Viktor Axelsen, who won gold at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, was crowned Sports Name of the Year on Saturday.
This marks the third time in his career that Axelsen has received the honor, having also won it in 2017 and 2021. No other individual athlete has achieved this feat before. However, the Danish women’s handball team has also won the award three times.
The award is presented by the Danish Sports Confederation (DIF) and Team Denmark. In 2024, Axelsen made history by winning his third consecutive Olympic medal – the last two being gold.
The Olympic gold from the Paris Games was the primary reason Axelsen, on his 31st birthday, was celebrated on stage at the Boxen arena in Herning.
To applause from the audience, King Frederik revealed that the badminton player from Odense had once again claimed the prestigious prize.
Hans Natorp, chairman of DIF and a member of the judging committee, has an abundance of praise for Axelsen as an athlete.
“He is a tremendous winner, and everything in his life revolves around optimizing his performance on the court. That dedication has taken him far – including in 2024, where he dominated his opponents at the Olympics en route to his third consecutive Olympic medal,” said Hans Natorp.
“In addition to being the best on the court, Viktor Axelsen is also a huge role model who inspires both adults and children, on and off the court,” he added.
Axelsen was among the final three nominees for the award, along with the men’s national handball team and sailor Anne-Marie Rindom.
Team Denmark chairman Lars Krarup emphasized that Axelsen is a shining example of what determination and dedication can achieve.
“Winning Olympic gold for the second time in a row is a feat that cements his place as one of the greatest badminton players of all time. Despite setbacks such as injuries during the year, he managed to perform at the highest level at the Olympics. He is a major inspiration and an incredible role model for everyone in Danish sports,” said Lars Krarup.
At the Paris Olympics, the then 30-year-old from Funen dominated all his matches without dropping a single set on his way to the gold. In the final, he won convincingly with scores of 21-11, 21-11 over world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand. This achievement made him the first Danish badminton player to win Olympic gold twice and only the second player in history to win consecutive Olympic golds in men’s singles.
In addition to Olympic gold, Axelsen also secured titles in Malaysia and Hong Kong in 2024, despite struggling with injuries throughout the year.
The Sports Name of the Year award has been presented since 1991. Last year, the men’s national handball team won the award, while Jonas Vingegaard took the honor the year before.
In December, his international badminton colleagues also voted him as the world’s male badminton player of the year. Earlier on Saturday, Viktor Axelsen was further honored with the B.T. Gold award for his remarkable achievements in 2024.
Photo: Olympics.com
