Kristian Bak Eriksen, Wheelchair Rugby. Photo: Lars Bech.
They are Ready: 32 Danish Athletes to Participate in the Paralympic Games in Paris
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In two weeks, the Paralympic athletes will take over in Paris. The Danish Paralympic team is the largest in the Nordic region, with both reigning champions and promising debutants spread across nine sports.
The sports summer is momentarily on hold while Parisians and TV viewers worldwide recover from a magnificent Olympics. But for 32 Danish para-athletes, preparations for the Paralympic Games are now culminating, leading up to the official opening on Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde on Wednesday, August 28th. This will be followed by 12 days of competition, where the whole world can once again be fascinated and inspired by world-class sports in the iconic arenas around Paris.
The Danish participation in the Paralympic Games is organized by the National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark (DIF), Team Denmark, and Parasport Denmark. DIF Chairman Hans Natorp is looking forward to the second half of the Olympic summer.
“Paris has proven to be an excellent Olympic host, and there are all indications of a groundbreaking Paralympic Games. I believe we will see the Paralympic sports reaching new heights both in terms of athletic performance and popularity as para-athletes take over the streets of Paris,” says Hans Natorp.
The Danish Paralympic team consists of 22 men and 10 women, making it the largest delegation since the games in Athens in 2004. Twelve athletes compete in wheelchair rugby, while the remaining 20 are distributed among athletics, badminton, table tennis, cycling, dressage, shooting, swimming, and taekwondo.
President of Parasport Denmark, John Petersson, is proud of the squad Denmark is sending to Paris.
“We are by far the largest delegation in the Nordic region in Paris, and I believe the entire Danish team exudes athletic quality. All conditions are in place for us to take over from the Olympic team and continue the impressive Danish results. I hope Denmark is ready to provide the athletes with the same fantastic support both in Paris and from their homes,” says John Petersson.
The first Danish athletes will travel to Paris on August 22, and swimmer Alexander Hillhouse (from Kastrup) will likely be the first Dane in action when he takes to the Olympic pool in the morning of August 29.
Here are the Danish Paralympic athletes:
Athletics – 4
Daniel Wagner
Discipline: Long jump and 100 m (T63)
City: Aarhus
Club: Vejle IF
Bjørk Nørremark
Discipline: Long jump (T47)
City: Copenhagen
Club: Hvidovre Atletik & Motion
Emilie Aaen
Discipline: Long jump (T63)
City: Copenhagen
Club: Hvidovre Atletik & Motion
Christian Lykkeby Olsen
Discipline: 1500 m (T46)
City: Bonn, Germany
Club: Sparta Atletik & Løb
Badminton – 1
Cathrine Rosengren
Discipline: Women’s singles (SU5)
City: Copenhagen
Club: Greve Strand Badmintonklub
Table Tennis – 1
Peter Rosenmeier
Discipline: Men’s singles (MS6)
City: Bunkeflostrand, Sweden
Club: Amager BTK and Parasport Aalborg
Cycling – 2
Emma Lund
Discipline: Time trial and road race (T2)
City: Hellerup
Club: Ordrup Cykle Club and Roskilde Cykle Ring
Martin Heggelund
Discipline: Time trial and road race (T2)
City: Roskilde
Club: Roskilde Cykle Ring
Equestrian – 4
Tobias Thorning Jørgensen
Discipline: Individual, freestyle, and team (Grade III)
City: Give
Club: Klintholm Rideklub
Karla Dyhm Junge
Discipline: Individual, freestyle, and team (Grade III)
City: Skanderborg
Club: Kirstinelund Sportsrideklub
Katrine Kristensen
Discipline: Individual, freestyle, and team (Grade II)
City: Roskilde
Club: Nordvestsjællands Rideklub
Pia Wulff Jelstrup
Discipline: Individual, freestyle, and team (Grade IV)
City: Høng
Club: NOA
Wheelchair Rugby – 12
Morten Elmholt
City: Herning
Club: Aarhus Burnouts
Mark Peters
City: Lille Skensved
Club: Parasport Frederiksberg Falcons
Kristian Bak Eriksen
City: Copenhagen N
Club: Parasport Frederiksberg Falcons
Sofie Skoubo
City: Åbyhøj
Club: Aarhus Burnouts
Leon Jørgensen
City: Jyllinge
Club: Parasport Frederiksberg Falcons
Kurt Busk
City: Copenhagen SV
Club: Parasport Frederiksberg Falcons
Sebastian Frederiksen
City: Hillerød
Club: Parasport Frederiksberg Falcons
Mikkel Schöttel
City: Copenhagen N
Club: Parasport Frederiksberg Falcons
Kaare Momme Nielsen
City: Skanderborg
Club: Aarhus Burnouts
Jakob Mortensen
City: Aarhus
Club: Aarhus Burnouts
Thomas Pagh
City: Smørum
Club: Parasport Frederiksberg Falcons
Jesper Krüger
City: Harlev
Club: Aarhus Burnouts
Shooting – 5
Jan Winther
Discipline: 10 m air rifle, 50 m small-bore rifle (SH1)
City: Fredericia
Club: Bredstrup-Pjedsted Idrætsforening
Kasper Hjort Lousdal
Discipline: 10 m air rifle, 50 m small-bore rifle (SH1)
City: Hurup
Club: Skytteklubben DBS ASF Århus
Jens Frimann
Discipline: 50 m small-bore rifle (SH1)
City: Vordingborg
Club: Nykøbing Falster Skytteforening
Martin Black Jørgensen
Discipline: 10 m air rifle (SH1)
City: Dalmose
Club: Næstved Skytteforening
Buster Antonsen
Discipline: 10 m pistol, 25 m pistol, 50 m pistol (SH1)
City: Hellerup
Club: Skyttelauget Kongens Lyngby
Swimming – 2
Alexander Hillhouse
Discipline: 100 m butterfly, 200 m freestyle, 100 m backstroke
City: Kastrup
Club: Svømmeklubben KVIK Kastrup
Johanne Øland Frøkjær
Discipline: 100 m backstroke
City: Thisted
Club: Thisted Svømmeklub
Taekwondo – 1
Lisa Kjær
Discipline: Taekwondo (K44-65kg)
City: Ry
Club: Elite Vest