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Biathlon is a fascinating sport that is among the most popular at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The sport consists of the ski discipline cross-country skiing and precision shooting with a rifle. The combination of many different skills of biathletes – endurance, speed, strategy, precision and concentration – includes dramas such as changing leads between athletes and 10-15 biathletes as potential medal winners. Biathlon is on the Olympic program with a total of 11 disciplines: 5 for each gender (sprint, individual, pursuit, mass and relay) and one mix relay with two biathletes of each gender. All disciplines are characterized by the biathletes running several laps over a certain distance – typically between 7.5 and 20 km – and several times along the way the biathletes fire 5 shots at 50 meters, either in a lying or standing position. The diameter of the disc is 45 millimeters for horizontal shots and 115 millimeters for vertical shots.

Norway, France, Russia and Sweden are among the strongest nations

Germany was the most winning nation in biathlon at the 2018 Winter Olympics with a total of 7 medals (3 gold, one silver and 3 bronze medals), but the two world-class athletes – Laura Dahlmeier and Arnd Peiffer – have now suspended their careers, which has minimized Germany’s medal potentials marked. It will instead be Norway or France who win the most medals in biathlon at the upcoming Winter Olympics. But Russia, which has especially good male biathletes, and Sweden, which has especially good female biathletes, can also seriously interfere in the battle for the Olympic medals.

Norway – Marte Olsbu Røiseland as the biggest medal favorite

In recent seasons, Norway has been by far the world’s best nation at the World Championships and World Cups, both for women and men. But this season, world-class athletes such as Tarjei Bø, Vetle Sjåstad Christiansen, Sturla Holm Lægreid and not least Johannes Thingnes Bø, who have won the World Cup the last 3 seasons, have not follow up to the results of recent seasons. Before the 2022 Winter Olympics, it has “only” been 3 Norwegian WC-victories out of 15 possible in the males competions. One of the reasons for the modest number of victories may be a purposeful and strategic training planning with the 2022 Winter Olympics as the season’s highest priority competition. Among the female Norwegian biathletes, 31-year-old Marte Olsbu Røiseland has shown impressive form at the 6 World Cups that have been held so far. Olsbu Røiseland, who comes from Arendal in the southern part of Norway, has in the last three seasons marked herself as one of the world’s best female biathletes, not least at the World Championships 2020, where she became the first biathlete ever to win 7 WC medals – 5 gold and 2 bronze – out of 7 possible. This season, Olsbu Røiseland has won 6 individual WC races and she is the big favorite to win the season’s overall World Cup. I think the sympathetic Norwegian will be one of the most winning athletes at the upcoming Winter Olympics.

France – the legacy of Martin Fourcarde

In recent seasons, it has been very difficult for the French biathletes to lift the legacy of the legend Martin Fourcarde, who won the overall World Cup 7 seasons in a row (2011/2012 – 2017/2018). But this season, France has impressed big at the World Cups, both among the men and the women. In men races, Quentin Fillon Mailet and Emilie Jacquelin in particular have shown good results. And with Simon Desthieux and Fabien Claude as teammates, France is among the favorites in the men’s 4 x 7.5 km relay. Also the French women – especially Julia Simon, Anais Bescond and Anais Chevalier-Bouchet – have achieved surprisingly good results this season. It will be very exciting to follow whether the French biathletes have “peaked their form” too soon and “used all the gunpowder” before the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Russia – in the shadow of the doping scandal in Sochi 

After the doping scandal at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, a heavy shadow rests over the Russian biathletes, where both the Russian relay team for women and men were subsequently deprived of their Olympic medals due to doping. Among the doped convicts were i.a. Alexander Loginov, who already as a junior won lots of World Cup medals – using illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Loginov was excluded from international competitions for 2 years and in the 2016-2017 season he was again back on the medal podium. The 30-year-old Russian is still a controversial athlete among his competitors from the other nations and several question his sporting metier, which includes i.a. 6 World Championship medals and 6 individual WC victories – most recently a few weeks ago in Oberhof. In addition to Loginov, Russia also has many world-class biathletes: Eduard Latypov, Maxim Tsvetkov, 22-year-old Daniil Serokhostov and 23-year-old Said Karimulla Khalili. A quartet that can seriously challenge Norway and France at the Kuyangshu Biathlon Center, where the men’s relay of 4 x 7.5 km will take place on Tuesday 15 February.

Sweden – Öberg sisters and “Seppe”

Sweden is also a winter sports nation with proud traditions and lots of World Championship and Olympic medals in biathlon. The Swedish biathletes won i.a. two gold and two silver medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. Especially the Olympic gold medals for the Swedish men in the relay won one of the Olympics’ biggest surprise – a triumph that has become very difficult to repeat in Beijing, where the biggest medal chances must be awarded to the two sisters: Hanna and Elvira Öberg, who live in Sweden winter sports mecca Östersund. The 26-year-old Hanna Öberg, who won individual Olympic gold in 2018 and to date has won 7 World Cup medals and 7 individual WC victories, has naturally been a role model for her little sister – 22-year-old Elvira – who is already one of the world’s very best biathlete. This season, there have been 3 individual WC victories and a preliminary ranking as No. 2 in the overall World Cup – surpassed only by sovereign Marte Olsbu Røiseland from Norway. In addition to the Öberg sisters, it will also be exciting to follow the 24-year-old Sebastian “Seppe” Samuelsen, who has also achieved good WC results that season. Samuelsen, together with Benedikt Doll from Germany and Anton Smolski from Belarus, are the most obvious to challenge the biathletes from Norway, France, and Russia. Among the women, it will be Dzinara Alimbekava and Hanna Sola from Belarus, Lise Theresa Hauser from Austria, and the Italian veteran Dorothea Wierer, who have the greatest chances against the strong biathletes from Norway, Sweden, and France. Thus, lots of equal and intense competitions are planned when the mix relay is held as the Olympics’ first biathlon discipline on Saturday 5 February 2022 in the mountains outside Beijing.

You can find relevant information about biathlon at the 2022 Winter Olympics on these websites:

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There are moments in one’s life that can be quickly and easily drawn out on the retina. Among such moments in my life are several from the Paralympic Games: Peter Rosenmeier’s 3-1 final victory in set against German Daniel Arnold at Beijing University Gymnasium with enthusiastic 5,000 spectators at PL 2008 in Beijing, Annika Lykke Dalskov’s two bronze medals in dressage at Greenwich Park and Jackie Christiansen’s superb 18.16-meter shot put – almost 4 meters longer than the nearest competitors – at Queen Elizabeth Stadium with more than 70,000 spectators at the PL 2012 in London. These sporting achievements were impressive, but it was more the immediate delight and pride of Peter, Annika and Jackie that stuck as moments in the “archive of memories”. In the years prior to the PL medals, I had gotten to know the three parathletes as ambitious and skilled athletes, but also as open and friendly people, who had now achieved a visible and concrete reward for the many training hours and the numerous deprivations in relation to family and friends: A medal at the Paralympic Games – one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

Jubilæumsbog med stor indsigt og skarpt udsyn

Peter Rosenmeier, Annika Lykke Dalskov and Jackie Christiansen are just a few of the many parathletes who have represented Denmark at the Paralympic Games. “The Paralympic Games – seen through Danish eyes” (Syddansk Universitetsforlag, 2021) is the title of a new book published in connection with Parasport Denmark’s 50’th anniversary. The book is written by Jens Boe Nielsen, who has a master’s degree in Danish and P.E., former principal at Nørre Gymnasium and for a number of years national coach for Parasport Denmark’s swimming national team. Jens Boe Nielsen has for a long time also been a board member of Parasport Denmark and today he is deputy chairman. The author is thus one of Danish parasport’s absolute “heavyweights”, who has been very close to the parasport’s national and international development, both as sport, politically, organizationally and media-wise. The author’s great insight and sharp vision stand out clearly in the book, which contains both new knowledge and many exciting personal portraits. All supplemented by many impressive photos , which i.a. is provided by two of Denmark’s very best sports photographers: Preben B. Søborg (1943-2013), who had a big “heart for parasport” and Lars Møller.

Sir Ludwig Guttman – en “pioner” med stor faglig viden og visioner

The anniversary book documents Denmark’s participation in the Paralympic Games from shortly after World War II until the Winter PL 2018, which was held in Pyeongchang. Among the book’s most interesting chapters is the description of “The International Stoke Mandeville Games” (ISMG), which was initiated by the neurosurgeon Ludwig Guttman (1899-1980) and which became the “forerunner” of the Paralympic Games. Born in Poland, raised in Germany and fleeing to England in the late 1930’s, Sir Guttman set up a center for soldiers who had been injured during World War II with a broken back or paralysis in the legs. Guttman’s philosophy was that the injured person should move quickly with all muscles to optimize blood flow in the body and increase muscle mass. All forms of physical activity, including sports such as archery, throwing disciplines in athletics, netball, snooker and swimming, which were among the first games’ sports, could, according to Guttman’s philosophy, increase the quality of life of the disabled, both physically, mentally and socially. Guttman was thus a “pioneer” with great professional knowledge and visions for people who were born with a disability or who had been hit by an injury or accident during their lifetime.

International Stoke Mandeville Games – “the “forerunner” of the Paralympic Games

The number of participants and nations at the ISMG was modest until the end of the 1950’s, but from 1960 – when there were a total of 400 participants from 23 different nations – and onwards, the Paralympic Games really developed into a parallel to the Olympic Games. The first part of the book also contains a historical review of the formation of an international sports organization – “International Stoke Mandeville Games Foundation” (today International Paralympic Committee) – which over time included all groups of disabled: Mentally retarded, deaf, blind, spinal cord injured, spastic paralyzed and amputated. Likewise, ISMGF put more and more different sports on the competition program of the Paralympic Games and other championships and competitions.

Olympics and Paralympics – two equal sporting events

The main part of the anniversary book describes in chronological order the Paralympic Games from 1968 to 2018. A period in which Denmark has been represented at all PL, both summer and winter games. Each chapter contains a description of the host city and the status, framework and conditions of parasport in the host nation. One of the book’s most thought-provoking chapters is “1980 Arnhem, Holland”, which is designated as the host city, as “it was already clear in 1978 that the Soviet Union would not host the Games in 1980, even if they were to host the Olympics (1980 in Moscow) . According to the IPC, the Soviet Union announced that it had no disabled people with them. That is hardly true. The truth was probably that you did not have a tradition and that you did not have disability-friendly facilities that were suitable ”. Just as thought-provoking as the Soviet Union’s “absence” of parathletes is that the Paralympic Games are first held in connection with the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul in the same place, in the same facilities and with the same accommodation as the Olympic Games. Korea did this to the IOC at the Olympics five years earlier that there were two equal events, where helpers and technical judges were trained to be able to handle the disciplines at both the Olympics and the Paralympics. In this way, a new standard was created for the Paralympic Games, which also changed the media’s and many TV viewers’ perception of parasport and not least obliged all subsequent Olympic host cities in relation to the Paralympic Games.

Many exciting paratlet portraits – also outside the sports arena

The individual chapters also contain descriptions of the Danish delegation, both athletes, coaches, experts, helpers and leaders, and the results that Denmark achieved at the Paralympic Games. The chapters also contain exciting portraits of some of the most prominent Danish paratletes, such as Ingrid Lauridsen, Connie Hansen, John Petersson (today chairman of Parasport Denmark and boardmember of the International Paralympic Committee), Anne-Mette Bredahl, Henrik Jørgensen (today Henrik Woffinden), René Nielsen, Peter Lund Andersen and Daniel Wagner – portraits where the reader also gets an insight into the individual life stories outside the parasport.

Denmark – best Nordic nation at the Paralympic Games 2020

Parasport – both elite sports and physical activity for the disabled – has in recent decades become more and more widespread across the globe’s five continents. Of course, this development has also changed Denmark’s international position on the Paralympic Game’s sports rankings. At the 1984 Paralympic Games, Denmark achieved with 31 gold medals, 11 silver medals and 3 bronze medals its best ranking ever with an overall position as No. 11 in the Paralympic Game’s national competition. The 1984 Paralympic Games had the participation of a little more than 2,100 paratletes from 54 nations. For comparison, it can be mentioned the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, which due to the Covid-19 pandemic was settled in September 2021 had the participation of 4,400 paratletes from 162 nations. The Danish athletes won a total of 3 gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal, which gave a place as No. 40 in national competition – ahead of our Nordic neighbors from Norway (No. 47), Sweden (No. 50) and Finland (No. 52). Today, strong sports nations such as China, the United States, Great Britain, Russia, Australia, the Netherlands, Japan, Italy and France dominated the medal podium at the Paralympic Games – just like at the Olympic Games.

A well-deserved tribute and a personal comment

“The Paralympic Games – seen through Danish eyes” can be highly recommended, as the anniversary book is full of facts, dilemmas and personal statements. The book is – in the author’s words – “a tribute to all people who have participated, and to all the coaches, leaders, helpers, nurses, physiotherapists, etc., who have contributed to creating a framework and conditions for the parasport has been able to develop over time ”. Let me just add a personal comment in connection with Parasport Denmark’s 50’th anniversary: ​​The most friendly, positive and grateful athletes – like Peter, Annika and Jackie – coaches and leaders in Danish elite sports I have met in Parasport Denmark – keep up the good work in the next 50 years.

Further informations about international parasport

Parasport Danmark: https://parasport.dk/

International Paralympic Committee: https://www.paralympic.org/

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There is not necessarily a logical connection between the number of members and a federation’s sporting results. Danish ice hockey is an excellent example of these facts. The Danish Ice Hockey Union (DIU) has only registered a little more than 6,000 members in 17 clubs. In comparison, team sports such as football have registered 310,000 members (DBU), the Danish Handball Association (DHF) has registered 105,000 members, the Danish Basketball Association (DBF) has registered 17,000 members, while Volleyball Denmark has registered 16,000 members. Despite the modest number of players, Danish ice hockey has qualified both the men’s and women’s national teams for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing – one of the biggest surprises of the year in Danish elite sports.

Among the world’s 16 best nations for two decades

It was not until the 1970’s with the construction of indoor ice rinks in many municipalities that ice hockey became a popular sport in Denmark. It happened at the same time as several clubs began to “import” players and coaches from Canada, USA, Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Sweden. However, the development did not have much of an impact on the national team’s results, which only led to an anonymous existence in the C-group or the bottom of the B-group. However, that changed radically in 2002, when the men’s national team very surprisingly secured promotion to the A-group among 16 best nations. The debut at the A-WC 2003 in Finland resulted in a sensational 5-2 victory over the United States and 2-2 against the later world champions from Canada. Subsequently, the men’s national team has continuously managed to maintain status in the A-group with World Championship quarter-finals against Sweden in 2010 and Finland in 2016 as sporting highlights. The A-WC 2018 at home in Herning and Copenhagen was also a sporting highlight, where many enthusiastic spectators gave great media attention, both in Denmark and internationally. Likewise, the number of children under the age of 12 in several ice hockey clubs increased significantly after the A-WC in 2018.

Unique breakthrough for Danish women’s hockey

The vast majority – 5,200 players or more than 85% of the registered members of DIU – are boys under 18 or male senior players. The number of girls under the age of 18 who play ice hockey is a modest 600 and only a little more than 200 female senior players have been registered. Despite these facts, the women’s national team has achieved very good results, especially in the last two seasons. After a number of years in the B-group, in 2020 the women’s national team succeeds in qualifying for the A-WC 2021 in Canada, where, however, it was a defeat in all matches. The bottom two teams at A-WC 2021 would normally relegate to Group B, but relegation was suspended as the B-WC 2021 was not held due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This means that Denmark will host the A-WC 2022, which only consists of 10 nations, in the period August 26 – September 4 , where Frederikshavn is home to Denmark’s preliminary matches. The promotion to the A-WC was followed by a very surprising Olympic qualifier ahead of Germany (No. 8 in the world rankings), Austria and Italy in early November 2021. The Danish women’s national team is of course expecting some difficult Olympic matches against strong ice hockey nations like the Czech Republic (February 7) and Sweden (February 8), whereas the opening match against the host nation China (February 4) and Japan (February 5) in advance resembles equal matches.

The road to the NHL through Swedish youth hockey

Several of the player profiles on the women’s national team, such as Josefine Jakobsen (Djurgårdens IF), Nicole Søndergaard Jensen (Luleå HF) and Josefine Persson (Luleå HF) have for a number of years played for Swedish top clubs. Similarly, the vast majority of male players who have achieved a career as NHL players have had a shorter or longer period as youth players in Sweden. This applies i.a. the 37-year-old Frans Nielsen, who made his NHL debut in 2007 and scored more than 900 NHL appearances for New York Islanders and Detroit Red Wings. Nielsen received a large part of his education as a hockey player in Malmö Redhawks and Timrå IK. Also Danish top players like Mikkel Bødker, who played more than 700 NHL matches for i.a. Phoenix Coyotes and Ottawa Senators, Lars Eller, who in 2018 became the first Danish Stanley Cup winner with Washington Capitals and Frederik Andersen (Carolina Hurricanes), who today are among the NHL’s best goalkeepers, have benefited greatly from a stay as junior players at Frölunda HC in Gothenburg – the club that has developed the most NHL players in the world.

Targeted talent strategy, strong team spirit and “Swedish” playing style

There are many different reasons why a nation with as few registered players as Denmark can achieve such great success. Morten Green, who for a number of years played for Swedish elite league clubs such as Leksand IF, MODO Hockey and Malmö Redhawks and who so far has played the most national team matches – 316 – for Denmark, has the following explanations for the Danish national team’s success: “Both the Danish Ice Hockey Union and more Danish top clubs developed and implemented in the early 00’s targeted talent strategies, which were very useful for the development of the individual youth players, both physically, technically and tactically. There was also a really good team spirit, both on the U18, U20 and senior national team, where we liked to be together, both on and off the ice. There were not 80-100 potential players to choose from for the individual national teams as in big hockey nations like Sweden, Finland and Russia. It was maybe only 20-25, so we had to fight and work hard for each other. Finally, we had great pleasure from experienced head coaches from Sweden such as. Jim Brithén (1996-2001), Mikael Lundström (2001-2006), Per Bäckman (2008-2013) and Janne Karlsson (2013-2018), who all emphasized a solid organization in the defensive game and with room for individual attacking performances . Many of us knew the “Swedish” style of play and at the same time our “Swedish” head coaches had some really good human qualities that fit well with the mentality of Danish players “, says the captain, who played 19 World Championships in a row (1999 – 2017) – a record, which will probably never be surpassed.

The 2022 Winter Olympics – also a dream for the Danish NHL profiles

For all Danish hockey players – both Nielsen, Bødker, Ellers, Andersen and current NHL profiles such as 25-year-old Nikolaj Ehlers – who have already played almost 400 NHL games for the Winnipig Jets – and peers Oliver Bjorkstrand (Columbus Blue Jackets) it is a dream come true when the puck is thrown in the first Olympic match against the Czech Republic (February 9). The Czech Republic is of course – like Denmark’s two other opponents in the preliminary Olympic group: Russia (February 11) and Switzerland (February 12) – favorites against the Olympic debutants. Also for the female national team players in ice hockey, the Olympics is a dream come true – and which may also be a unique event for most athletes. But in elite sports – also in ice hockey – there will always be surprises. And the Danish “lions” can (perhaps) also reach far at the 2022 Winter Olympics through a strong team spirit.

You can read more about the 2022 Winter Olympics here:

Danmarks Ishockey Union

IIHF – Home 2022 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

IIHF – Home 2022 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES MEN’S ICE HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

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Athletics has always – as a global sport, commercially and as topic in the medias – been the “crown jewel” of the Olympic Games. Legends like Paavo Nurmi, Emil Zatopek, Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Bob Beamon, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Carl Lewis, Sergie Bubka and Usain Bolt are not the only former Olympic gold medalists in athletics. They are also well-known world-class athletes for billions of people all over the globe. The special status of athletics among the Olympic sports is also striking in terms of the number of Olympic disciplines. There are no other sports that come close to athletics’ 48 medal sets to be awarded at the upcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris.

However, it is by no means the beauty and elegance of a crown jewel that characterizes the international leadership of athletics – “the International Association of Athletics Federations” (IAAF) – throughout the association’s more than 100-year history. It is quit clear from the excellent book: “Power and Politics in World Athletics. A Critical History” (Routledge, London & New York, 2021), which was published a few months ago. The book is written by assistant professor and Ph.D. Jörg Krieger from the Section of Sports, Department of Public Health at Aarhus University on the basis of extensive and in-depth research over the past 3 years. Minutes of meetings, annual reports, personal letters, press releases and official speeches from 16 national and international archives – e.g. IAAF and IOC official archives – play along with the author’s sharp pen as rarely seen.

Close connection between the IAAF’s institutional development and the personal views and attitudes of the Presidents

The book contains 13 chapters, which are chronologically closely linked with the only 6 IAAF presidents – Sigfrid Edström (Sweden, 1912-1946), David Burghley (Great Britain, 1946-1976), Adriaan Paulen (Netherlands, 1976-1981), Primo Nebiolo (Italy, 1981-1999), Lamine Diack (Senegal, 1999-2015) and Sebastian Coe (Great Britain, 2015-) – who have held the post since the founding of the IAAF in 1912. Krieger emphasizes that he quickly learned in the work on the book that was a close connection between the IAAF’s institutional development and the IAAF’s leadership personified through the incumbent presidents. And that it is not possible to separate the personal views, attitudes and actions of IAAF Presidents from the institutional history of the IAAF.

Critical research is more than just years and celebrations

The book’s research approach is both historical, comparative and critical. Krieger emphasizes as a historian that (also) the current structures, actions and behavior of sports organizations can advantageously be seen as reactions to or consequences of events that are far back in time. Likewise, Krieger manages to place the IAAF as an international sports organization in a cultural, political, economic, and sociological context in which concepts such as power, status, money, corruption, appointment, gender discrimination, and doping are recurring themes. The book is thus in no way a celebration script that pays homage to the IAAF’s “princes” and their “subjects” over time – quite the contrary.

Money, nepotism and corruption

It is difficult to highlight individual chapters of the book. But personally, I find the chapters on Primo Nebiolo’s transformation of the IAAF from “a dilapidated pizzaria to a five-star luxury hotel,” as expressed by his closest associates (pp. 160-209), particularly interesting. It is from the early 1980’s that a mutual “community of interest” emerges between international sports organizations such as the IAAF, global sponsors and multinational broadcasters such as NBC. A “community” where cash flows subsequently accelerate sharply and where nepotism, corruption and tax evasion are a “natural” part of the “brotherhood”. Primo Nebioli, a trained lawyer and a successful businessman, was elected to the IAAF’s top management in 1972. Nebioli quickly developed a close commercial relationship with the German Horst Dassler, whose father (Adolf Dassler) founded the sports brand “Adidas”. Horst Dassler was also a co-owner of ISL (International Sport & Leisure) – a Swiss marketing company with close connections to e.g. FIFA. For several years, Dassler worked purposefully to “replace” the reform-minded IAAF president Adriaan Paulen with Primo Nebiolo, which happened in 1981. The new “brotherhood” between the IAAF, ISL and Adidas resulted in the first world championships in athletics, held in Helsinki in 1983. The World Athletics Championships, which were broadcast “live” worldwide, were now to “supplement” the IAAF’s revenues from the IOC through more and larger sponsorship agreements and television contracts – and it succeeded fully. When Nebiolo took office as IAAF president, the annual turnover was 1 million dollars, while it was 100 million dollars two decades later.

The book also describes Primo Nebioli’s extremely close relationships with IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch (1980-2001) and FIFA President Joan Havelange (1974-1998), both of whom entered into giant television contracts for joy and benefit, both for their organizations and … themselves. Likewise, Nebioli’s views on and actions in relation to the fight against doping – or lack of – are described on the basis of a number of national and international doping cases.

Can an English gentleman and former Olympic gold medalist change the course of World Athletic?

It is hardly coincidental that “the International Association of Athletics Federations” (IAAF) in 2019 changed its name to “World Athletics”, i.a. at the initiative of the new president Sebastian Coe – former Olympic gold medalist (1980 and 1984, Member of the British Parliament and CEO of the 2012 Olympic and 2012 Paralympics in London. It is a difficult task to change culture, structure and perception of democracy in an organization with more than 200 members from 5 continents – also for Sir Lord Sebastian Coe. Jörg Krieger is a “restrained optimist” in relation to Coe’s abilities and will as a “reformer.” In the book’s perspective chapter, Krieger emphasizes that World Athletics integrity, autonomy, doping, gender discrimination and real influence for athletes on boards, committees and working groups. It is not enough to have an 800 meters or 1,500 meters, which were the English gentleman’s favorite distances as a world-class athlete. The task is more like a marathon with both sharp turns, steep hills and strong headwinds. “Power and Politics in World Athletics. A Critical History ”deserves a large readership – both in Denmark and internationally – of athletes, coaches, journalists, leaders, politicians and everyone else who wants to“ learn from history ”. The book is a “crown jewel”. And then it is definitely not every day that such is provided by a (Danish) sports researcher.

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“Strikers win matches, but a strong defense wins championships”. This is what one of Italy’s greatest coaching legends – Arrigo Sacchi – stated after he was hired as head coach of A.C. Milan in the summer of 1987. Until Sacchi was hired by A.C. Milan had by far the majority of Serie A clubs and the Italian national team – “Gli Azzurri” – practiced the “Catenaccio system” with a “free” defender – “libero” – and 3-5 players, who followed the opponents’ strikers, most often everywhere on the pitch. However, Sacchi introduced a new defense system with zone coverage of 4 defenders in line and a high ball pressure when the opponent team was ball-possessed. Likewise, Sacchi stressed that the distance between one’s defensive and strikers should not be more than 20-25 meters. Sacchi’s new tactical concept with the iconic back chain – Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta, Paolo Maldini and Mauro Tassotti – combined with A.C. Milan’s acquisition of the Dutch trio: Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten as well as the Italian national team players Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Donadoni – created in a short time one of the world’s strongest club teams ever. AC Milan won in the late 1980’s and through the 1990’s 6 national championships and 3 Champions League titles (1989, 1990 and 1994).

Sacchi’s defense system as inspiration for European top coaches

A number of top European clubs and coaches, including Jose Mourinho (F.C. Porto, F.C. Inter and Chelsea F.C.), Peb Guordiola (F.C. Barcelona, ​​Bayern Munich and Manchester City) and Jörgen Klopp (Borrusia Dortmund and Liverpool F.C.), have been greatly inspired by Arrigo Sacchi and A.C. Milan’s game concept. And today, virtually all Serie A clubs use defensive formations with 4 players in line. In addition, the defenders’ individual technical skills today are at an extremely high level. This is especially true of the S.S.C. Naples, as pt. leads Serie A with 32 points and who has only conceded 4 goals in 12 matches – 7 goals less than A.C. Milan and 9 goals less than F.C. Inter, which must be considered the biggest favorites for the national championship – Il Scudetto.

A “saviour” brings titles and pride to a poor city

Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli (S.S.C. Napoli) was founded in 1926 and the club has since spent the vast majority of seasons in Serie A. The club has always been the football pride of southern Italy, being exclusively S.S.C. Napoli, who have been able to seriously challenge the top clubs in Rome, Milan and Turin. However, it was not until 1962 that the club won the first title – Coppa Italia. Since then, the club has won the Italian Cup 6 times, most recently in 2020. S.S.C. Napoli’s acquisition of superstar Diego Maradona from F.C. Barcelona in the summer of 1984 for the record amount of 80 million. DKK, however, changed everything for the Neapolitans. The first two seasons were a limited success for the little Argentine and his teammates, but in the 1986-1987 season, S.S.C. Naples for the first time “Il Scudetto” with the Brazilian Careca and the Italian national team players Ferrara, Crippa, Carnevale and De Napoli in the squard. In the 1989-1990 season, S.S.C. Napoli won the Italian championship, while it became two 2’nd places in 1987-1988 and 1988-1989. Also on the international football scene, Maradona and his teammates strode all the way to the top of the UEFA Cup in 1989. In the spring of 1991, Maradona tested positive for doping, with which a long and painful downturn, both sporting and economic, began for S.S.C. Naples. In 2000, the club was relegated from Serie A and only three seasons later, the club was declared bankrupt with a debt of 80 million euros and forcibly relegated to Serie C. Despite S.S.C. Napoli played Italy’s third best football series, nevertheless attracted the club an impressive number of spectators to their home matches – often more than 50,000 spectators. In the 2003-2004 season, S.S.C. Napoli – as a Serie C club – the third highest spectator average in all of Italy after F.C. Inter and A.C. Milan, but ahead of top clubs Juventus F.C., A.S. Rome and S.S. Lazio. In addition, the club also has many loyal fans outside of Italy.

S.S.C. Naples – Rebirth and championship favorite

A rapid financial reconstruction, primarily funded by film director Aurelio De Laurentiis and who today remains the main shareholder in the club, brought S.S.C. Napoli back – first to Serie B in 2005-2006 and two years later to Serie A. And in the last decade, the club has continuously been among Italy’s best, 4 times (2012-2013, 2015-2016, 2017-2018 and 2018-2019) as vice champions. The club has especially profiled itself on a very strong defense with Kalidou Koulibaly from Senegal as the biggest profile and the playmaker Lorenzo Insigne as the dominant attacking player.

Italy’s best defense vs. best attack

On Sunday, the S.S.C. Napoli on one of the season’s most difficult matches against another championship favorite – F.C. Inter from Milan. The match is not just a duel between Southern Italy’s football pride and one of Northern Italy’s economically strongest and most sporting winning clubs. It’s also a match between Serie A’s best defense – S.S.C. Napoli – against the league’s best attack – F.C. Inter – who in the first 12 games of the season have scored the most goals of all Serie A clubs – a total of 29. I look forward – together with my good mates Tino, Jørgen and Thorleif – to follow the match at the Stadio Guiseppe Meazza in Milan. It looks like a match with very few goals in advance, but football matches without goals can actually (also) be both interesting and very intense.

You can read more about Italian football and the two clubs here:

https://www.legaseriea.it/en

https://www.sscnapoli.it/

https://www.inter.it/en

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Badminton is one of the few sports where Denmark has continuously been among the world’s best nations for decades. The unique position was confirmed last week at the World Mixed Team Championships – the Sudirman Cup – in Finland, where Denmark was the only European nation that qualified to the quarterfinals, where it turned into a 2-3 defeat against the later World Champions China.

Denmark is among the World Championships favorites

The unique position among the world’s best nations will also be confirmed next week, when Denmark participate in the World Men’s Team Championships – the Thomas Cup – and the World Women’s Team Championships – the Uber Cup – at homecourt in Aarhus. The women’s team is seeded for a quarter final, but it will be difficult to get there. However, there are several younger female players in Danish badminton with potential for international top level, including Mia Blichfeldt, Line Christophersen and Alexandra Bøje, but the level among the female players in these years is significantly lower than among the male top players, especially in the singles. I think that Denmark has really good chances of winning the Thomas Cup – for only the second time in history.

Denmark as the only non-Asian winner of the Thomas Cup

Former Danish top players, such as Jørn Skaarup, Finn Kobberø, Jørgen Hammergaard Hansen, Erland Korps and Svend Pri, already achieved impressive international results in the 1950s and 1960s at the All England tournament, which until the first official World Championships in 1977, was considered the unofficial World Championships. Denmark played their way to the first Thomas Cup final, which was held in 1948. The final against Malaysia was lost by 1-8 and subsequently there were no less than 7 further final defeats (1955, 1964, 1973, 1979, 1996, 2004 and 2006), before Denmark in 2016 for the first time won the Thomas Cup after a final victory of 3-2 over Indonesia. The triumph caused understandably large cheers among players, coaches and leaders in Danish badminton, as it was the first time a non-Asian nation won the Thomas Cup.

Four singles among the world’s 20 best

Only five nations have previously won the Thomas Cup: Indonesia (13), China (10), Malaysia (5), Japan and Denmark. And it will also be among these five nations that the winner of the 2021 Thomas Cup will be found. China and Malaysia do not have the strength of the past, so my final favorites are Japan and Denmark with Indonesia as the outsider. The Danish men’s national team’s greatest strength is 3 singles of world class: Viktor Axelsen, who has won both Olympic and WC gold medal, and the two Aarhusians: Anders Antonsen and Rasmus Gemke. The latter has unfortunately been injured up to the Thomas Cup, but then the veteran Hans Kristian Vittighus will be a perfect replacement as the 3rd single. The four top players are currently ranked No. 2, 3, 12 and 20 in the World rankings, which no other nation can match. The two Danish doubles also have a high international level, but most of the doubles from the Asian top nations have – unfortunately – an even higher level. Up to the Thomas Cup, several of the Danish doubles players have been injured, so the composition of the doubles will probably only be decided during the Thomas Cup. But what exactly is the explanation for the fact that Danish badminton can still develop world-class players among the male players. Let me highlight three topics.

The badminton hall as a unique training environment

Firstly, Danish badminton has always had a strong culture and many traditions, which have unfolded in the more than 700 clubs that form the foundation for the international top results. Many of the clubs have facilities specially designed for badminton. And then the badminton halls are usually available 24 hours – 365 days a year. Badminton halls, such as the hall in Godthåbsgade in the center of Odense, where Viktor Axelsen has spent lots of hours with training and social club life or the hall on Dyrehavevej in Aarhus, where childhood friends Antonsen and Gemke, have had their “badminton upbringing”, have been optimal talent development environments for many youth players. One of my explanations for the current difference in the quality of female and male top players is that the number of boys under the age of 18 who are club players is significantly higher than the number of girls, namely 23,692 vs. 11,162. More girls must simply be attracted – and not least retained as juniors – in the fascinating sport, if Denmark is to once again develop female players who can win WC medals.

World-class elite coaching education

Secondly, the quality of coaches in Danish badminton, both at club, district and national level – in relation to many other sports in Denmark – has always been very high. Education of children and youth coaches as well as the involvement of former top players as coaches is absolutely crucial for the development of the players’ competencies. As one of the latest initiatives, Badminton Denmark, led by sports director Jens Meibom, has just offered a new elite coach education, where new coaches will be included in the training of national team players at the National Elite Training Center (NETC) and where each new coach will have one of the existing national coaches as a mentor . In addition, the new coaches must participate in international tournaments in Europe and Asia, i.a. to gain competencies to develop players to international top level.

NETC – continuity and role models

Thirdly, back in the late 1980s, Badminton Denmark established the National Elite Training Center in Brøndbyhallen, where daily training combined with strength training, dietary guidance, mental training, prevention and treatment of injuries has been to the mutual joy and benefit of all. The training environment and culture has been – and continues to be – completely unique with role models such as Morten Frost, Poul Erik Høyer, Kirsten Larsen, Peter Gade, Camilla Martin, Tine Baun, Mathias Boe, Carsten Mogensen, Joackim Fischer, Jan Ø. Jørgensen, Kamilla Rytter Juhl, Christinna Pedersen and many, many others. It is both sad and extremely worrying if Danish top players opt out of NETC as a daily training environment. For that reason, I also hope that Viktor Axelsen – rather today than tomorrow – “returns home” from Qatar and contributes to the further development of new talents with international potential. I look forward to following the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of the Thomas and Uber Cup at Ceres Arena next weekend. It is definitely not commonplace that world-class badminton can be experienced “live” only a few hundred meters away from home. And then a new Danish World Cup triumph may await at the end of Stadion Allé.

You can read more about Danish and international badminton here:

Forside (badminton.dk)

BWF Fansite (bwfbadminton.com)

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Did you know that European football clubs such as FC Barcelona, ​​Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have more than doubled their financial turnover over the past ten years, so that their annual turnover today amounts to 6-8 billions .… pr. club. Did you know that the Spanish top club FC Real Madrid and the multinational tech giant Microsoft have entered into a strategic collaboration, where the two companies mutually have direct data access to 450 million fans from different cultures, continents and time zones. Did you know that megastar Christiano Ronaldo (CR7) has 148 million followers on Facebook or almost twice as many as the world’s two biggest sports equipment giants: Adidas (38 million) and Nike (34 million) have… combined.

New book fills a large gap within Danish sports research and teaching

You can get this factual information in the book “Sports management – Management and commercialization in the sports industry” (Hans Reitzels Forlag, 2021), which has just been published. The book is the first basic book in Danish and it fills in a very competent way a large gap within Danish sports research and teaching. In my opinion, the book should in future be a compulsory textbook for all students in bachelor’s and master’s programs at business academies, university colleges and universities that deal with the sports industry. But the book can also provide board members, directors, executives, athletes, sponsors and journalists with useful and relevant insights and tools to (further) develop their clubs, federations, organizations, companies and media.

Excellent interplay between professional knowledge and concrete cases

The book is edited by Ph.D. and Associate Professor at University College Nordjylland Kenneth Cortsen, M.Sc. com. and communications officer in the Players’ Association Michael Hehr and Ph.D. and external associate professor at Aalborg University Renate Nielsen. In addition, Danish and international researchers, experts and practitioners have contributed with a number of exciting cases, which support, expand and put into perspective the book’s theories, models and facts about sports marketing, sports management and sports economics. The interplay between the book’s research-based knowledge, theoretical models and concrete cases, both from Denmark and abroad, is excellent. Likewise, the range, both in relation to sports, cultures and countries, is impressive.

A new media agenda with the “global consumer” at the center

The book contains three main parts after an introduction to the sports industry, where the authors emphasizes that “the role of sport in society has developed explosively in recent decades. Association has become a business, and the time when sport was exclusively about what happened on the court, is long gone “competition” takes place not only on the court, where clubs nationally and internationally compete on the sporting parameter, but also off the field, where disciplines within e.g. Sports marketing, sports management and the sports economy have a decisive effect on the competitiveness of federations, leagues, clubs or individual athletes – not to mention the surrounding industry, which includes everything from agent and betting companies to equipment manufacturers and sports tourism players. The industry’s focus remains on classic areas such as management and branding, but the market’s changing mechanisms also have the effect that new disciplines require the attention of sports organizations. Innovation management, crisis communication and social media are examples of this. The development of the market is not least due to the interaction between industry-oriented innovation and consumers’ new needs. The fragmented media agenda that offers more and more communication platforms leaves consumers in a privileged situation. In the new media landscape, it is possible to follow and get very close to practitioners all over the globe and from places where we have otherwise previously been denied access. And the whole thing even a few clicks with the index finger away ”.

The sports industry has many different dimensions and perspectives

The first main part of the book focuses on themes and cases within sports marketing such as branding, sports as a PR tool, sponsorships, CSR in sports marketing, crisis communication and exit strategies, data-driven marketing, game entertainment, events and social media. The second main part of the book deals with sports management, i.a. themes and cases on leadership and management, organizational culture and sports management, talent management, venue management, leading innovation and volunteer management. The third main part of the book contains themes and cases in relation to sports economics, including supply and demand in the sports market, valuations, economic framework conditions, media, television rights, strategic analyzes and economic contexts, as well as earning capacity and distribution of income streams.

Collision between the logic of free market forces and the “internal logic” of sport

The sports industry is extremely complex with many different players, both local, national and global. One of the most important messages of the book, in my view, is that the goal, direction, content and form of sport are framed globally based on the logic of free market forces: The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. In short, this means that economic inequality, both between and within the individual sports, is getting bigger and bigger. And the logic of free market forces also demands that development happen faster and faster. The logic of the free market forces thus also collides with the sport’s “internal logic” with a focus on “equal and fair competition”. A collision, which is described and discussed in the book, but without precise answers and attitudes on the part of the authors. One of the many consequences of the logic of free market forces is that football today accounts for more than 80% of the sports industry’s total economy in Europe, that more than half of Denmark’s best football clubs today are owned by foreign private equity funds and investors and that Danish super league clubs boys of 8-10 years to play for their particular club. The global, commercial development thus has a number of significant direct effects on the development, structure and content of children’s and youth football in Denmark. The commercialization and professionalisation of the sports industry pressures and challenges not only Danish Football Association (DBU), the Association of the Ligaclubs (Divisionsforeningen) and the Superliga clubs, but also the local football clubs in Bøvlingbjerg, Brobyværk and Bjæverskov. In the longer term, this development, which has really gained momentum in the last two decades, will, in my opinion, lead to a number of very negative consequences in relation to e.g. public economic support for sport clubs, volunteer coaches and leaders, committed communities and democracy, which are core values ​​for Danish sports life and culture. However, the book’s authors are to be commended for articulating the sport’s – and not just football’s – current biggest challenge: The power of money.

A book with passion for sports

The authors should also be commended and recognized for the competent use of notes, an extremely comprehensive bibliography and a useful index. These three elements are far from always a matter of course, not even when publishing academic articles and textbooks. The book can be highly recommended to anyone who has a passion for sports – just like the book’s three editors and the many communicators of the book’s cases.

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“It is the story that the right circumstances and the right people in the right place can create lasting results.” Thus, one of the 37 contributors – professor and head of research unit Jan Hartvigsen – writes in the anniversary book: “From physical exercises to sports and biomechanics – 50 years with the body in motion” (Syddansk Universitetsforlag, 2021), which has just been published. This sentence fits very precisely the work of the Department of Sport and Biomechanics over the past five decades. The anniversary book, edited by the historian Jørn Hansen, describes and discusses both the circumstances, the people, the places and the results: From the pioneer period with 14 students and 5 permanent employees in 1970 to today, where more than 1,200 students and 180 employees are associated with bachelor and the master’s programs in sports, clinical biomechanics and physiotherapy at the University of Southern Denmark. And let it be said at once: The anniversary book is a “must” – not only for former and current students and staff, but for anyone who wants to get an overview and insight into education, research, dissemination and innovation in an interdisciplinary field .

Education and research with multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives

The book contains four main parts. The first part of the book describes the long lines in the department’s history, which are linked to social development, education and health policy. The first two articles are written by Jørn Hansen (Head of department 1993-1999) and Jørgen Povlsen (Head of department 2000-2021), both of whom emphasize the department’s interest in research into and development of educations with multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives. The two authors also emphasize the department’s ability, courage and willingness to initiate and develop education and research, both nationally and internationally, with other educational and research institutions, public authorities as well as private companies and foundations. In addition, the department has always focused on dissemination, knowledge sharing, networking and involvement of citizens, schools, municipalities, regions, associations and organizations. In this way, the department’s management, staff and students have often contributed with research results and practice activities that can improve the health, well-being and quality of life of children, young people, adults and the elderly.

Education and research are more than just New Public Management

The second part of the book consists of 9 personal stories from the history of Department of Sports and Biomechanics. The stories focus on special issues, i.a. the first year in which Odense University overtook Aarhus University in the “fight” for a physical education outside Copenhagen. The first interdisciplinary research projects in the 1980s, which were a strong contributor to a more diverse picture of sports, both in Denmark and internationally, are also exciting reading. One of the book’s most interesting contributions is written by Kurt Lüders – one of the department’s most competent teachers and researchers in practical-pedagogical subjects. Lüders describes and discusses with humor and enthusiasm the extent of hours and prioritization of academic resources between the sports subject three “core areas”: Biological-medical subjects (physiology, anatomy, biomechanics, etc.), Humanities-social science subjects (history, sociology, psychology, economics, etc. .) and Practical-pedagogical subjects (didactics, pedagogy, swimming, water activities, learning in water, etc.). Some of the answers to the very frequent changes of curricula in the subject of sports, including a markedly lower prioritization of the practical-pedagogical subjects, are of course found in new visions, new research results and new forms of learning. But the most important explanation for this development is in my opinion “New public management” (NPM) with i.a. taximeters for study admission and completion, “objective” accreditations, development contracts with a high degree of external funding of research, which in recent decades has “permeated” all educational and research institutions in Denmark. NPM is certainly an effective management tool for public authorities and not least the Ministry of Finance, but the value of NPM in terms of promoting and developing good quality education and research at the elite level is, in my opinion, highly questionable.

Strong professional and social communities

The third part of the book belongs to “voices” from the study period, where 12 former students from the minor, bachelor’s and master’s programs in P.E., the master’s program in biomechanics and the master’s program in physiotherapy with a mixture of anecdotes, memories, experiences and post-rationalisations look in the “rear view mirror”. The common denominator for the contributions is the experience of strong professional and social communities at the Department of Sport and Biomechanics, SDU. Of course, there have been both ups and downs throughout the department’s lifetime, but there have also always been visions, courage, energy and will – also to think differently and possibly fail. Personally, I often think of the period in the late 1980s, when the medical education programs at Odense University was very close to a closure. A closure that would certainly also have put the Department of Physical Exercise under tremendous pressure. However, professor Mogens Hørder, who was dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, took the lead in a new profile for medical education programs in Denmark, which averted the disaster. Hørder, who is one of the most visionary and professionally competent leaders I have worked together with, could also see obvious connections and potentials between sports and health. It was to a very large extent Mogens Hørder’s visions and merits that both research and education in clinical biomechanics and physiotherapy subsequently became an integral part of the Department of Sport and Biomechanics. And thus also one of the world’s strongest research environments in sports, prevention and health promotion.

Research must be for the benefit and benefit of people, groups and society

The fourth part of the book is a performance of the research units and centers at the Department of Sport and Biomechanics. The individual articles, which are authored by the research unit and center managers, describe both the background, content, partners and future perspectives for the individual units and centers. It is gratifying that both basic research and applied research have a high priority in the department’s research strategy. And that there is room for and need for both experienced and younger researchers of both sexes at the individual units and centers. It is also very positive that the department’s employees are aware of disseminating results from research to relevant target groups, so that the Department of Sport and Biomechanics can continue to benefit the individuals, social communities and society as a whole in the coming years.

Results are created by people – in the right places and times

Thank you for a fantastic study time (1981-1983), committed students, good colleagues and exciting partners (1984-1994). And not least a big congratulations on the results, created by the right people in the right place – Department of Sport and Biomechanics, SDU – over the past 50 years.

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The final medals at the XXXII Olympic Games have been distributed and 11,326 athletes from 206 nations are now returning home with victories, defeats, tears of joy and disappointment, new friendships, shattered dreams, hopes in new Olympic experiences in 3 years in Paris, a life without training and competitions and much, much more. For the five Nordic countries, the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo was a sporting success, regardless of whether the results are calculated according to the number of gold medals, the total medal count or top 8 ranking, which is a good indicator of performance level in athletes and teams in Olympic disciplines where competition density is become more and more intense and where the margins between the medal winners and a ranking like No. 4 or No. 8 are very often extremely modest.

Denmark wins the most Olympic medals

Denmark won – similar to the Olympics 2012 and Olympics 2016 – most medals of the Nordic countries, namely 11 (3 gold, 4 silver and 4 bronze) in 8 different sports. It was especially very positive that Denmark won 3 gold medals, which only in recent decades has been surpassed at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where it became 4 gold medals. In addition to Viktor Axelsen (badminton) and Anne-Marie Rindom (sailing), Michael Mørkøv and Lasse Norman Hansen’s performance in track cycling (madison) was the Danish highlights of the 2020 Olympics. The 36-year-old Mørkøv, who won silver medal at the 2008 Olympics, proved to be one of the world’s most elegant track riders and 29-year-old Norman Hansen has now won medals at the last three Olympics in a row. The strong dane now has the chance to surpass the rower Eskild Ebbesen, who won 3 gold and 2 bronze medals at 5 Olympics in a row. Denmark achieved 135 top 8 ranking points at the 2020 Olympics, which is exactly the same number as at the 2016 Olympics, but 13 points less than at the 2012 Olympics (148).

Sweden wins more top-8 ranking points

Sweden was placed ahead of Denmark on the IOC’s official ranking list with 3 gold and 6 silver medals in 5 different sports. Both Armand “Mondo” Duplantis ‘gold medal in pole vault, Daniel Ståhl’s gold medal and Simon Pettersson’s silver medal in disco throw showed that Sweden can continue to develop world-class athletes in the Olympic Games’ most prestigious sport – athletics. Sweden was also very close to the gold medals in the women’s football tournament, but 4 burnt penalty kicks became extremely costly for Sweden, which, as at the 2016 Olympics, had to “settle for” a silver medal. The same carat of metal was won by swimmer Sarah Sjöström, who has now won a total of 4 Olympic medals. Sweden achieved 134 top-8 ranking points at the 2020 Olympics, which was 11 points more at the 2012 Olympics and 3 points more than at the 2016 Olympics.

Norway with the greatest progress

Norway (No. 20) was placed ahead of both Sweden (No. 23) and Denmark (No. 25) on the IOC’s official rankings despite “only” 8 medals (4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze) in 6 different sports. The reason for Norway’s ranking in the top 20 on the IOC rankings was as many as 4 gold medals: Karsten Warholm’s unique performance in the 400 meter hurdles, only 20-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1,500 meter race, Kristian Blummenfelt in triathlon and Anders Mol and Christian Sørum in beach volley. Among the positive Norwegian surprises was also Eivind Henriksen’s silver medal in hammer throw, while – similar to the 2016 Olympics – it “only” became a bronze medal for Norway’s women’s team handball, which won Olympic gold medals in both 2008 and 2012. The 4 gold medals were also strong contributors to Norway achieved 84 top-8 raking points – as many as 38 points more than at the 2012 Olympics (46) and 44 more than at the 2016 Olympics (40). It is extremely rare for a nation to achieve such significant progress from one Olympics to the next, as Norway has done at the 2020 Olympics. I’m sure that Norway will definitely challenge both Sweden and Denmark even more at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Finland and Iceland far behind the other three

Finland won 2 bronze medals at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, which was one more than at the 2016 Olympics. The medals were won by swimmer Matti Mattsson in the 200 meter breaststroke and 40-year-old boxer Mira Potkonen, who also won a bronze medal in Rio. Finland achieved 31 top 8 ranking points at the 2020 Olympics, which was significantly better than the 2016 Olympics (14). Iceland was represented by 4 athletes in athletics, shooting and swimming without it turning into either medals or top 8 ranking points.

The Nordic welfare model is the base – also for elite sports

But what are the reasons why 25-year-old Karsten Warholm won Olympic gold medal and improved the world record by 0.76 sec. in the 400 meter hurdles, that 27-year-old Viktor Axelsen won Olympic gold medal in badminton without giving up a single set and that 21-year-old Armand “Mondo” Duplantis won Olympic gold medal in pole vault with an impressive 6.02 meters. The main reason is that the Nordic countries have created strong welfare models, which are admired and imitated, also by people and nations outside the Nordic region and Europe. The Nordic welfare model is the starting point for values, norms, structures and organization of a number of areas of society, including sports. And the Nordic countries rank high on international rankings of e.g. economy, education, health, infrastructure and trust in public authorities and other people.

A strong network of sport clubs is crucial for talent development

The core values ​​in the Nordic welfare model are community and equality, which means that the public sector (state and municipalities) use many financial resources to create a good framework and conditions for citizens’ cultural and leisure life. In this connection, the Nordic countries have developed a diverse and well-functioning systems of clubs within e.g. sports, where a large number of volunteer coaches and leaders take on a variety of tasks for the enjoyment and benefit of the local community’s children and youth. A strong network of sport clubs constitutes the absolutely crucial foundation for the talent and elite work in each sports and the individual countries in the Nordic region.

Only 4 nations won more Olympic medals than Denmark among the smaller countries

The diverse network of sport clubs with competent children and youth coaches combined with high material prosperity and good sports facilities have been the main reasons why the Nordic countries have for more than a century been – and continue to be – among the best sports nations in the world, not at least in relation to the nations’ relatively modest population. At the 2020 Olympics, only New Zealand and Hungary with 20 medals, Cuba with 15 medals and Switzerland with 13 medals won more medals among the smaller countries with a population of less than 10 million. than Denmark.

Independent elite sports institutions make a difference

Another important explanation for the Nordic countries’ success in elite sports is the establishment and development of independent institutions such as the Olympiatoppen (Norway), Team Denmark (Denmark), the Swedish Olympic Committee (Sweden) and the High Performance Unit (Finland), which support athletes and coaches with resources for innovation and research, organization and management, educational guidance, expert services in physical training, sports medicine and physiotherapy, sports psychology, nutrition and not least finance for participation in training camps and international competitions.

Norway, Sweden and Denmark among the world’s 25 best nations

With rankings as No. 20, 23 and 25 on the IOC’s official rankings at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, athletes and teams from the Nordic countries showed TV viewers around the world that there are plenty of world-class athletes in Norway, Sweden and Denmark in many different sports. In just 6 months, the XXIV Olympic Winter Games will be held in Beijing. In advance, it looks like a medal party for Norway, which has been the world’s sovereign best winter sports nation for the past decade. Sweden will probably be among the 6-8 most winning nations, while Finland also has several medal candidates, including ice hockey and cross country skiing. There is reason for continued optimism for elite sports in the Nordic region, especially due to welfare models with a strong network of clubs, good talent development environments and well-functioning elite sports institutions.

You can find results from the 2020 Olympics here:

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (olympics.com)

Further information about the 2022 Winter Olympics:

https://olympics.com/en/beijing-2022

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On Sunday, July 25, it is exactly 10 years since I had one of my greatest experiences as a spectator at an international sporting event: the 14th World Aquatics Championships, which was held in Shanghai, China. The mood among the 18,000 spectators – almost all Chinese – in the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center was very special before the final in the 100 meter breaststroke for men. All sympathy, both among spectators and TV viewers around the world, was directed at 26-year-old Alexander Dale Oen from Norway. For one particular reason: A right-wing extremist terrorist from Oslo had 3 days before in a cold and cynical way carried out horrific acts that had resonated all over the world. One of the world’s strongest democracies – Norway – had been hit in the national soul when 8 people were killed in the bombing of government buildings in Oslo and 69 young people at a summer camp were brutally shot down on Utøya by a fanatical neo-Nazi driven by fear of strangers.

A unique swimming talent from Western Norway

Alexander Dale Oen was born and raised on the island of Rong in Øygarden Municipality, which consists of a number of smaller islands near Bergen. Together with his 5 year older big brother Robin, Alexander was 6 years old enrolled in the club Vestkantsvømmerne. And soon he displayed an unusually great talent for swimming, especially the disciple breaststroke. He set lots of national records as a junior swimmer and already as a 17-year-old he won the first national senior championship in the favorite discipline 100 meters breaststroke. The international breakthrough for Dale Oen came in 2005, when he achieved a 7th place at the World Championships on long distance in Montreal, Canada. In the following years, the unique swimmer from Western Norway achieved a large number of titles at international championships, both short track (25 meters) and long track (50 meters). Among the highlights was the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where Dale Oen won Norway’s first ever Olympic medal in swimming, defeated only in the final by reigning Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima from Japan.

The WC gold which was dedicated to the innocent victims

The silence among the spectators at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center was instantaneous before the start shot for the final in the 100m breaststroke for men. And the noise was extreme during and after the race, where the sovereign Norwegian put all the competitors in place. The time of 58.71 seconds was a personal record for Dale Oen and more than 7/10 seconds faster than Fabio Scozzoli from Italy (59.42) and Cameron van der Burgh (59.49) from South Africa. Dale Oen had fully lived up to both his own and everyone else’s expectations. At the subsequent press conference, he dedicated the gold medal to the victims from Oslo and Utøya, their closest and the entire Norwegian people. The day after the highly emotional experience, I met Alexander by chance at the hotel in Shanghai, where the Danish, Norwegian and Swedish swimming teams were accommodated. It was a short – but very memorable – conversation with an extremely sympathetic and modest world-class athlete.

An incomprehensible heart attack

Only 9 months after the World Championship in Shanghai – on April 30, 2012 – Alexander Dale Oen and his loved ones were hit by a personal tragedy and the whole of Norway was hit again in the national soul. The news of Dale Oen’s death in a hotel room during an altitude training camp in Flagstaff, Arizona in the US was – just like the terrorist attacks in Oslo and on Utøya – unreal and inconceivable: A 26-year-old well-trained top athlete does not die of cardiac arrest without prior symptoms. Two months after the tragic death, Olympiatoppen and the Norwegian Swimming Federation issued a press release on the autopsy report, which was published in accordance with US law. The report showed that Alexander Dale Oen died of a heart attack as a result of a blood clot in one of the three coronary arteries. The report also showed that Dale Oen had significant atherosclerosis and changes in the heart muscle with minor infarctions a few months before his death. Furthermore, Olympiatoppen’s doctor Ola Rønsen concluded that there was probably a connection between a shoulder injury that Dale Oen had sustained at the beginning of 2012, and the death. Despite reports from specialists in both Norway and the United States in the months before the death, no one had suspected a link between the shoulder injury and a possible coronary artery disease. The most common causes of coronary artery disease are smoking, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and inactivity. All risk factors that are not part of a world class athlete’s everyday life.

We do not give character, we develop character

Alexander Dale Oen’s sudden and premature death was, of course, a very great loss for his family, friends and sports mates, both inside and outside Norway. For Norwegian elite sports, Dale Oen’s tragic death a few months before the 2012 Olympics in London was also a loss of Norway’s clearly greatest Olympic medal hope. Alexander’s biggest dream was an Olympic gold medal in the favorite discipline 100 breaststroke. It was instead won by one of Alexander’s good friends: Cameron van der Burgh from South Africa, who set a world record in the Olympic final with a time of 58.46 seconds.

The memories of the swimmer and human Alexander Dale Oen are stronger today than ever before.

This is mainly due to the fact that his family, led by his big brother Robin, immediately after Alexander’s death, established the Dale Oen Foundation, which offers children and young people from 8 to 18 years activities and longer stays, where they get opportunities to challenge themselves – both physically and mentally – through the use of nature. The foundation’s motto is “We do not give character, we develop character”, which is an expression that mastery and learning are in focus for the activities. The foundation’s activities are primarily aimed at children and young people, who have often experienced defeats and disappointments in the established school and education system.

To live – both in the present and through the memories

Monday, July 26, 2021, the final of the 100 meter breaststroke at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Britain’s Adam Beaty, who is both reigning world champion and holder of the world record (56.88 seconds), is the big favorite for the Olympic gold. I will of course follow the swimming finals on live TV and wish all the best for the Danish Olympic swimmers. Also Jeanette Ottesen, who sensationally became world champion in 2011 in the 100 meter freestyle and now participates in her fifth Olympics. But I would especially like to send many thoughts to Alexander Dale Oen, who won the hearts of all Norwegians and – including mine – exactly 10 years ago at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center.