Danish Sports Name of the Year

Sports Name of the Year
Native nameÅrets Sportsnavn
CountryDenmark
Presented by
First award1991
Most winsDenmark women's national handball team &
Viktor Axelsen (3)

The Sports Name of the Year (Danish: Årets Sportsnavn) is an annual award presented to the Danish sportsperson or team judged to have delivered the best performance of the year. The award was inaugurated in 1991 and is awarded jointly by the National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark (Danmarks Idrætsforbund, DIF) and Team Danmark; prior to 2019, DIF presented the award with the newspaper Jyllands-Posten.[1] In addition to the award the winner is granted a monetary prize, which as of 2019 stands at DKK 75,000.[1]

The Danish women's national handball team and Viktor Axelsen have won the award three times, the most of any team or individual. Six individuals (Mette Jacobsen, Eskild Ebbesen, Thomas Ebert, Tom Kristensen, Caroline Wozniacki and Lasse Norman Hansen) have won the award twice.

The most recent winner was handball player Mathias Gidsel, who received the award in January 2026 for the 2025 year.

List of laureates

By year

  • Numbers in parentheses indicate a multiple award winner.
  • The "finalists" column refers to the other nominees shortlisted for the award
Year Winner(s) Sport Finalists Ref.
1991 Mette Jacobsen Swimming [2]
1992 Jesper Bank, Jesper Seier and Steen Secher Sailing Denmark national football team
Arne Nielsson and Christian Frederiksen (canoeing)
Vibeke Toft and Allan Tornsberg (dancing)
Connie Hansen (wheelchair racing) 		[3]
1993 Denmark women's national handball team Handball [4]
1994 Denmark women's national handball team (2) Handball [4]
1995 Mette Jacobsen (2) Swimming [2]
1996 Bjarne Riis Cycling [5]
1997 Wilson Kipketer Athletics [6]
1998 Eskild Ebbesen, Thomas Ebert, Victor Feddersen and Thomas Poulsen Rowing [7]
1999 Camilla Martin Badminton Denmark national football team
Mette Jacobsen (swimming)
Wilson Kipketer (athletics) 		[8]
2000 Denmark women's national handball team (3) Handball [9]
2001 Thomas Bjørn Golf Denmark national football team
Tom Kristensen (auto racing) 		[10]
2002 Tom Kristensen Auto racing Denmark men's national handball team
Denmark women's national handball team
Wilson Kipketer (athletics)
Thor Kristensen and Thomas Ebert (rowing) 		[11]
2003 Nicki Pedersen Speedway [12]
2004 Eskild Ebbesen (2), Thomas Ebert (2), Thor Kristensen and Stephan Mølvig Rowing Denmark women's national handball team
Tom Kristensen (auto racing) 		[13]
2005 Tom Kristensen (2) Auto racing Michael Maze (table tennis)
Joachim Olsen (shotput) 		[14]
2006 Mikkel Kessler Boxing Michael Rasmussen (cycling)
Kristina Stokkebroe and Peter Stokkebroe (dancing) 		[15]
2007 Mads Rasmussen, Rasmus Quist Hansen Rowing Denmark men's national handball team
Nicki Pedersen (speedway) 		[16]
2008 Denmark men's national handball team Handball Denmark men's lightweight coxless four (rowing)
Martin Kirketerp and Jonas Warrer (sailing) 		[17]
2009 Lotte Friis Swimming Michael Maze (table tennis)
Caroline Wozniacki (tennis) 		[18]
2010 Caroline Wozniacki Tennis Matti Breschel (cycling)
Lotte Friis (swimming) 		[19]
2011 Jeanette Ottesen Swimming Denmark men's national handball team
Caroline Wozniacki (tennis) 		[20]
2012 Lasse Norman Hansen Cycling Denmark men's national handball team
Mads Rasmussen and Rasmus Quist Hansen (rowing) 		[21]
2013 Maja Jager Archery Jesper Hansen (skeet shooting)
Tom Kristensen (auto racing) 		[22]
2014 Camilla Pedersen Triathlon Denmark men's lightweight coxless four (rowing)
Rikke Møller Pedersen (swimming) 		[23]
2015 René Holten Poulsen Canoe sprint Maja Alm (orienteering)
Jeanette Ottesen (swimming)
Anne-Marie Rindom (sailing) 		[24]
2016 Pernille Blume Swimming Denmark men's national handball team
Sara Slott Petersen (athletics) 		[25]
2017 Viktor Axelsen Badminton Jena Mai Hansen and Katja Salskov-Iversen (sailing)
Caroline Wozniacki (tennis) 		[26]
2018 Caroline Wozniacki (2) Tennis Pernille Harder (association football)
Michael Valgren (cycling) 		[27]
2019 Mads Pedersen Cycling Denmark men's national handball team
Anne-Marie Rindom (sailing) 		[28]
2020 Danish National Track Cycling Team
Lasse Norman Hansen (2), Julius Johansen, Frederik Rodenberg and Rasmus Pedersen 		Track cycling Viktor Axelsen (badminton)
Pernille Harder (association football) 		[29]
2021 Viktor Axelsen (2) Badminton Anne-Marie Rindom (sailing)
Lasse Norman Hansen and Michael Mørkøv (cycling) 		[30]
2022 Jonas Vingegaard Cycling Viktor Axelsen (badminton)
Danish national dressage team (equestrian) 		[31]
2023 Denmark men's national handball team (2) Handball Viktor Axelsen (badminton)
Jonas Vingegaard (cycling) 		[32]
2024 Viktor Axelsen (3) Badminton Denmark men's national handball team
Anne-Marie Rindom (sailing) 		[32]
2025 Mathias Gidsel Handball Jonas Vingegaard (cycling)
Mads Pedersen (cycling) 		[33]

By number of wins

The table below lists the individuals and teams who have won Sports Name of the Year more than once.

No. Winner Sport Years won
3 Denmark women's national handball team Handball 1993, 1994, 2000
Viktor Axelsen Badminton 2017, 2021, 2024
2 Mette Jacobsen Swimming 1991, 1995
Eskild Ebbesen Rowing 1998, 2004
Thomas Ebert
Tom Kristensen Auto racing 2002, 2005
Caroline Wozniacki Tennis 2010, 2018
Lasse Norman Hansen Cycling 2012, 2020
Denmark men's national handball team Handball 2008, 2023

By sport

The table below lists the total number of Sports Name of the Year awards won by the winners' sporting profession.

No. Sport Years won
6 Handball 1993, 1994, 2000, 2008, 2023, 2025
5 Swimming 1991, 1995, 2009, 2011, 2016
Cycling 1996, 2012, 2019, 2020, 2022
4 Badminton 1999, 2017, 2021, 2024
3 Rowing 1998, 2004, 2007
2 Auto racing 2002, 2005
Tennis 2010, 2018
1 Sailing 1992
Athletics 1997
Golf 2001
Speedway 2003
Boxing 2006
Archery 2013
Triathlon 2014
Canoe sprint 2015

References

  1. ^ a b Roth, Christopher (28 November 2019). "Her er de nominerede til 'Årets Sportsnavn 2019'". TV2 (in Danish). Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b Albrectsen, Nikolaj (28 November 2011). "Mette Jacobsen var den første". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  3. ^ Henriksen, Troels (27 December 2016). "1992 – Da ministeren »gemte« sine stemmer og snørede en komité". Jyllands Posten. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  4. ^ a b Kristensen, Thomas Møller (28 December 2016). "Årets sportsnavn 1994: Til sidst måtte håndbolddamerne bruge kodeordet »Pocahontas« for at stoppe strømmen af telefonopkald". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  5. ^ Hansen, Thomas Lund (29 December 2016). "Årets sportsnavn 1996: Burde Bjarne Riis have frataget titlen som Årets Sportsnavn 1996?". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  6. ^ Brandt, Henrik H. (18 December 1999). "Årets sportsnavn: Kipketer er tilbage på toppen". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Eskild Ebbesen nyt medlem i Hall of Fame". Dansk Forening for Rosport (in Danish). 9 January 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2026.
  8. ^ Thomsen, Sten Rudi; Svarrer, Ole Wejse (18 December 1999). "Årets sportnavn: Camilla Martin". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  9. ^ Bruhn, Morten (28 December 2016). "13 gyldne minutter, og så er et landshold årets sportsnavn – igen, igen". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Thomas Bjørn kåret som Årets Sportsnavn". Berlingske (in Danish). Ritzau. 18 December 2001. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  11. ^ Brandt, Henrik H. (18 December 2002). "Sportsnavn i sportsvogn". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  12. ^ Christensen, Frits (29 December 2003). "Speedwaysportens genfødsel". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  13. ^ Philipsen, Dan; Brandt, Henrik H. (28 December 2004). "Årets Sportsnavn: Guldfireren". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  14. ^ Gjesse Hansen, Jens (28 December 2005). "Tom Kristensen er Årets Sportsnavn" (in Danish). DR. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Kessler blev Årets Sportsnavn". Berlingske (in Danish). Ritzau. 6 January 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  16. ^ "Roere kåret som Årets Sportsnavn" (in Danish). DR. Ritzau. 5 January 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  17. ^ Trads Hansen, Troels (10 January 2009). "Wilbeks drenge blev Årets Sportsnavn" (in Danish). DR. Ritzau. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Årets Sportsnavn: Lotte Friis". TV2 (in Danish). 7 April 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Wozniacki blev "Årets Sportsnavn"" [Wozniacki became "Sports Name of the Year"]. Jyllands-Posten (in Danish). 8 January 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  20. ^ Gjesse Hansen, Jens (7 January 2012). "Jeanette Ottesen er Årets Sportsnavn" (in Danish). DR. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  21. ^ "Lasse Norman Hansen er Årets Sportsnavn" (in Danish). DR. Ritzau. 5 January 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  22. ^ "Maja Jager er Årets Sportsnavn 2013". Sjællandske Nyheder (in Danish). Ritzau. 4 January 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  23. ^ "Triatlet er Årets Sportsnavn 2014" (in Danish). DR. Ritzau. 10 January 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  24. ^ "René Holten Poulsen er Årets Sportsnavn". Jyllands Posten (in Danish). 9 January 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  25. ^ "Pernille Blume vinder Årets Sportsnavn 2016". Berlingske (in Danish). Ritzau. 7 January 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  26. ^ "Victor Axelsen er Årets Sportsnavn 2017". Jyllands Posten (in Danish). 3 November 2012. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019.
  27. ^ "Wozniacki vinder Årets Sportsnavn 2018". TV2 (in Danish). Ritzau. 5 January 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  28. ^ "Verdensmester Mads Pedersen er Årets Sportsnavn". Jyllands Posten (in Danish). Ritzau. 5 January 2020. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  29. ^ "Guldkvartet er Årets Sportsnavn 2020" (in Danish). Ritzau. 2 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  30. ^ Andersen, Jacob (21 January 2022). "Viktor Axelsen er Årets Sportsnavn" (in Danish). Danmarks Idrætsforbund. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  31. ^ Kjær, Christian (7 January 2023). "Vingegaard er Årets Sportsnavn - TV 2" (in Danish). TV 2. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  32. ^ a b "Årets Sportsnavn". DIF | Danmarks Idrætsforbund (in Danish). Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  33. ^ Selmann, Philip (3 January 2026). "Mathias Gidsel vinder Årets Sportsnavn 2025: 'Den største anerkendelse'" [Mathias Gidsel wins Sports Name of the Year 2025: 'The greatest recognition']. DR (in Danish). Retrieved 3 January 2026.

Sources

  • Jensen, Jørgen Nørby (4 January 2026). "Årets Sportsnavn" [Sports Name of the Year]. Lex – Danmarks Nationalleksikon (in Danish). Retrieved 1 February 2026.
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