Faster, Higher, Stronger

Citius, Altius, Forties

Athletics is the largest single sport at the Games, it features 2,000 athletes running, walking, jumping and throwing. There are 47 events, 24 for men and 23 for women. There will be 510 adjustable hurdles used throughout the Athletics competition.

All non-road Athletics events will be held at the Olympic Stadium in the new Olympic Park. This state-of-the-art venue, which will have a capacity of 80,000, will also host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.


Denmark has still not obtained any gold medals in athletic, although Denmark has gained three medals in the last three Olympics.  One of the recent medals was a bronze medal in Athena 2004 in shot-put by Joachim B. Olsen. (I went to the circus this summer in Århus and sat just behind him).

Kipketer running for Denmark

Wilson kipketer is the only Danish athlete to ever win two medals in athletics. Kipketer won silver in 2000 in 800 metres run and won bronze in same category in 2004. He is a former world record holder at 800 meters outdoors and he still has the world record of 800 metres indoors and 1000 metres indoors. Kipketer ended his career as a runner in 2005.

13 Danes have the opportunity to attend in London, but out of the 13 athletes only one has ever competed at an Olympics before, the 29 year old, Morten Jensen. Morten is competing in long jump. This year in the European Cup in Paris, Morten came third and won bronze.

The only Dane in Athletics, who is 100% sure of her qualification is Sara Slott Petersen. Sara attended the youth Olympic Games in 2003. The 24 year old, is attending in 400 metres hurdles.

We have never been a big nation in athletics, like America or most African countries, so it is definitely not the sport I would put my money on for us to win any medals in.


The history of the Marathon: In 1908, the race’s distance was extended from around 25 miles to 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometres) so that it finished in front of the Royal Box. This distance became standard for the Marathon and is still used today.