Photo: Unknown (Nordisk Pressefoto) — Public domainSource
Erik Hansen
- November 15, 1939
- September 29, 2014
- 74 years
About Erik Hansen
Erik Hansen, 74, Danish canoeist, Olympic champion (1960).
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60 Seconds Life Story
Erik Hansen was a legendary Danish sprint canoeist who left an indelible mark on Olympic history.
Erik Hansen
1939 – 2014
60 Seconds: Erik Hansen's Life Story
A look at the life and achievements of Danish sprint canoeist and Olympic gold medalist Erik Hansen.
Transcript
Erik Hansen was a legendary Danish sprint canoeist who left an indelible mark on Olympic history. Born in 1939, he began a remarkable career that spanned decades of international competition. At the 1960 Olympics, he achieved his greatest success by winning a gold medal in the singles event. His dominance continued at the 1968 Olympics, where he earned two additional bronze medals for Denmark. Beyond the games, he proved his consistency by winning 37 Danish titles and multiple European Championship medals between 1958 and 1972. In 1968, he proudly served as the Olympic flag bearer for his home nation. By the time he retired, he had secured five prestigious medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships. Erik Hansen passed away in 2014 at the age of 74, remembered as a true champion.
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Visual credits: Unknown (Nordisk Pressefoto) (Public domain) · Self-photographed (CC BY-SA 3.0) · EUA levam ouro na ginástica artística feminina; Brasil fica em 8º lugar (CC BY 2.0) · National Museum of Denmark (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Official Olympic Report (Public domain) · Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Unknown (Nordisk Pressefoto) (Public domain)
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Full Biography
|Erik Rosendahl Hansen (15 November 1939 – 30 September 2014) was a Danish sprint canoeist who competed in singles at the 1960, 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympics. He won one gold and two bronze medals in 1960 and 1968 and placed seventh in 1964 and 1972. In 1968 he served as the Olympic flag bearer for Denmark.
Between 1958 and 1972 Hansen won 37 Danish titles and seven medals at the European Championships; he also earned five medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships: one gold (K-1 1000 m: 1963) and four silvers (K-1 500 m: 1963, 1966; K-1 1000 m: 1966, K-1 10000 m: 1970).
Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Hansen_(canoeist)
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
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- September 29, 2026
- Sep 26, 2026
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