The Denmark men’s national team has been named the best team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the ANOC Awards 2024, which took place on Wednesday, 30 October, in Cascais, Portugal.
The ANOC Awards is an event created by ANOC (the Association of the National Olympic Committees) in order to recognise and honour the achievements of the NOCs and their athletes as well as distinguished members of the Olympic Family. Held each year, the event is an opportunity for the world’s NOCs come together in a relaxed and entertaining environment and enjoy an evening celebrating sport.
Nine awards were handed out in a lavish one-hour ceremony held on Wednesday in Cascais, and the Denmark men’s national team was rewarded thanks to their fantastic performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where they won the gold medal by winning eight out of eight matches played, including a fantastic 39:26 win in the final against Germany.
“I am proud that our performance at the Olympic Games has been recognized so widely, also outside the world of handball. As a team, in addition to the game of handball, we also focus on having good camaraderie and playing with a joy and radiance that we are having fun together. I am glad that others have also noticed, and that makes the award as the best male team at the Olympics something very special, said coach Nikolaj Jacobsen, via a press release.
On the stage, the legendary Denmark right wing, Hans Lindberg, was there to collect the award for Denmark. The 43-year-old star, a two-time world champion and a two-time European champion, completed his trophy cabinet with an Olympic gold at Paris 2024, after missing out on the team at Tokyo 2020.
“Personally, it means a lot. I missed out on the Olympics in Rio and I was a reserve in Tokyo. To be 43 years old and part of this team and win the gold medal, it is a big honour for me,” said Lindberg on the stage.
Remembering the atmosphere in the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille, where Denmark secured the trophy, Lindberg got goosebumps.
“It was a crazy arena, with 27.000 people filling it, it was so good. We were prepared, confident that we can win and made a huge performance in the final,” added Lindberg.
Two athletes, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo and Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred, were named the best athletes at Paris 2024, while Italy women’s volleyball team was named the best female team at the previous edition of the Olympic Games.
The complete list of ANOC award winners is below.
Best Male Athlete of Paris – Letsile Tebogo
Best Female Athlete of Paris – Julien Alfred
Best Male Team of Paris – Denmark Handball (Award collected by Hans Lindberg)
Best Female Team of Paris – Italy Volleyball (Award collected by Carlota Cambi)
Best Male Team in Individual Sports – Japan Artistic Gymnastics (Award collected by Kaya Kazuma)
Best Female Team in Individual Sports – Team GB Track Cycling (Award collected by Katy Marchant, Sophie Capewell, and Emma Finucane)
Best Mixed Team – Austria’s Lukas Mähr and Lara Vadlau
Male Outstanding Career – Ma Long
Female Outstanding Career – Lisa Carrington
Photo credit: ANOC