Denmark’s European Games badminton rule maintained by "Queen" Kjaersfeldt and mixed doubles pair

Denmark’s European Games badminton rule maintained by "Queen" Kjaersfeldt and mixed doubles pair

Danish gold in the European Games badminton event grew to three here today as Line Kjaersfeldt, the self-styled “queen” of the sport in her country, produced a suitably regal performance to claim the women’s singles title, shortly before Sara Thygesen and Niclas Nohr earned the mixed doubles gold to add to the one won in the previous night’s men’s doubles.



To bid or not to bid? That is the question for Sport Event Denmark

To bid or not to bid? That is the question for Sport Event Denmark

I doubt that Barack Obama includes Denmark among his favourite sports event venues. The Danish capital Copenhagen, after all, was the scene in 2009 of Chicago’s stunning exit from the race to host next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games, even though the US President jetted in hoping to help the Windy City to victory.

Outside the White House though, a growing body of opinion now sees this small European nation, perched on top of Germany like the logo on the bonnet of an old Mercedes-Benz, as a leading player in this peculiar branch of the marketing industry.

And, as its reputation has grown, so event hosting has emerged as one of a number of poles of excellence that have steadily transformed Denmark’s image from a byword for blue cheese and bacon to a beacon of civilised living.