Denmark national speedway team

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Denmark
Flag of Denmark.svg
AssociationDanish Motor Union
Danmarks Motor Union
FIM codeDMU
Nation colourWhite and Red
SWC Wins15
(1978, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014)

The Denmark national speedway team are one of the major teams in international motorcycle speedway.

Contents

History

It was not until the emergence of rider Ole Olsen that the Danish speedway team came to prominence. Previously the international scene had been largely dominated by Sweden, Poland and Great Britain. [1] When he was joined in the team by Hans Nielsen, Denmark became a major contender for honours and won the 1978 Speedway World Team Cup in West Germany. [2] [3]

The team were the dominant force throughout the 1980s, winning seven World Cups, including a record six world titles in a row, between 1983 and 1988. Other key riders during the period were Erik Gundersen, Tommy Knudsen, Jan O. Pedersen and Finn Thomsen. [4] [5]

Further World Cup wins came in 1991, 1995, 1997, 2006, 2008, 2012 and 2014, with Nicki Pedersen and Niels Kristian Iversen each claiming four wins. Denmark have won the Speedway World Cup / Speedway World Team Cup a record 15 times, with Nielsen being a rider on 11 of those occasions. [6] The team were managed by Hans Nielsen from 2016 to 2023.

Additionally, they won the defunct Speedway World Pairs Championship a record eight times.

Major tournament wins

World Team Championships

YearVenueStandings (Pts)Denmark Riders and Pts
1978 Flag of Germany.svg
Landshut
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (37)
2. Flag of England.svg England (27)
3. Flag of Poland.svg Poland (16)
4. Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czechoslovakia (16)
Hans Nielsen 11
Ole Olsen 10
Mike Lohmann 9
Finn Thomsen 7
Kristian Praestbro -
1981 Flag of Germany.svg
Olching
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (36)
2. Flag of England.svg England (29)
3. Flag of Germany.svg West Germany (28)
4. Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union (3)
Hans Nielsen11
Erik Gundersen 9
Tommy Knudsen 9
Ole Olsen6
Finn Thomsen1
1983 Flag of Denmark.svg
Vojens
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (37)
2. Flag of England.svg England (29)
3. Flag of the United States.svg USA (27)
4. Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czechoslovakia (3)
Erik Gundersen12
Hans Nielsen11
Ole Olsen7
Peter Ravn 7
Finn Thomsen0
1984 Flag of Poland.svg
Leszno
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (44)
2. Flag of England.svg England (24)
3. Flag of the United States.svg USA (20)
4. Flag of Poland.svg Poland (8)
Erik Gundersen12
Bo Petersen 12
Hans Nielsen11
Preben Eriksen 9
Peter Ravn-
1985 Flag of the United States.svg
Long Beach
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (37)
2. Flag of the United States.svg USA (35)
3. Flag of England.svg England (13)
4. Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden (10)
Tommy Knudsen 12
Erik Gundersen10
Hans Nielsen10
Preben Eriksen5
Bo Petersen0
1986 Flag of Sweden.svg
Gothenburg
Flag of Denmark.svg
Vojens
Flag of England.svg
Odsal
Best of three events
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (9)
2. Flag of the United States.svg USA (4)
3. Flag of England.svg England (3)
4. Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden (2)
Hans Nielsen35
Erik Gundersen33
Tommy Knudsen 33
Jan O. Pedersen 20
John Jørgensen 8
1987 Flag of Denmark.svg
Fredericia
Flag of England.svg
Coventry
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg
Prague
Best of three events
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (130)
2. Flag of England.svg England (101)
3. Flag of the United States.svg USA (93)
4. Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czechoslovakia (36)
Hans Nielsen38
Erik Gundersen33
Jan O. Pedersen32
Tommy Knudsen27
1988 Flag of the United States.svg
Long Beach
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (44)
2. Flag of the United States.svg USA (32)
3. Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden (22)
4. Flag of England.svg England (22)
Hans Nielsen14
Jan O. Pedersen12
Erik Gundersen8
Tommy Knudsen8
John Jørgensen2
1991 Flag of Denmark.svg
Vojens
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (51)
2. Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden (30)
3. Flag of the United States.svg USA (28)
4. Flag of England.svg England (11)
Jan O. Pedersen15
Hans Nielsen14
Tommy Knudsen13
Gert Handberg 8
Brian Karger 1
1995 Flag of Poland.svg
Bydgoszcz
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (28)
2. Flag of England.svg England (22)
3. Flag of the United States.svg USA (19)
4. Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden (19)
5. Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (14)
6. Flag of Poland.svg Poland (13)
7. Flag of Norway.svg Norway (11)
Tommy Knudsen15+3
Hans Nielsen13+2
Brian Karger0
1997 Flag of Poland.svg
Pila
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (27)
2. Flag of Poland.svg Poland (25)
3. Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden (21)
4. Flag of Germany.svg Germany (17)
5. Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic (16)
6. Flag of Russia.svg Russia (10)
7. Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary (9)
Hans Nielsen14+3
Tommy Knudsen13+2
Jesper B. Jensen -
2006 Flag of England.svg
Reading
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (45)
2. Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (37)
3. Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden (36)
4. Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (35)
Nicki Pedersen 13
Hans Andersen 12
Bjarne Pedersen 9
Charlie Gjedde 6
Niels Kristian Iversen 5
2008 Flag of Denmark.svg
Vojens
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (49)
2. Flag of Poland.svg Poland (37)
3. Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden (39)
4. Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (21)
Hans Andersen11
Nicki Pedersen11
Bjarne Pedersen11
Kenneth Bjerre 9
Niels Kristian Iversen7
2012 Flag of Sweden.svg
Målilla
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (39)
2. Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (36)
3. Flag of Russia.svg Russia(30)
4. Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden (24)
Niels Kristian Iversen11
Michael Jepsen Jensen 11
Nicki Pedersen9
Mikkel B Jensen 8
2014 Flag of Poland.svg
Bydgoszcz
1. Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (38)
2. Flag of Poland.svg Poland (36)
3. Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia (36)
4. Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (16)
Nicki Pedersen17
Niels-Kristian Iversen11
Peter Kildemand 7
Mads Korneliussen 3

World Pairs Championship

YearRiders
1979 Ole Olsen & Hans Nielsen
1985 Erik Gundersen & Tommy Knudsen
1986 Hans Nielsen & Erik Gundersen
1987 Hans Nielsen & Erik Gundersen
1988 Hans Nielsen & Erik Gundersen
1989 Hans Nielsen & Erik Gundersen
1990 Hans Nielsen & Jan O. Pedersen
1991 Hans Nielsen, Jan O. Pedersen & Tommy Knudsen

European Pairs Championship

YearRiders
2022 Rasmus Jensen, Michael Jepsen Jensen & Jonas Seifert-Salk

International caps (as of 2022)

Since the advent of the Speedway Grand Prix era, international caps earned by riders is largely restricted to international competitions, whereas previously test matches between two teams were a regular occurrence. This means that the number of caps earned by a rider has decreased in the modern era. [7]

RiderCaps
Andersen, Brian 12
Andersen, Hans 22
Andersen, Jan 1
Andersen, Morten 1
Andreasen, Godtfred 2
Bech, Mikkel 2
Berlin, Leif 4
Berthelsen, Kiehn 13
Bjerre, Kenneth 17
Busk, Alf 8
Clausen, Hans 8
Ellegaard, Knud 1
Eriksen, Preben 41
Eskildsen, John 11
Gjedde, Charlie 11
Glanz, Peter 3
Gundersen, Erik 91
Handberg, Gert 20
Hansen, Kurt 1
Henningsen, Jan Rene 2
Hougaard, Patrick 1
Iversen, Niels Kristian 24
Jacobsen, Claus 3
Jensen, Bengt Norregaard 5
Jensen, Finn Rune 9
Jensen, Michael Jepsen 3
Johansen, Allan 5
Jørgensen, John 54
Juul, Richard 1
Karger, Brian 30
Kjaer, Jens Erik Krause 1
Klindt, Nicolai 5
Knudsen, Tommy 81
Korneliussen, Mads 2
Lohmann, Mike 17
Madsen, Leon 2
Madsen, Tom P. 1
Monberg, Jesper B. 7
Munkedal, Lars 4
Nielsen, Hans 118
Nielsen, Jens Henry 3
Nikolajsen, Sam 7
Noer, Kent 4
Olsen, Jacob 4
Olsen, Ole 50
Pander, Arne 16
Pedersen, Bjarne 29
Pedersen, Flemming 3
Pedersen, Jan Henrik 3
Pedersen, Jan O. 42
Pedersen, Nicki 30
Pedersen, Ronni 6
Petersen, Bo 59
Petersen, Kurt W. 5
Præstbro, Kristian 6
Rasmussen, Bent 3
Rasmussen, Jens 17
Ravn, Peter 42
Risager, Morten 1
Rosenkilde, Preben 1
Sørensen, Per 3
Stæchmann, Jan 13
Thomsen, Finn 30
Vinther, Martin 1
Weiss, Neils 2

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References

  1. Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 134. ISBN   0-904584-45-3.
  2. Bott, Richard (1980). The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4. Stanley Paul & Co Ltd. p. 98. ISBN   0-09-141751-1.
  3. "1978 WORLD TEAM CUP". International Speedway. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  4. Matthews/Morrison, Peter/Ian (1987). The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records and Results. Guinness Superlatives. p. 290. ISBN   0-85112-492-5.
  5. Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. pp. 27–28. ISBN   0-86215-017-5.
  6. "FIM SPEEDWAY WORLD CUP/ SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS" (PDF). Motor Sport Top 20. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  7. "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 6 October 2023.