Inside this week | It has to be the pinnacle

I’ve read a few posters on our website despairing of the good old days when the amateurs ruled the roost – in other words toffs who could afford to compete and didn’t have to get up, lick the motorway clean and work 26 hours a day down a mine.

Sure, it’s not like there isn’t a wealth disparity today. Given the chance, most nations would prefer to drink the Olympic pool, not swim in it. And the world’s shanty towns and townships are hardly overflowing with dressage and yachting clubs.

But if you want to gripe about the Olympics, at least target the millionaire professionals with the sound argument that if winning a gold medal isn’t the pinnacle of achievement in your sport, you shouldn’t be there.

Football and tennis are the most obvious culprits. Every Games has a shameful moment, and for me – forget about the badminton –  it will be hard to top Maria Sharapova carrying her national flag at the opening ceremony. 

I’ve had bigger gripes though – like why every other sports broadcast these days is commentated on by somebody two seconds ahead of the action. Ball’s still at the corner flag … meanwhile: “ROAR!!!!” or “Nej, nej, nej, nej”.

No danger of that happening at the Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix this weekend, a splendid opportunity to sample what motorsport was like in bygone years. Sure, it was a sport for toffs then, and nothing’s really changed. It’s loud, frenetic and smells like the real deal, with the added bonus that you might get to see Prince Joachim crash his car.

Elsewhere, if you like fashion, reggae, watersports and paddling, you’re in luck. The ever-growing Fashion Festival will make catwalks of our streets from next Wednesday, the Harbour Festival is bringing culture and canoes to the city centre this weekend, while the Jamaican Independence celebrations will bring Kingston to København on Sunday.

Which fittingly is the day when the Jamaicans are expected to sweep the board in the 100-metre Olympic final – the absolute pinnacle of their sporting lives.




  • The Lynch Interviews: Fergal O’Byrne

    The Lynch Interviews: Fergal O’Byrne

    English-Australian writer and theatre director Stuart Lynch contributes a monthly column titled “The Lynch Interviews”. In this series, he engages with prominent internationals residing in Denmark or Danish individuals with a global perspective. For April, he interviews Irish playwright and writer Fergal O’Byrne, fresh from an acclaimed season of a new English-language play in Copenhagen.

  • Why your talented internationals aren’t moving up the ladder – and what to do about it

    Why your talented internationals aren’t moving up the ladder – and what to do about it

    Many internationals find it difficult to advance in their new workplaces, and some quietly leave. It’s not because they lack talent. In Denmark, careers are shaped not only by skills but also by cultural understanding, informal networks, and social signals. However, internationals may not be familiar with this system or know how to navigate it

  • The international behind Donkey Republic: how a Turkish systems thinker reimagined urban mobility in Denmark

    The international behind Donkey Republic: how a Turkish systems thinker reimagined urban mobility in Denmark

    Erdem Ovacık, co-founder of Donkey Republic, built one of Europe’s leading bike-sharing companies from Denmark — but success as an international entrepreneur hasn’t come easy

  • Denmark hits 66.2 million overnight stays: what’s fueling the rise?

    Denmark hits 66.2 million overnight stays: what’s fueling the rise?

    In 2024, Denmark saw 1.5 million more overnight stays than in 2023, bringing the total to 66.2 million staying in hotels, holiday centers, campsites, and youth hostels. It’s clear: after COVID-19, traveling is now back on the table. But the question is: why are people choosing Denmark?

  • World Cup in Ice Hockey will face off in Herning

    World Cup in Ice Hockey will face off in Herning

    As in 2018, Denmark will co-host the Ice Hockey World Championship. And once again, Herning and Jyske Bank Boxen will be the hosts. Denmark is in Pool B and starts tonight with a match against the USA, which, given the political tensions between the two countries, may be an icy affair.

  • Diplomatic tensions between US and Denmark after spying rumors

    Diplomatic tensions between US and Denmark after spying rumors

    A Wall Street Journal article describes that the US will now begin spying in Greenland. This worries the Danish foreign minister, who wants an explanation from the US’s leading diplomat. Greenlandic politicians think that Trump’s actions increase the sense of insecurity

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