The Most Famous
SWIMMERS from Denmark
Top 10
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Danish Swimmers of all time. This list of famous Danish Swimmers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Danish Swimmers.
1. Greta Andersen (1927 - 2023)
With an HPI of 51.40, Greta Andersen is the most famous Danish Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into 25 different languages on wikipedia.
Greta Marie Andersen (married names Jeppesen and Sonnichsen and Veress, 1 May 1927 – 6 February 2023) was a Danish swimmer who won a gold and a silver medal in 100 m freestyle events at the 1948 Summer Olympics. In the mid-1950s she moved to the United States, where she set several world records in marathon swimming in the distances up to 50 miles.
2. Ragnhild Hveger (1920 - 2011)
With an HPI of 46.42, Ragnhild Hveger is the 2nd most famous Danish Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Ragnhild Tove Hveger (later Andersen, 10 December 1920 – 1 December 2011) was a Danish swimmer, who won silver medal in the women's 400 m freestyle at the 1936 Summer Olympics. From 1936 to 1943 she set 44 world records, and at one time she held 19 world records in different distances and disciplines. In 1938 she won three gold medals at the European championships. Being the daughter of a Nazi, the sister of an Eastern front volunteer, and married to a German officer, she became very unpopular after the war, and was barred from the Danish team for the 1948 Olympics. She competed at the 1952 Olympics and finished fourth in the 4 × 100 m and fifth in the 400 m freestyle events. Hveger retired in 1954 after ending fifth in the 100 m freestyle at the European Championships. In 1966, she was inducted to the International Swimming Hall of Fame, and 30 years later declared sportswoman of the century by Danmarks Idræts-Forbund.
3. Pernille Blume (b. 1994)
With an HPI of 32.50, Pernille Blume is the 3rd most famous Danish Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into 27 different languages.
Pernille Blume (Danish pronunciation: [ˈpʰɐniːlə ˈplum]; born 14 May 1994) is a Danish former swimmer specializing in sprint freestyle events. She competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics. At the 2016 Summer Olympics she was the gold medalist in the women's 50 metre freestyle and won a bronze medal in the women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay where she swam the freestyle leg of the relay in both the prelims and the final. She also competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics, winning a bronze medal in the 50 metre freestyle.
4. Jeanette Ottesen (b. 1987)
With an HPI of 30.33, Jeanette Ottesen is the 4th most famous Danish Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into 21 different languages.
Jeanette Ottesen (born 30 December 1987) is a Danish competitive swimmer who participated at the 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics. In total, she has won 50 international medals.
5. Lotte Friis (b. 1988)
With an HPI of 30.24, Lotte Friis is the 5th most famous Danish Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Lotte Friis (born 9 February 1988) is a Danish competitive swimmer from Allerød Municipality.
6. Rikke Møller Pedersen (b. 1989)
With an HPI of 29.33, Rikke Møller Pedersen is the 6th most famous Danish Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.
Rikke Møller Pedersen (born 9 January 1989) is a Danish competitive swimmer specialising in breaststroke and from 2013 to 2021 world record holder in the 200 m breaststroke (2:19.11).
7. Mie Nielsen (b. 1996)
With an HPI of 24.50, Mie Nielsen is the 7th most famous Danish Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Mie Østergaard Nielsen (born 25 September 1996) is a Danish former competitive swimmer who holds the Danish record in several backstroke events.
8. Mads Glæsner (b. 1988)
With an HPI of 23.08, Mads Glæsner is the 8th most famous Danish Swimmer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Mads Glæsner (born 18 October 1988 in Tårnby) is a Danish swimmer. He participated at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 400 metre freestyle and the 1500 metre freestyle disciplines. His swimming club is Vallensbæk-VAT but he trains at the National Training Center in Copenhagen. He competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 400 m freestyle and the 4 x 200 m freestyle relay. In June 2013, Glæsner was stripped of a gold and bronze medal from the 2012 World Short Course Championships after testing positive for levomethamphetamine. However, upon appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Glaesner's 1500-metre freestyle gold medal was reinstated based on the fact that a test after that race, two days after his initial positive test following the 400-metre free, was clean. He still forfeited the 400-metre freestyle bronze, which he did not appeal. Since then, he has competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics, in the 400 m freestyle.
9. Helena Rosendahl Bach (b. 2000)
With an HPI of 0.00, Helena Rosendahl Bach is the 9th most famous Danish Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into different languages.
Helena Rosendahl Bach also simply known as Helena Bach (born 12 June 2000) is a Danish freestyle swimmer. She represented Denmark at the 2020 Summer Olympics which also marked her debut appearance at the Olympics. During the 2020 Summer Olympics, she competed in the women's 1500m freestyle and in the women's 200 metre butterfly Incidentally, the women's 1500m freestyle event also made its Olympic debut during the Tokyo Olympics.
10. Emilie Beckmann (b. 1997)
With an HPI of 0.00, Emilie Beckmann is the 10th most famous Danish Swimmer. Her biography has been translated into different languages.
Emilie Beckmann (born 4 February 1997) is a Danish swimmer. She competed in the women's 100 metre butterfly event at the 2017 World Aquatics Championships.
People
Pantheon has 11 people classified as Danish swimmers born between 1920 and 2000. Of these 11, 9 (81.82%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Danish swimmers include Pernille Blume, Jeanette Ottesen, and Lotte Friis. The most famous deceased Danish swimmers include Greta Andersen, and Ragnhild Hveger. As of April 2024, 3 new Danish swimmers have been added to Pantheon including Helena Rosendahl Bach, Emilie Beckmann, and Alexander Nørgaard.
Living Danish Swimmers
Go to all Rankings
Pernille Blume
1994 - Present
HPI: 32.50
Jeanette Ottesen
1987 - Present
HPI: 30.33
Lotte Friis
1988 - Present
HPI: 30.24
Rikke Møller Pedersen
1989 - Present
HPI: 29.33
Mie Nielsen
1996 - Present
HPI: 24.50
Mads Glæsner
1988 - Present
HPI: 23.08
Helena Rosendahl Bach
2000 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Emilie Beckmann
1997 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Alexander Nørgaard
2000 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Deceased Danish Swimmers
Go to all RankingsNewly Added Danish Swimmers (2024)
Go to all RankingsHelena Rosendahl Bach
2000 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Emilie Beckmann
1997 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Alexander Nørgaard
2000 - Present
HPI: 0.00
