Danish Sports Name of the Year
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| Sports Name of the Year | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Årets Sportsnavn |
| Country | Denmark |
| Presented by | |
| First award | 1991 |
| Most wins | Denmark women's national handball team & Viktor Axelsen (3) |
The Sports Name of the Year (Danish: Årets Sportsnavn) is an annual award presented to the Danish sportsperson or team judged to have delivered the best performance of the year. The award was inaugurated in 1991 and is awarded jointly by the National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark (Danmarks Idrætsforbund, DIF) and Team Danmark; prior to 2019, DIF presented the award with the newspaper Jyllands-Posten.[1] In addition to the award the winner is granted a monetary prize, which as of 2019 stands at DKK 75,000.[1]
The Danish women's national handball team and Viktor Axelsen have won the award three times, the most of any team or individual. Six individuals (Mette Jacobsen, Eskild Ebbesen, Thomas Ebert, Tom Kristensen, Caroline Wozniacki and Lasse Norman Hansen) have won the award twice.
The most recent winner was handball player Mathias Gidsel, who received the award in January 2026 for the 2025 year.
By year
- Numbers in parentheses indicate a multiple award winner.
- The "finalists" column refers to the other nominees shortlisted for the award
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By number of wins
The table below lists the individuals and teams who have won Sports Name of the Year more than once.
| No. | Winner | Sport | Years won |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Denmark women's national handball team | Handball | 1993, 1994, 2000 |
| Viktor Axelsen | Badminton | 2017, 2021, 2024 | |
| 2 | Mette Jacobsen | Swimming | 1991, 1995 |
| Eskild Ebbesen | Rowing | 1998, 2004 | |
| Thomas Ebert | |||
| Tom Kristensen | Auto racing | 2002, 2005 | |
| Caroline Wozniacki | Tennis | 2010, 2018 | |
| Lasse Norman Hansen | Cycling | 2012, 2020 | |
| Denmark men's national handball team | Handball | 2008, 2023 |
By sport
The table below lists the total number of Sports Name of the Year awards won by the winners' sporting profession.
| No. | Sport | Years won |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Handball | 1993, 1994, 2000, 2008, 2023, 2025 |
| 5 | Swimming | 1991, 1995, 2009, 2011, 2016 |
| Cycling | 1996, 2012, 2019, 2020, 2022 | |
| 4 | Badminton | 1999, 2017, 2021, 2024 |
| 3 | Rowing | 1998, 2004, 2007 |
| 2 | Auto racing | 2002, 2005 |
| Tennis | 2010, 2018 | |
| 1 | Sailing | 1992 |
| Athletics | 1997 | |
| Golf | 2001 | |
| Speedway | 2003 | |
| Boxing | 2006 | |
| Archery | 2013 | |
| Triathlon | 2014 | |
| Canoe sprint | 2015 |