title: Denmark at the 1948 Summer Olympics
text: # Denmark at the 1948 Summer Olympics
  
  Denmark competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England. 162 competitors, 144 men and 18 women, took part in 83 events in 17 sports.
  
  ## Medalists
  
  | Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Gold | Greta Andersen | Swimming | Women's 100 m freestyle | 2 August |
  | Gold | Karen Harup | Swimming | Women's 100 m backstroke | 5 August |
  | Gold | Carl-Ebbe Andersen Tage Henriksen Finn Pedersen | Rowing | Men's coxed pair | 9 August |
  | Gold | Karen Hoff | Canoeing | Women's K-1 500 m | 12 August |
  | Gold | Paul Elvstrøm | Sailing | Men's Firefly | 12 August |
  | Silver | Karen Lachmann | Fencing | Women's foil individual | 2 August |
  | Silver | Greta Andersen Fritze Carstensen Karen Harup Eva Riise | Swimming | Women's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay | 6 August |
  | Silver | Karen Harup | Swimming | Women's 400 m freestyle | 7 August |
  | Silver | Aage Larsen Ebbe Parsner | Rowing | Men's doubles sculls | 9 August |
  | Silver | Ib Storm Larsen Helge Schrøder Helge Halkjær Aksel Hansen | Rowing | Men's coxless fours | 9 August |
  | Silver | Johan Andersen | Canoeing | Men's K-1 1000 m | 12 August |
  | Silver | Ejvind Hansen Bernhard Jensen | Canoeing | Men's K-2 1000 m | 12 August |
  | Bronze | Lily Carlstedt | Athletics | Women's javelin throw | 31 July |
  | Bronze | Henrik Hansen | Wrestling | Men's Greco-Roman welterweight | 6 August |
  | Bronze | Birte Christoffersen | Diving | Women's 10 m platform | 6 August |
  | Bronze | Axel Schandorff | Cycling | Men's Sprint | 9 August |
  | Bronze | Børge Nielsen Jørgen Olsen Harry Knudsen Erik Larsen Henry Larsen | Rowing | Men's coxed four | 9 August |
  | Bronze | Klaus Baess Ole Berntsen William Berntsen | Sailing | Men's Dragon | 12 August |
  | Bronze | Svend Wad | Boxing | Men's Lightweight | 13 August |
  | Bronze | Denmark national football teamKnud Bastrup-BirkHans ColbergEdvin HansenJohn HansenJørgen W. HansenKarl Aage HansenErik Kuld JensenIvan JensenOve JensenViggo JensenPer KnudsenKnud LundbergEigil NielsenKnud Børge OvergaardPoul PetersenAxel PilmarkJohannes PløgerKarl Aage PræstHolger SeebachErling SørensenJørgen Leschly SørensenDion Ørnvold | Football | Men's competition | 13 August |
  
  ## Athletics
  
  ### Track & road events
  
  | Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
  | Herluf Christensen | 800 metres | DNF | DNF | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  | Niels Holst-Sørensen | 800 metres | 1:54.2 | 1 Q | 1:52.4 | 3 Q | 1:54.0 | 9 |
  | Erik Jørgensen | 1500 metres | 3:54.2 | 2 Q | — | — | 3:56.1 | 9 |
  | Henning Larsen | Marathon | — | — | — | — | 2:41:22.0 | 10 |
  | Ingvard Nielsen | 1500 metres | 4:01.7 | 7 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  | Alf Olesen | 3000 m steeplechase | 9:33.6 | 5 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  | Aage Poulsen | 5000 metres | DNF | DNF | — | — | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  
  ### Field events
  
  | Athlete | Event | Qualification | Qualification | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Distance | Position | Distance | Position |
  | Poul Cederquist | Hammer throw | 48.16 | 15 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  | Svend Aage Frederiksen | Hammer throw | 51.35 | 4 Q | 50.07 | 10 |
  | Preben Larsen | Triple jump | 14.520 | 14 q | 14.830 | 4 |
  
  ### Track & road events
  
  | Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank |
  | Bente Bergendorff | 100 metres | 12.6 | 2 Q | NT | 4 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  | Birthe Nielsen | 100 metres | 12.9 | 2 Q | 12.5 | 3 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  | Grethe Lovsø Nielsen | 100 metres | 12.6 | 1 Q | 12.7 | 3 | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  | Bente Bergendorff Grethe Lovsø Nielsen Birthe Nielsen Hilde Nissen | 4 × 100 m relay | 48.1 | 2 Q | — | — | 48.2 | 5 |
  
  ### Field events
  
  | Athlete | Event | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Distance | Position |
  | Lily Carlstedt-Kelsby | Javelin throw | 42.08 | |
  | Anne Iversen | High jump | 1.50 | 9 |
  
  ## Boxing
  
  ### Men
  
  | Athlete | Event | 1 Round | 2 Round | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Opposition Result | Rank |
  | Erik Thastum | Bantamweight | Olavi Ouvinen (FIN) L PTS | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  | Svend Aage Sørensen | Featherweight | Pedro Garcia (PER) L PTS | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  | Svend Wad | Lightweight | Gene Raymond (IND) W PTS | Alberto Boullosa (URU) W PTS | Maxie McCullagh (IRL) W PTS | Gerald Dreyer (RSA) L PTS | Wallace Smith (USA) W WO | |
  | Christian Kristensen | Welterweight | Max Shacklady (GBR) L KO-3 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  | Martin Hansen | Middleweight | Evert Johanson (NOR) W KO-1 | Aimé-Joseph Escudie (FRA) L PTS | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  | Erik Jensen | Light Heavyweight | Chuck Spieser (USA) L PTS | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  
  ## Canoeing
  
  ### Sprint
  
  **Men**
  
  | Athlete | Event | Heats | Heats | Repechages | Repechages | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank |
  | Johan Frederik Kobberup | K-1 1000 m | 4:40.9 | 1 Q | — | — | — | — | 4:39.9 | |
  | Knud Ditlevsen | K-1 10000 m | — | — | — | — | — | — | 51:54.2 | 4 |
  | Ejvind Hansen Bernhard Jensen | K-2 1000 m | NT | 1 Q | — | — | — | — | 4:07.5 | |
  | Alfred Christensen Finn Rasmussen | K-2 10000 m | — | — | — | — | — | — | 47:17.5 | 4 |
  
  **Women**
  
  | Athlete | Event | Heats | Heats | Repechages | Repechages | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank |
  | Karen Hoff | K-1 500 m | 2:32.2 | 1 Q | — | — | — | — | 2:31.9 | |
  
  ## Cycling
  
  Eleven cyclists, all men, represented Denmark in 1948.
  
  ### Road
  
  | Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Knud Andersen | Men's road race | 5:39:57.2 | 28 |
  | Børge Saxil Nielsen | Men's road race | DNF | DNF |
  | Kristian Pedersen | Men's road race | 5:39:57.2 | 27 |
  | Rudolf Rasmussen | Men's road race | DNF | DNF |
  | Kristian Pedersen Knud Andersen Børge Saxil Nielsen Rudolf Rasmussen | Team road race | DNF | DNF |
  
  ### Track
  
  **1000m time trial**
  
  | Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Axel Schandorff | Men's 1000m time trial | 1:15.5 | 5 |
  
  **Men's Sprint**
  
  | Athlete | Event | Heats | Repechage 1 | Round 2 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Time Speed (km/h) | Rank | Opposition Time Speed (km/h) | Opposition Time Speed (km/h) | Opposition Time Speed (km/h) | Opposition Time Speed (km/h) | Rank |
  | Axel Schandorff | Men's sprint | Bazzano (AUS) W 1:49.8 | BYE | Welt (AUT) W 1:49.6 | Heid (USA) W 2:0 | Ghella (ITA) L 0-2 | Bazzano (AUS) W 2-0 | |
  
  **Men's Tandem**
  
  | Athlete | Event | Heats | Repechage | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Opposition Time Speed (km/h) | Opposition Time Speed (km/h) | Opposition Time Speed (km/h) | Opposition Time Speed (km/h) | Opposition Time Speed (km/h) | Rank |
  | Hans Andresen Evan Klamer | Tandem | Van Schill De Pauw (BEL) W 4:53.6 | BYE | Faye Dron (FRA) L 0-2 | Did not advance | Did not advance | 5 |
  
  **Pursuit**
  
  | Athlete | Event | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Time | Opposition Time | Opposition Time | Opposition Time | Rank |
  | Max Jørgensen Børge Gissel Børge Mortensen Benny Schnoor | Team pursuit | — | Australia (AUS) W 5:04.1 Q | Great Britain (GBR) L 5:05.6 | Did not advance | 5 |
  
  ## Diving
  
  ### Men
  
  | Athlete | Event | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Points | Rank |
  | Thomas Christiansen | 3 m springboard | 114.59 | 8 |
  | Thomas Christiansen | 10m platform | 105.22 | 6 |
  
  ### Women
  
  | Athlete | Event | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Points | Rank |
  | Inge Beeken | 10m platform | 59.54 | 8 |
  | Birte Christoffersen | 3 m springboard | 87.12 | 9 |
  | Birte Christoffersen | 10m platform | 66.04 | |
  
  ## Equestrian
  
  ### Eventing
  
  | Athlete | Horse | Event | Dressage | Dressage | Cross-country | Cross-country | Cross-country | Jumping | Jumping | Jumping | Total | Total |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Total |||
  | Athlete | Horse | Event | Penalties | Rank | Penalties | Total | Rank | Penalties | Total | Rank | Penalties | Rank |
  | Erik Carlsen | Esja | Individual | 113.00 | 14 | 69 | 44 | 11 | 0 | 44 | 5 | 44 | 5 |
  | Kai Aage Krarup | Rollo | Individual | 114.00 | 16 | 63 | 51 | 15 | 14 | 65 | 14 | 65 | 14 |
  | Niels Mikkelsen | St. Hans | Individual | 108.00 | 8 | 78 | 30 | 5 | DSQ | DSQ | DSQ | Did not finish | Did not finish |
  | Erik Carlsen Kai Aage Krarup Niels Mikkelsen | See above | Team | 335 | 4 | 210 | 125 | 1 | AC | AC | AC | Did not finish | Did not finish |
  
  ### Show jumping
  
  | Athlete | Horse | Event | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Horse | Event | Penalties | Rank |
  | Otto Mønsted Acthon | Please | Individual | DNF | DNF |
  | Jeppe Johannes Ladegaard-Mikkelsen | Atom | Individual | DNF | DNF |
  | Torben Tryde | Attila | Individual | DNF | DNF |
  | Otto Mønsted Acthon Jeppe Johannes Ladegaard-Mikkelsen Torben Tryde | See above | Team | DNF | DNF |
  
  ## Fencing
  
  15 fencers, 12 men and 3 women, represented Denmark in 1948.
  
  ### Men's foil
  
  * Ivan Ruben
  * Aage Leidersdorff
  * Ole Albrechtsen
  
  ### Men's team foil
  
  * Ivan Ruben, Ole Albrechtsen, Aage Leidersdorff, Tage Jørgensen, Ivan Osiier, Flemming Vögg
  
  ### Men's épée
  
  * Mogens Lüchow
  * Ib Nielsen
  
  ### Men's team épée
  
  * Mogens Lüchow, Erik Andersen, Ib Nielsen, René Dybkær, Jakob Lyng, Kenneth Flindt
  
  ### Men's sabre
  
  * Aage Leidersdorff
  * Ivan Ruben
  * Ivan Osiier
  
  ### Women's foil
  
  * Karen Lachmann
  * Grete Olsen
  * Kate Mahaut
  
  ## Field hockey
  
  ### Group stage
  
  The first of each group and also the second of Group C qualified for the Semi-finals.
  
     ### Group C
  
  | Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Pakistan | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 3 | +17 | 8 | Semi-finals |
  | 2 | Netherlands | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 6 | Semi-finals |
  | 3 | Belgium | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 4 | |
  | 4 | France | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 1 | |
  | 5 | Denmark | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 17 | −13 | 1 | |
  
  * 31 July 1948
  
  | Denmark | 2–2 | France |
  | - | - | - |
  
  * 2 August 1948
  
  | Netherlands | 4–1 | Denmark |
  | - | - | - |
  
  * 3 August 1948
  
  | Pakistan | 9–0 | Denmark |
  | - | - | - |
  
  * 5 August 1948
  
  | Belgium | 2–1 | Denmark |
  | - | - | - |
  
  ## Rowing
  
  Denmark had 25 male rowers participate in six out of seven rowing events in 1948.
  
  ### Men
  
  | Athlete | Event | Heats | Heats | Repechage | Repechage | Quarterfinal | Quarterfinal | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank |
  | Aage Larsen Ebbe Parsner | Double sculls | 6:50.1 | 1 Q | BYE | BYE | — | — | 7:48.3 | 1 Q | 6:55.3 | |
  | Søren Jensen Jørn Snogdahl | Coxless pair | 7:28.3 | 3 R | 7:26.4 | 1 Q | — | — | 7:54.3 | 2 | Did not advance | 4 |
  | Carl-Ebbe Andersen Tage Henriksen Finn Pedersen | Coxed pair | 7:51.7 | 2 Q | 7:51.2 | 1 Q | — | — | 8:12.7 | 1 Q | 8:00.5 | |
  | Aksel Bonde Helge Halkjær Helge Muxoll Schrøder Ib Storm Larsen | Coxless four | 6:40.5 | 2 R | 6:35.1 | 1 Q | — | — | 7:13.8 | 1 Q | 6:43.5 | |
  | Erik Larsen Henry Larsen Ib Olsen Børge Raahauge Nielsen Harry Knudsen | Coxed four | 6:52.5 | 1 Q | BYE | BYE | 7:21.3 | 1 Q | 7:31.3 | 1 Q | 6:58.6 | |
  | Jarl Emcken Børge Hougaard Poul Korup Holger Larsen Ib Nielsen Niels Rasmussen Gerhardt Sørensen Niels Wamberg Charles Willumsen | Eights | 6:17.6 | 3 R | 6:09.4 | 2 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | 8 |
  
  ## Sailing
  
  ### Open
  
  | Athlete | Event | Race | Race | Race | Race | Race | Race | Race | Net points | Final rank |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Net points | Final rank |
  | Paul Elvstrøm | Firefly | DNF | 6 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5543 | |
  | Johan Rathje Naalli Petersen | Swallow | 8 | 7 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 2935 | 5 |
  | William Berntsen Klaus Baess Ole Berntsen | Dragon | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4223 | |
  | Troels la Cour Bruno Clausen Svend Iversen René la Cour Hans Sørensen A. Eiermann Eyvin Schiøttz | 6 Metre | 10 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 1648 | 10 |
  
  ## Shooting
  
  Seven shooters represented Denmark in 1948.
  
  ### Men
  
  | Athlete | Event | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Score | Rank |
  | Børge Christensen | Men's 50 metre rifle prone | 585 | 42 |
  | Axel Lerche | Men's 25 metre pistol | 540 | 31 |
  | Gregers Münter | Men's 25 metre pistol | 498 | 51 |
  | Gustaf Nielsen | Men's 300 metre rifle three positions | 1057 | 19 |
  | Gustaf Nielsen | Men's 50 metre rifle prone | 595 | 11 |
  | Erik Sætter-Lassen | Men's 50 metre rifle prone | 588 | 32 |
  | Uffe Schultz Larsen | Men's 300 metre rifle three positions | 1047 | 21 |
  | Charles Villholth | Men's 25 metre pistol | 523 | 41 |
  
  ## Swimming
  
  ### Women
  
  | Athlete | Event | Heat | Heat | Semifinal | Semifinal | Final | Final |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Time | Rank | Time | Rank | Time | Rank |
  | Greta Andersen | 100 metre freestroke | 1:07.0 | 3 Q | 1:05.9 | 1 Q | 1:06.3 | |
  | Greta Andersen | 400 metre freestroke | DNF | 19 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance |
  | Fritze Carstensen | 100 metre freestroke | 1:06.5 | 1 Q | 1:07.5 | 2 Q | 1:09.1 | 8 |
  | Fritze Carstensen | 400 metre freestroke | 5:29.4 | 3 Q | 5:29.5 | 5 Q | 5:29.4 | 7 |
  | Jytte Hansen | 200 metre breaststroke | 3:09.1 | 2 Q | 3:05.5 | 3 Q | 3:08.1 | 8 |
  | Karen Margrethe Harup | 100 metre freestroke | 1:08.4 | 8 Q | 1:08.7 | 8 q | 1:08.1 | 4 |
  | Karen Margrethe Harup | 400 metre freestroke | 5:31.7 | 7 Q | 5:25.7 OR | 1 Q | 5:21.2 | |
  | Karen Margrethe Harup | 100 metre backstroke | 1:15.6 | 1 Q | 1:15.5 OR | 1 Q | 1:14.4 OR | |
  | Eva Arndt-Riise Karen Margrethe Harup Greta Andersen Fritze Carstensen Elvi Svendsen | 4 x 100 metre freestyle | 4:33.5 | 1 Q | — | — | 4:29.6 | |
  
  ## Weightlifting
  
  ### Men
  
  | Athlete | Event | Military Press | Military Press | Snatch | Snatch | Clean & Jerk | Clean & Jerk | Total | Rank |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Total | Rank |
  | Johan Runge | 60 kg | 95 | 4 | 90 | 12 | 120 | 8 | 305 | 7 |
  | Jørgen Fryd Petersen | 67.5 kg | 90 | 14 | 97.5 | 10 | 127.5 | 9 | 315 | 10 |
  | Jørgen Moritzen | 75 kg | 87.5 | 22 | 95 | 17 | DNS | DNS | DNF | DNF |
  | Niels Petersen | +82.5 kg | 115 | 9 | 112.5 | 7 | 155 | 5 | 382.5 | 6 |
  
  ## Wrestling
  
  ### Men's Greco-Roman
  
  | Athlete | Event | Elimination pool | Elimination pool | Elimination pool | Elimination pool | Elimination pool | Final round | Final round |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Athlete | Event | Round 1 Result | Round 2 Result | Round 3 Result | Round 4 Result | Round 5 Result | Final round Result | Rank |
  | Svend Aage Thomsen | −52 kg | Pietro Lombardi (ITA) L 0–3 | Kenan Olcay (TUR) L 0-3 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | 11 |
  | Kolle Lejserowitz | −57 kg | Mahmoud Hassan (EGY) L 1-2 | Reidar Merli (NOR) L 0–0 P | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | 11 |
  | Abraham Kurland | −67 kg | Alfred Jauch (SUI) W RET | Charif Damage (LIB) L 0–3 | Gustav Freij (SWE) L 2-1 | Did not advance | Did not advance | Did not advance | 9 |
  | Henrik Hansen | −73 kg | Kemal Munir (EGY) W F | Gösta Andersson (SWE) L 0–3 | Bjørn Cook (NOR) W 3-0 | Josef Schmidt (AUT) W F | Miklós Szilvási (HUN) L F | Did not advance | |
  | Erling Stuer Lauridsen | −87 kg | Ibrahim Mahgoub (LIB) W 3-0 | Peter Enzinger (AUT) W F | Karl-Erik Nilsson (SWE) L 0-3 | Kelpo Gröndahl (FIN) L F | Did not advance | Did not advance | 6 |
  
  ## Art competitions
  
  | Athlete | Event | Category | Title | Rank |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Josef Petersen | Literature | Epic works | "The Olympic Champion" | |
  | Erling Brene | Music | Choral and orchestral | "Vigeur" | |
  | Knud Nellemose | Sculpture | Statues | "Young Man with Discus", "Head of a Boxer" | NM |
  | Knud Nellemose | Sculpture | Medals and plaques | "Group of Wrestlers", "Football Players" | NM |
  