Get ready: The Danish Championship-week is here and it’s wild
Last year, Aalborg hosted the Danish Championship-week, and this week the huge event has returned to town.
There’s plenty of sports to enjoy, thrilling the thousands of spectators and crowning over 200 new Danish champions across a wide range of sports.
It’s time for Aalborg to take the stage as the host city again; this time it’s even bigger and better.
New initiatives this year
This year, even more sports are on the menu as athletes compete for the DM gold throughout Aalborg from June 21st to June 25th.
And this year, it will be even wilder, as Robinson host Jakob Kjeldbjerg would say.
“This year, we have added 11 new sports, and over half of the national sports federations (DIF’s forbund) will participate in the DM week. We aim to discover over 200 new Danish champions across more than 35 different sports.
It’s fantastic and provides a great variety of sports to see and experience – both the ones commonly seen in everyday life and those less known or seen.”
Not only are there new sports on the program this year, but there is also a higher focus on the spectator’s experience:
“This year, we kick off with a grand ceremony on the evening of June 21st at AaB’s stadium, in conjunction with the women’s cup final, which is part of the DM week.
It’s free to participate, and we will also have two music acts, which we will announce in a few days,” Mads Bang Aaen, project manager at the Danish Sports Federation, says and continues:
“In collaboration with Spar Nord Foundation, we are introducing a new ‘come and try’ area in Utzon Park with a variety of popular activities, aiming to provide an additional opportunity for people to stay for a more extended period.
There will be activities such as football, morning yoga, dance, and other sports-related things and entertainment,” Mads Bang Aaen explains.
Last year, a lot of valuable information was acquired, which has been taken into account during this year’s planning.
“Last year, we didn’t have enough food areas, so this year there will be three times as many, allowing people to stay in the area and enjoy the experiences,” he says.
What to experience on the harbor
There is plenty of sports action, even for the most avid sports enthusiasts.
Therefore, we recommend you get an overview of what to prioritize as well as find out when and where to watch the games.
As a result, we have compiled a selection of things you shouldn’t miss on the waterfront, which will be the center court of the event. Here, you will find recurring sports from last year and several new, exciting ones.
“One of the new additions this year is pole vaulting, where the pole vaulting mats are placed on top of the long jump sandpit.
Another addition is archery with the Limfjord as the backdrop, which will genuinely be spectacular, and this year, beach volleyball will take place on Honnørkajen,” Mads Bang Aaen adds.
A whopping 140 tons of sand has been brought in to prepare the beach volleyball court
Other spectacular DM disciplines include clay pigeon shooting over the Limfjord (using approved materials for the environment), padel, SUP (Stand-Up Paddleboarding), functional fitness, and much more.
One of last year’s wildest and most remarkable events is also making a comeback. Fearless divers will compete for the DC gold in high diving on Friday and Saturday, by jumping from the Limfjordsbroen bridge, a staggering 20 meters above the water.
Exciting activities scattered throughout Aalborg
Not all sports can be accommodated on the “Centre Court” on the waterfront. Therefore, aspiring Danish champions in other sports are competing in various locations around Aalborg.
You shouldn’t miss out on those sports, either. We have compiled some suggestions on what else you can explore and watch around the city.
We have touched on the opening ceremony at Aalborg Portland Park, but we still want to emphasize that it’s worth attending.
Denmark’s top cyclists will compete in both road races and time trials, where Mikkel Bjerg can be considered a favorite among the men, especially after his impressive stage win in the Critérium du Dauphiné.
So it’s all about finding a good spot along the route to cheer on the cyclists, but there is one location that stands out from the rest, as special measures have been taken this year to make the cycling race even more spectator-friendly:
“This year, on Sunday, we are setting up a fan zone at the top of Skovbakkevej in an attempt to create a bit of the atmosphere you would experience at the Tour de France. We will also set up large screens so spectators can follow the race throughout the day.
That’s where the riders can make the decisive move, and as a spectator, it’s the ideal spot to witness some highlights from the route,” Mads Bang Aaen says.
At Skovdalen Athletics Stadium, Denmark’s fastest men and women will compete in various running disciplines.
And at Skansen in Nørresundby, the top Danish names will compete in swimming, with Aalborg’s Helena Rosendahl Bach, who won a silver medal at the European Championships, among those diving into the pool.
If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush, go to Aalborg Air Base, where rally sprints and high-speed action are on the menu.
If you want to attend the opening ceremony at Aalborg Portland Park or see the full schedule and timings for the DM week, you can download the app for Apple or Android devices.
