CPH POST 2017 TOP 5: Danish Sports Personality of the Year

List dominated by footballers as men qualify for World Cup and women reach the final of Euro 2017

It’s impossible to compile such a list without some glaring omissions – a resurgent Caroline Wozniacki, for example.

While Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen, NFL wanabe Andreas ‘Thor’ Knappe and skater Elena Møller Rigas – a strong hope to grab Denmark’s first ever individual Winter Olympic medal – have made strong progress.

But none of them could make it into this top five, for whom the last 12 months have been truly spectacular.

5 Nikolaj Ehlers
Still only 21, the Winnipeg Jets winger signed a new seven-year contract worth 265 million kroner in the autumn following a season in which he scored 25 goals and 39 assists, ranking him third at the club and 30th equal in the NHL. Both the contract and points total (surpassing Frans Nielsen) were Danish records.

4 Nadia Nadim
The 29-year-old landed a Nike sponsorship deal, won worldwide acclaim for her performances at Euro 2017 and agreed a move to English Super League champs Manchester City. The stylish forward, who is training to be a surgeon, speaks nine languages fluently. And now her biggest challenge lies ahead: Mancunian.

3 Viktor Axelsen
Badminton might not be super lucrative, but its appeal is strong in India and China, and the new world number one is poised to capitalise. In August the 23-year-old became the first Danish world champion in men’s singles since Peter Rasmussen in 1997 and then followed the momentum to move to the top of the rankings in September.

2 Pernille Harder
Forget what UEFA said, Harder was the star player at Euro 2017. The 25-year-old forward’s equaliser to tie the game at 2-2 before half-time was one of the best women’s goals ever scored, and she was a constant threat every time she had the ball. She deserved better protection from the refs.

1 Christian Eriksen
The Tottenham midfielder scored 11 goals in 12 games in qualifying – 44 percent of his country’s total return – saving his best to last: a hat-trick away in Dublin in the second leg of Denmark’s 2018 World Cup playoff. Travelling to Russia without him is unthinkable.

TOP STORIES

  • Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    Bestselling author of ‘The Year of Living Danishly’ Helen Russell on why she moved back to the UK after 12 years

    After more than a decade living in Denmark, Russell shares why she made the move, how she’s coping, what she already misses, and the exciting new projects she’s working on. “It’s been a very tough decision. I love Denmark, and it will always hold a special place in my heart,” she says.

  • Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    Denmark launches first AI supercomputer

    The new Gefion AI supercomputer is one of the world’s fastest and will accelerate research and provide new opportunities in Danish academia and industry.

  • Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Navigating big love, big moves and big feelings

    Experts believe it takes seven years to move into a new culture, according to leading Danish psychologist Jette Simon and therapist Vibeke Hartkorn. For expat couples, the challenges of starting a new life together in Denmark can put pressure on relationships, but emotions-focused therapy can help.

  • More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    More and more Danes are working after retirement age

    Politicians debate a lot these days about when you can retire. The reality shows that an increasing number of Danes like to work, even if they can withdraw from the labor market. Financial incentives help.

  • Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Environmental activist fears death in prison if extradited to Japan

    Canadian-born environmental activist Paul Watson has been in prison in Greenland for almost 100 days awaiting an extradition decision for a 14-year-old offence against a Japanese whaling vessel that he calls a “minor misdemeanor”. The 73-year-old had previously passed through Ireland, Switzerland, Monaco, France and the USA without trouble, before Greenlandic police arrested him in July.

  • Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    Denmark too slow to ease recruitment rules for non-EU service workers, say industry associations

    When the Danish government in January presented the first of its schemes to make it easier to recruit foreign labour from outside the EU, it was hailed by the healthcare and service sectors as a timely and important policy shift. But while healthcare changes have been forthcoming, the service sector is still struggling, say the directors of the industry association Dansk Industri and one of the country’s largest private employers ISS.

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Career

  • Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    Come and join us at Citizens Days!

    On Friday 27 and Saturday 28 of September, The Copenhagen Post will be at International Citizen Days in Øksnehallen on Vesterbro, Copenhagen. Admission is free and thousands of internationals are expected to attend

  • Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Diversifying the Nordics: How a Nigerian economist became a beacon for inclusivity in Scandinavia

    Chisom Udeze, the founder of Diversify – a global organization that works at the intersection of inclusion, democracy, freedom, climate sustainability, justice, and belonging – shares how struggling to find a community in Norway motivated her to build a Nordic-wide professional network. We also hear from Dr. Poornima Luthra, Associate Professor at CBS, about how to address bias in the workplace.

  • Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality launches support package for accompanying spouses

    Lolland Municipality, home to Denmark’s largest infrastructure project – the Fehmarnbelt tunnel connection to Germany – has launched a new jobseeker support package for the accompanying partners of international employees in the area. The job-to-partner package offers free tailored sessions on finding a job and starting a personal business.

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