarded London the hosting of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in strong competition with the two European capitals Paris and Madrid, the support from the inhabitants of London and Great Britain was extremely modest. However, several factors changed the negative attitude in the following years. First, the British athletics legend Sebastian Coe, who won Olympic gold and silver medals in both the 800 and 1,500 meters at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, appointed ambassador for London’s Olympic campaign and subsequently chaired the 2012 Olympics and Paralypics committee. The charismatic British gentleman is today, as chairman of World Athletics and IOC member, one of the world’s most influential sports politicians. Among other things, Sir Lord Coe – in contrast to IOC President Thomas Bach – is strongly opposed to the participation of Russian and Belarussian athletes in the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics in Paris.

Transformation of a polluted industrial area into an attractive district

Secondly, London’s choice of facilities for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics was highly innovative. Throughout the city’s history, the east of London has been one of the poorest, with squalid housing and many industrial companies. Location of the “Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park” with new and mobile sports facilities in Stratford has changed one of London’s most bleak and polluted industrial areas into one of the city’s most attractive with lots of new housing, tech companies, schools and educational institutions, parks, playgrounds, shopping centers, cultural institutions and facilities for sports and music events for the enjoyment and benefit of all citizens of London.

World-class Danish archers at iconic cricket stadium

It was also extremely visionary to place several of the competitions at historic and iconic sports facilities spread across the City of London; Football at Wembley Stadium and badminton at Wembley Arena, tennis at Wimbledon, beach volleyball at Horse Guards Parade, triathlon at Hyde Park, shooting at the Royal Artillery Barracks and equestrian sports in Greenwood Park. One of my greatest experiences was archery at the legendary cricket facility; Lord’s Cricket Gound. The pompous facility, which is located in the north-west of London, was established in 1814 and is used today by the Marylebone Cricket Club. Of course, new grandstands have been built at the facility over the past 200 years, but several of the buildings at the facility are exactly as they were when they were inaugurated – both inside and out. The positive experience was enhanced by a very good performance – in pouring rain – by the three Danish archers: Maja Jager, Carina Rosenvinge Christiansen and Louise Laursen, who in the first round of the team competition defeated India by the smallest possible margin 211-210. A few hours later, it unfortunately resulted in an honorable defeat in the quarter-finals against the Olympic gold medalists from South Korea. The Danish team’s international class was confirmed the following year at the World Championship in Turkey, where it became WC bronze medals for the team and a sensational World Championship for Maja Jager from Noerre Broby – an achievement which deservedly secured the only 22-year-old the title as “Best Danish Sport Performance 2013”.

Jonas Høgh-Christensen – from “Talent of the Year in Danish Sport” to double World Champion

Another strong Olympic memory came a few days later in the port town of Weymouth, where the Olympic sailing competitions were held. The Dinghy sailor Jonas Høegh-Christensen, who participated in the Olympics for the third time, was one of Denmark’s absolute biggest Olympic medal candidates. Jonas showed an early talent for sailing in various types of boat classes and in 2003 the KDY sailor was named “Talent of the Year in Danish sports”. A few years later, Jonas won his first World Championship for the dinghies, which was repeated at home in 2009. The 2008 Olympics in Qingdao, with a 6th place, was a disappointment for the ambitious sailor, who, alongside the sport, graduated from Copenhagen Business School. However, an Olympic medal was “missing” on “Høghen’s” CV, so a comeback at the 2012 Olympics was imminent.

An Olympic drama in Weymouth Bay

Jonas started the initial 10 Olympic sailings in impressive fashion with three first places, two second places and a seventh place as the worst place among the 24 competitors. Prior to the final “medal race”, Jonas led by 2 points ahead of arch-rival Ben Ainslie from Great Britain and was thus certain of one Olympic medal – but of which carat? The medal race – on Sunday afternoon in front of 18,000 enthusiastic Britons on the slopes at Weymouth – became one of the most intense sports competitions that I have experienced “live”. Ainslie and Jonas fought fiercely – man against man – for every single meter on the course during the entire medal race. The two world-class athletes finished with exactly the same number of points, but Ainslie won the gold medal due to best placing in the medal race. The gold medal was Ben Ainslie’s 5 Olympic medals – 4 of which were gold – which meant that he captured the title of the most winning Olympic sailor from the Danish sailing legend Poul Elvstrøm, who won a total of 4 Olympic gold medals. Jonas was of course very disappointed in the hours after the Olympic gold was “missed”, but in the evening the Olympic silver medal was celebrated at a nice dinner at a good restaurant in Weymouth together with the other Danish Olympic sailors, the staff, family members and friends.

Third PL gold medal in a row for the sympathetic Dane

Athletics finals at the Olympic Stadium are something completely unique. One such night was also Sunday 2 September 2012, when Jackie Tony Christiansen was to try to win his third Paralympic gold medal in the shot put. Jackie had his left lower leg amputated as a 17-year-old, but soon at a sports camp for young disabled people he wanted to compete in the throwing disciplines – shot put and discus throw. The Paralympics debut came already in 2000 and four years later he won PL gold medal in the shot put and PL silver medal in the discus throw in Athens. Furthermore, it resulted in countless World Championship and European Championship medals in both disciplines from 2001 onwards. Where the margins in international competitions are often microscopic, the 35-year-old likeable from Aarhus was absolutely superb at the 2012 Paralympics with a winning throw of 18.16 meters – almost 4 meters longer than silver medalist Darko Kralj from Croatia and Aled Davids from Great Britain. It was very emotional – not only for Jackie – to experience the Danish flag going to the top and hearing the national anthem in front of 65,000 spectators in the Olympic stadium and millions of television viewers around the globe. Likewise, it was life-affirming and epoch-making to experience the 2012 Paralympics hosts and, not least, the joy and enthusiasm of the British for parasport over 12 days.

Many thanks to Maja, Carina, Louise, Jonas, Jackie and all other 2012 Olympic and Paralympic athletes for magical moments. And many thanks to London for British humor and eminent hosting.

Sources:

James Bond and The Queen London 2012 Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AS-dCdYZbo&list=RD1AS-dCdYZbo&index=1

Olympic Games London 2012: https://olympics.com/en/olympic-games/london-2012

London 2012 Paralympic Games: https://www.paralympic.org/london-2012

 

Holmenkollen – the ski jump hill and ski stadium in northwest Oslo – has a special place in the hearts of many Norwegians. The same has the 32-year-old Marte Olsbu Røiseland, who in recent years has been the world’s most successful female biathlete. On Sunday late in the afternoon, the likable biathlete’s fantastic career will end precisely at “Kollen” in front of more than 50,000 spectators in the stadium and along the track in Nordmarka, as well as millions of TV viewers all over the world, who are following the season’s last World Cup in biathlon.

Unique desire to compete and improve

Marte Olsbu was born on 7 December 1990 in Arendal in the southern part of Norway, where she found an early interest and joy in sports. However, it wasn’t until she was 14 years that Marte started practicing biathlon, and during her teenage years there was no indication that she would become the world’s best biathlete. Admission to Sirdal upper secondary school and, not least, the meeting with Roger Grubben, who was a teacher at the school and has been her coach throughout her career, had a decisive impact on Marte’s sporting and personal development. It was also in this environment that Marte met Sverre Røiseland, who was a very talented biathlete and who in 2018 became Marte’s spouse. Today, Sverre Røiseland is the national coach for the best German biathletes. In her youth, Marte showed dexterous shooting skills, but her skills as a cross-country runner were miles away from her competitors, both in Norway and internationally. On the other hand, Marte’s desire to compete and improve was completely unique.

World Championships 2016: Gold with a margin of 5 seconds after 24 km

Marte Olsbu did not achieve any remarkable sporting results, neither in her youth nor in her first years as a senior biathlet. As a 21-year-old, she debuted in the World Cup back in the 2012-2013 season, but over several seasons she had great difficulty in achieving top 10 positions, both at the World Championships and World Cups. In connection with a visit to Norwegian School of Sport Sciences and Olympiatoppen, I was lucky to experience Marte Olsbu’s international breakthrough at the World Championships 2016 at Holmenkollen. On a beautiful sunny day in March, Marte Olsbu had to run the last leg of the Norwegian relay team (4 x 6 km) in tough competition with the big favorites from France and Germany. The race between the French Marie Dorin Habert, who won a total of 6 WC medals in Oslo, and Marte Olsbu in front of 40,000 enthusiastic spectators is still sharp in my memories today. Less than 5 seconds separated the two world-class athletes after 24 km with Olsbu as the winner.

“Late bloomer” – International breakthrough as a 27-year-old

Olsbu Røiseland’s status as a “late bloomer” – an athlete who develops and achieves the best results much later than competitors of the same age – was confirmed by her Olympic debut at the age of 27 years at the 2018 Winter Olympics, where he won two silver medals in the sprint and the mix relay together with Tiril Eckhoff, Emil Hegle Svendsen and Johannes Thingnes Boe. Likewise, Olsbu Røiseland only won its first individual World Cup victory in December 2018. Today the number of individual World Cup victories stands at 17 – the most recent two in Nové Mesto in the Czech Republic less than 3 weeks ago.

“Champion of Champions 2020”

The World Championships 2020 in Anterselva di Mezzo in Italy was the biggest sporting triumph for Marte Olsbu Røiseland, as she became the first biathlete ever to win 7 WC medals – 5 gold and 2 bronze – out of a possible 7. Among other things, she won WC gold in the sprint, pursuit start and mass start. A fantastic performance, which resulted in Marte Olsbu Røiseland being named the world’s best female athlete in 2020 – “Champion of Champions” – by the French sports magazine L’Equipe. She thus became the first biathlete – both for men and women – and the first athlete from Norway to achieve the distinguished honor. Olsbu Røiseland thus also became a member of a particularly exclusive “club” consisting of tennis player Serena Williams, swimmer Katie Ledecky and gymnast Simone Biles – all from the USA.

Winter Olympics 2022 most winning athlete

The 2022 Winter Olympics was also a historic milestone for Marte Olsbu Røiseland with a total of 5 Olympic medals: 3 gold (sprint, pursuit start and mixed relay) and 2 bronze (individual and mass start). The total number of Olympic medals was thus brought up to a total of 7. After the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Olsbu Røiseland continued to show great form and she thus also became a supreme winner of the overall World Cup in the 2021-2022 season.

Great comeback after illness

Last summer, Olsbu Røiseland was unfortunately affected by a viral disease, which meant that she was prevented from this season’s first four competitions of the World Cup. In January, however, she was back at the World Cup in Ruhpolding and at the World Championships 2023 in Oberhof in mid-February it was a gold medal in both the mixed relay and the single relay as well as a bronze medal in the pursuit start. With this, Olsbu Røiseland reached a total of 17 World Champoionship medals, of which no fewer than 13 were gold. Regardless of the results of this week’s World Cup at “Kollen”, the friendly and humble “biathlon queen” from Froland IF will always stand as a fantastic ambassador for Norwegian winter sports. Many thanks for all the experiences – Marte!

You can get further information about biathlon here:

International Biathlon Union – https://www.biathlonworld.com

Norway versus rest of the World (26. January 2021) – https://ma57.dk/en/norway-versus-rest-of-the-world

Biathlon – the most fascinating sport at the 2022 Winter Olympics (1. February 2022) – https://ma57.dk/en/biathlon-the-most-fascinating-sport-at-the-2022-winter-olympics

Are the Winter Olympics possible in the future (9. January 2023) – https://ma57.dk/en/are-the-winter-olympics-possible-in-the-future

“I’m just not passionate about life as an elite athlete anymore. It requires a lot of dedication and I have always wanted to be the best in the world, but if you don’t give one hundred percent and are passionate about it, it won’t happen. It’s also a lot of pressure you put on yourself as an elite athlete, and now that I haven’t had that pressure while I’ve been injured, I feel much better in my everyday life, so I also prioritized making the decision to stop in relation to my mental health. These are not thoughts that have only come to me now while I have been injured. I have thought about being a professional elite athlete, and whether it has been something for me, for several periods, and it has taken up to the last four to five months. It has been the most difficult decision of my life, but I am confident in my case and rest well in the decision. In any case, I have to study full-time, and I haven’t tried that before. I have only tried it half-time because badminton has also filled me up a lot. I now have the time and energy to be with friends and family, and now I also have the opportunity to be more impulsive, and I want to practice that. Everything has been structured for me so far, so it will be a fun challenge”.

Elite sports have both a front side and a back side

This is how the 22-year-old Freja Ravn expressed herself in a press release from Badminton Denmark a few weeks ago. She has experienced both the “front side” of elite sports – international titles and European Championship gold medals as a senior player, and the “back side” in the form of a serious cruciate knee injury since she won her first Danish Championship title as a youth player at the age of 13. Freja Ravn’s career stop in elite sports was only mentioned in very few media, but the content of her honest statements should be noted – not only by journalists, but also by elite and talent coaches, managers, parents and everyone else with an interest in elite sports. Her story points to an inappropriate elite culture, where very elitist training and competition environments for senior athletes are all too often uncritically copied into environments for children and youth, which can damage the talent’s well-being and motivation in the long term.

The age of majority is absolutely decisive for the rights and duties of elite athletes

Also in elite sports, it is appropriate to distinguish between the rights and duties of children and youth under the age of 18 and adults who have reached the age of 18. The legal age of 18 means that the parents of a talent have the right and duty to “protect” the talent against breaking the law, unethical behavior and actions that create dissatisfaction and bad social relations for the talent or the team. This means that every youth and talent coach should be in close dialogue with both the youth and the parents to ensure a safe and sustainable training and competition environment. For elite athletes who are 18 years old and thus of legal age, things are different. Elite athletes over the age of 18 can independently and voluntarily enter into binding agreements with clubs and federations, which oblige the elite athletes in specific areas such as e.g. place of residence, everyday life and holiday activities, alcohol, diet, smoking and weighing. For elite athletes over the age of 18, there should always be a written contract – both at club and federation level – in my opinion, which describes the rights and duties of the parties. In addition, the cooperation between the parties must take place in accordance with the Elite Sports Act. If one of the parties violates one or more points of the contract, this should of course have consequences in the form of a warning, fine, quarantine, exclusion or termination of cooperation.

Elite sports at international senior level is a very special arena

The legal age of 18 can hopefully also sharpen the attention of clubs and federations to the fact that there should be different objectives, training methods, forms of competition, expert assistance and much more for children and young people – including the most talented – in relation to elite athletes over 18. Unfortunately, it happens all too often, both in Danish and international elite sports, that behaviour, language, ethics and attitudes from very elitist training and competition environments for senior athletes are “copied” uncritically into talent environments for children and young people. Elite sport at international senior level is indeed a special arena, where selection, opt-out, frustration, lack of motivation, serious injuries, conflicts and hard training wear without satisfactory sporting results are also part of reality. For these reasons, opting out of elite sports may be the right solution for some, both in the short and long term.

Weighing in football of children and youth under the age of 18 should not take place

DR’s documentary broadcast “Soccer’s invisible diseases” has in recent weeks created a debate about weight, eating disorders, depression and unhappiness in Danish women’s football. “Public” weighing is of course completely legitimate in sports such as wrestling, boxing, judo and rowing (lightweight), where weighing is part of the sport’s rules – also for children and young people under 18 years of age. For elite athletes over the age of 18, in many sports – including league and national teams in football and handball – it can be particularly appropriate to use weighing as part of performance optimization, both in relation to training, matches and tournaments. Whether weighing is included as part of the contractual relationship between player and club or federation, the two parties decide independently and sovereignly. For children and young people under the age of 18 – who are not of legal age – weighing in sports such as football and handball with many, complex performance factors should not take place in my opinion. For youth players, there are far more important physical factors – such as endurance, speed, resilience, coordination and balance – than the player weighs 1/2 or 2 kilos too much or slightly.

Elite athletes often have a strong mental health profile

Less than two years ago, a research project from the University of Southern Denmark focused on the mental health and well-being of Danish elite athletes. And a number of conclusions are worth highlighting. Firstly, Danish elite athletes have the same mental health and well-being as the population as a whole. Secondly, there are significant differences in the mental health and well-being of female and male elite athletes in different sports. Thirdly, Danish elite athletes have the same mental health and well-being profile as elite athletes in e.g. Sweden, Australia, Switzerland, Germany and Great Britain. And finally, fourth – and most important – almost 2/3 (64%) of Danish elite athletes have a “strong mental health profile”, 30% of elite athletes have a “moderate mental health profile” and only a modest minority (6%) – can are categorized as elite athletes with a “weak mental health profile”. These elite athletes show a high degree of unhappiness, sleep less and experience stressful situations to a much greater extent, both in elite sports, in education and in private life. Some of these will probably sooner or later opt out of a continued life as an elite athlete. It is of course very important – not least for the coach in everyday training – to focus on these elite athletes and not least the challenges and dilemmas they face in training, competitions, education, work or everyday life. And sometimes it is basically about people who have personality traits that simply do not “fit” into the selective and demanding structure of elite sports.

Elite sports provide skills that are valuable in life

I think that Freja Ravn as an elite athlete has had a “strong mental health profile”. And then I am convinced that she has really good chances to complete an education as a lawyer, become a competent and valued employee and not least to have a good and meaningful life outside of elite sports – not least because of her experiences, skills and experience, which she has in her “backpack” from elite sports.

Sources: 

Andreas Küttel, Andreas Koefoed Petersen & Carsten Hvid Larsen: ”To Flourish or Languish, that is the question: Exploring the mental health profiles of Danish elite athletes” (Psychology of Sport & Exercise, No. 52 – 2021).

The mental health of Danish elite athletes is neither better nor worse than the population as a whole – https://ma57.dk/en/the-mental-health-of-danish-elite-athletes-is-neither-better-nor-worse-than-the-population-as-a-whole

 

The daytime temperature in Ruhpolding – a village with 6,500 inhabitants 75 km south-east of Munich – has been 10-16 degrees in recent weeks. And at night there have been no sub-zero temperatures, so all precipitation has fallen as rain and not snow. The last snowfall in the area was more than 3 weeks ago. For that reason, the upcoming International Biathlon (IBU) World Cup in biathlon at the “Chiemgau Arena” with 25,000 spectators in the stands and along the cross-country tracks can be a “mixed pleasure” for the 200 biathletes who will compete in the individual start (Wednesday and Thursday), the relay (Friday: men and Saturday: women) and the mass start (Sunday). Since the mid-1960s, Ruhpolding has hosted annual IBU World Cups and no fewer than 4 World Championships in biathlon – most recently in 2012. Ruhpolding has thus played a major role in biathlon being the second most popular sport in Germany – second only to football.

Man-made climate change has huge costs

It was not until the 1980s that the frightening perspectives of man-made climate change began to seriously gain attention among researchers, the media and politicians. The primary cause of climate change has been an extreme emission of greenhouse gases, especially CO2, by the world’s richest countries, which has warmed the atmosphere, oceans and land all over the globe. Consequences of global warming have been – and continue to be – numerous: the weather is becoming more extreme with more violent storms and major floods, drought, desertification, forest fires, water shortages and failed harvests. The ice is melting in the mountains and at the North and South Poles, the water level in the oceans is rising, plants and animals are dying out because they cannot adapt to the new conditions, and millions of people – especially in Africa, South America and Asia – are being forced into climate change.

Hosting of the 2030 Winter Olympics has been postponed indefinitely

International elite sports are also “victims” of climate change, especially winter sports such as alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined and biathlon. Climate change is also the reason why the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has postponed the decision on the awarding of the host for the Winter Olympics 2030 indefinitely. The decision on hosting in the Winter Olympics 2030 was originally supposed to take place at the upcoming IOC session in June 2023, but the global climate challenges have meant that the IOC is considering introducing minimum requirements for both average temperature and snow depth for future host cities. At present, there are only two serious bids to host the 2030 Winter Olympics: Sapporo in Japan and Salt Lake City in the United States – both cities which have previously (2002 and 1998) hosted the Winter Olympics.

Great need for radical changes

Recent years’ data and analyzes from research institutions – in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Canada and the United States – has clearly shown that there is a great need for radical changes if winter sports such as alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined and biathlon are to “survive”, both for top athletes and everyone else who finds joy and pleasure in winter sports. Global warming has meant that in 25 years more than half of former Winter Olympic host cities will not be able to hold outdoor skiing competitions. Personally, I experienced both at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi that the top athletes in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, freestyle and biathlon were severely challenged by far too high temperatures, too little and far too “soft” snow.

Everyone has responsibilities – including the IOC and the international federations

The climate challenges of the future can only be solved by radical actions, which must be implemented as soon as possible. Every single person, company and nation all over the globe has a great responsibility for the emission of CO2 to be greatly reduced in the coming years. Of course, the responsibility also rests with the IOC and the international federations, which should “lead the way” as role models by setting concrete objectives and actions for climate improvements. The IBU has taken climate challenges seriously by adopting an ambitious objective and strategy – “IBU Sustainability Strategy 2020-2030” – which commits the IBU to address sustainability in five different areas: Climate, sport, people, facility and event, communication and awareness. The IBU’s climate goal is to reduce CO2 in accordance with the climate goals of the Paris Agreement and to be climate neutral as a sport by 2030 at the latest.

Deep concern among world-class biathlon athletes

World-class biathlon athletes are deeply concerned about the future of their sport due to climate change. The number of training days per season with satisfactory weather conditions has been significantly reduced in recent years. More and more World Cups take place with the help of large amounts of “artificial snow” and high temperatures – also in countries such as Sweden and Norway – conditions which give unfair competitive advantages to the first biathletes on the cross-country tracks. Several top athletes such as Dorothea Wierer (Italy), Emilien Jacquelin (France) and Sebastian Samuelsen (Sweden) have also begun to question the biathletes’ air transport around Europe within fewer and fewer weeks.

The 2026 Winter Olympics at Europe’s highest biathlon arena

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held with Milan in Northern Italy as the host city. Most skiing competitions are held in Cortina d’Ampezzo and Livigno, while biathlon is held in Antholz-Anterselva, which three years ago hosted the World Championships and which often hosts IBU World Cups. “Arena Alto Adige” is located at an altitude of 1,600 meters and thus the highest arena in Europe. I’m sure the world-class biathletes will have really good conditions at the 2026 Winter Olympics – but then what?

Sources:

International Biathlon Union – https://www.biathlonworld.com

Natalie Knowles, Daniel Scott & Robert Steiger: Winter sports and climate change I: Sport and Environmental Sustainability – Research and Strategic Management. Edited by Greg Dingle & Chryl Mallen (Routledge, 2020).

Sven Schneider & Hans-Guido Mücke: Sport and climate change – how will climate change affect sport? I: German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research (2021) https://doi.org/10.1007/s12662-021-00786-8

Scott, R. Steiger, M. Rutty & P. Johnson: The future of the Olympic Winter Games in an era of climate change. I: Current Issues in Tourism (Routledge, 2015) – https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2014.887664

The FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar is the last international sporting event of the year. And with Denmark’s worst World Cup result ever, it is now possible to evaluate the Danish athletes’ and team’s results in the past 12 months. The Sports Confederation of Denmark, Team Denmark and the media will probably highlight a number of world-class performances in the coming weeks, but several Olympic sports such as sailing, rowing, badminton and swimming have far from achieved satisfactory results this year.

Comparative analyzes of elite sports are complex

It is difficult to prepare comparative analyzes of the individual nations’ results in elite sports. This is primarily due to a number of methodological challenges: Which Olympic and non-Olympic sports should be included in the analysis? Which international competitions – World Championships and European Championships, World Cups and special events such as Grand Slam tournaments in tennis, Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta e Espana in cycling, Formula 1 in motorsport or the PGA Tour in golf – should the analysis include? How should the weighting of medals – gold, silver and bronze – be in relation to top-6, top-8 or top-10 positions? How should the analysis compare sports with many disciplines such as rowing, cycling and swimming with sports with only one discipline such as handball and ice hockey? And must the various sports such as football, athletics, skateboarding and climbing weighted differently or equally in relation to the individual sports’ international prestige, economy, media coverage or something else?

Several unique world-class performances

In my opinion, the greatest Danish sporting performances in 2022 have been Jonas Vingegård’s Tour de France victory, Viktor Axelsen and Anne-Marie Rindom’s World Championships in badminton and sailing, as well as the dressage national team’s team gold medal and Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour’s silver medal at the World Championships at home in Herning. With this year’s WC titles, both Axelsen and Rindom have established themselves as the biggest Danish sports profiles of the past decade, with Olympic gold medals (2020), Olympic bronze medals (2016) and related two and three WC gold medals. And the two world-class athletes are – together with the track riders, the dressage riders and the two national handball teams – currently among Denmark’s strongest Olympic medal candidates in Paris 2024. The wrestler Turpal Bisultanov (WC silver medal), who has not yet obtained Danish citizenship and the two EC medals in team handball should also be mentioned as strong sporting performances in 2022. Finally, it will be exciting in the future to follow the only 19-year-old tennis player Holger Rune, who has worked his way into the world’s top 10 in record time. This year’s 9 WC medals in Olympic disciplines are satisfactory, whereas the number of top-8 ranking points is surprisingly low.

A top-8 position at the World Championships is a good indicator of world class

The top-8 position at the World Championships is a good indicator of athletes and teams that are close to the fight for medals. It is also the indicator used by many nations’ Olympic Committees when awarding direct and indirect support to athletes, teams and federations. Top-8 ranking points are also used by the Danish Institute for Sports Studies (Idan), which, in addition to the number of WC medals in Olympic disciplines, uses world rankings (e.g. in tennis, golf, swimming and athletics) or European Championship (handball) this year without holding the World Championships in order to better compare all years.

Lowest top-8 ranking points in more than a decade

Danish athletes and teams have only achieved 87 top-8 ranking points in Olympic disciplines, which is the lowest number of points in more than a decade. The number of top-8 ranking points has usually been 120-140 in the past decade, with 151 ranking points in 2012 as the record year. There are a surprising number of Olympic sports – e.g. sailing, rowing, badminton and swimming – which this year have delivered (far) below average results. These sports are historically associated with many Olympic and World Championship medals. For that reason, it is also sports where Team Denmark “invests” a great deal of support kroner. All four confederations – Danish Sailing Union, Danish Rowing Federation, Badminton Denmark and Danish Swimming – receive DKK 6-8 million annually in support from Team Denmark. This year’s results in these federations should give rise to critical evaluations and, not least, targeted actions towards Olympic qualification, which in the vast majority of sports will take place in 2023.

Worse international ranking than Lithuania, Estonia and Slovakia

The extremely modest number of top-8 ranking points is also reflected in Denmark’s ranking on international comparative analyses, such as “Greatest Sporting Nations” and “World Sport Ranking”. Denmark is ranked this year as No. 44 among all the world’s more than 200 nations and as No. 25 in relation to number of inhabitants on the “Greatest Sporting Nations”, which includes 98 Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines. The rankings are significantly worse than both 2014 (No. 34 and No. 14) and 2018 (No. 31 and No. 12), which are the most relevant comparative years. The ranking as number 25 in relation to the number of inhabitants also means that in 2022 Denmark is placed worse on the international ranking than nations such as Lithuania, Estonia and Slovakia.

Great focus on Olympic qualification in 2023

Both DIF, Team Denmark and the Olympic federations currently have great focus on Olympic qualification for Paris 2024, which for many top athletes are the “dream target” and for the individual federations the most important “exam” in relation to future financial support from both Team Denmark and commercial partners. There is no doubt that international competition in virtually all sports is significantly sharpened. If Denmark is to achieve a double-digit number of Olympic medals, which at the two recent Olympic Games, the results – especially of the second best athletes and teams in many federations – must be significantly better in 2023 than in the past year.

 

You can get further information on the following websites:

Greatest Sporting Nations – https://greatestsportingnation.com

World Sport Ranking – https://www.worldsportranking.info

The Danish Institute for Sports Studies – https://www.idan.dk/udgivelser/danske-eliteresultater-2021

Team Denmark – https://www.teamdanmark.dk

Olympic Qualification 2024 – https://olympics.com/en/news/paris-2024-olympic-games-how-do-athletes-qualify

The interaction between brain and body is strangely and in elite sports it is crucial. This realization became clear to me more than four decades ago when I met Lars-Eric Uneståhl from Örebro University, who was a supervisor on a seminar for table tennis coaches, where I was among the participants.

Pioneer with visions and passion

Lars-Eric Uneståhl, who is now 84 years old and remains head of the “Scandinavian International University”, was a former elite athlete and in the late 1960s was educated as a clinical psychologist with a PhD thesis on hypnosis and posthypnotic suggestion. In the following years, Uneståhl began to work closely with some of Sweden’s best national teams and top athletes, including world table tennis champion Stellan Bengtsson. Uneståhl asked Bengtsson to “imagine” that he played the 1971 World Championship final “inside his head” with closed eyes resting on a sofa. It turned out that there was a direct link between the images that Bengtsson “evoked” in the brain and the reactions in his muscles. It was this type of “experiments” which was the background for Uneståhl’s development of mental training. And which opened the eyes of more and more athletes and coaches to the fact that “reality” is not only what happens, but also how we perceive and react to what happens. Lars-Eric Uneståhl was also – as the only sports psychologist – associated with the Swedish Olympic Committee, i.a. at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. Over the past five decades, Uneståhl’s professional knowledge, programs and models have not only gained traction in elite sports, but also in schools and educational institutions, in business and healthcare, both in and outside of Sweden. Over the years, Uneståhl has published 20 books, more than 200 scientific articles and a large number of mental training programs in a number of different languages.

A new team with high professionalism

It was not least my meeting with Lars-Eric Uneståhl and personal experiences with top athletes and teams at international championships, which were the decisive factors for prioritizing Team Denmark’s work with sports psychology almost 15 years ago. Both Team Denmark and many federations had certainly used sports psychology for a number of years in training and at international championships, but this usually happened randomly and unsystematically. In the years leading up to and during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, more than 30 “sports psychologists” were employed with very different professional qualifications and experience – often with very few weekly hours or as “psychological advisers” at the Olympic Games, World Championships or European Championships. There was no – or at least extremely limited – knowledge sharing or networking between the “sports psychologists”. We therefore decided that “… the sports psychology efforts must be strengthened in 2009-2012 with the aim of ensuring to a greater extent that Danish athletes obtain the right mental tools to be able to train and perform optimally at the highest international level. The sports psychology concept has a particular focus on the performance-promoting and practically applicable sports psychology”. The concept focused on three main issues: Mental training, coaching and dialogues as well as psychological assistance, e.g. in connection with injuries and crises. The concept had to be targeted at both athletes and coaches and implemented in daily training. For that reason, talks, supervision and mental training of both athletes and coaches were significantly prioritized in the following years.

Evidence-based knowledge from international research

In autumn 2008, Jakob Hansen, Kristoffer Henriksen, Greg Diment and Louise Sonne Schjellerup were employed as sports psychology consultants in Team Denmark. And together with team leader Jens Meibom, they were given the responsibility of preparing a concept based on evidence-based knowledge from international research. Likewise, the team had to prepare specific concepts and models for the individual sports. It was absolutely essential that the four sports psychology consultants had professional education at a high level, at least a 5-year Master’s degree. It was also a great advantage for the development of the field that the Department of Sports and Biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark at the same time established a research unit “Learning & Talent in Sport” and later a master’s degree: “Competitive and elite sports” with sports psychology is one of the most central subjects. In addition, the sports psychology consultants had to have at least 5 years of practical experience with elite sports, either as an athlete or coach. Finally, it was a great professional strength that Greg Diment could contribute knowledge and experience from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), which for decades has been one of the world’s strongest professional environments within applied sports psychology.

Professional knowledge, experience from practice and a strong network

In recent years, more and more federations, clubs and local elite sport organizations have employed professional experts in applied sports psychology, which has led to a significant improvement in the quality of Danish elite sport. Greg Diment and Kristoffer Henriksen are still employed as sports psychology consultants in Team Denmark, which has also continuously hired new employees in the field and, not least, further developed concepts, models and cooperation relationships with athletes, coaches and sports managers. There is no associated authorization – with formal legal requirements – in relation to working as a “sports psychologist”, which e.g. is applicable to doctors, chiropractors and physiotherapists. The purpose of such an authorization is to strengthen patient safety and promote the quality of these professionals’ services. Authorization is not mandatory in order to work as a psychologist, but in certain areas of work, e.g. preparation of psychological examinations of children requires an authorization as a psychologist. Anyone can use the title “sports psychologist” or “sports psychology consultant”. However, all clubs, federations and local elite sport organizations should ensure at least 3 special skills when hiring a sports psychology consultant. Firstly, a solid professional education at least master’s degree with a particular focus on sports psychology. Secondly, several years of practical experience as an athlete or coach – and preferably experience from different sports. And thirdly, the sports psychology consultant should be part of a strong network, where new inspiration and knowledge sharing are a high priority. It may possibly be a national network such as the “Danish Sports Psychology Forum” or international organizations such as the “European Federation of Sport Psychology” or the “International Society of Sport Psychology”. In addition, the sports psychology consultant must be willing to work closely with the other professional experts: the doctor, the physiotherapist, the dietitian, the physical trainer, the sports manager and of course the (head) coach, who has the overall responsibility for the daily training – for the joy and benefit for the athlete and the team.

You can read more here:

Team Danmark – sportspsykologi – https://www.teamdanmark.dk/performance/sportspsykologi

Scandinavian International University – https://www.unestahl.com

Dansk Idrætspsykologisk Forum – http://xn--danskidrtspsykologiskforum-6ic.dk

European Federation of Sport Psychology – https://fepsac.com

International Society of Sport Psychology – https://www.issponline.org