Pernille Blume Among Nine-Strong Danish Team For Tokyo; Fifth Games For Jeanette Ottesen

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Pernille Blume; Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Pernille Blume spearheads a nine-strong Denmark team as she seeks to defend her Olympic 50 free crown in Tokyo.

There will also be a fifth Games for Jeanette Ottesen who made her Olympic debut at Athens 2004.

Blume won the title in Rio five years ago in 24.07, then a national record before she lowered it to 23.75 at the 2018 European Championships, ahead of Simone Manuel (24.09) and Aliaksandra Herasimenia (24.11).

She also claimed bronze with the women’s 4×100 medley relay in 3:55.01, 0.01 off Australia in silver and then a European record as Ottesen swum the fly leg.

Most recently, Blume won joint 50 free silver at the European Championships, sharing second with Poland’s Katarzyna Wasick in 24.17 behind winner Ranomi Kromowidjojo (23.97).

Tokyo will be Blume’s third Games, something she believes will stand her in good stead.

In a statement from the Danish Sports Federation, she said:

“I have the experience with me. I know what energy and mood there can be, although unfortunately Tokyo is not getting as intense and big as in Rio because of the corona and the restrictions.

“But all Olympics are different. My first Olympics (2012) and second Olympics were very different experiences, and I also think this will be a very different experience compared to the others.

“I expect to do well. Where that then takes me is hard to say. But my gut feeling tells me I want to do well, and then we’ll see if it’s enough for some metal.”

The nine swimmers selected by DIF, the Danish Olympic Committee, are:

  • Anton Ørskov Ipsen, SIGMA Swim, 800 and 1500 m freestyle
  • Helena Rosendahl Bach, Holstebro Swimming Club, 1500 m freestyle
  • Signe Bro, Swimming Club Triton Ballerup / NTC, 100 m free and 4×100 m free
  • Alexander Aslak Nørgaard, SIGMA Swim, 1500 m freestyle
  • Pernille Blume, SIGMA Swim, 50 and 100 m freestyle and 4×100 m freestyle
  • Emilie Beckmann, Tune IF / GTI / NTC, 100m butterfly
  • Julie Kepp Jensen, A6 / NTC, 50 m freestyle and 4×100 m freestyle
  • Tobias B. Bjerg, Hørsholm Swimming Association / NTC, 100 m breaststroke
  • Jeanette Ottesen, Farum Swimming Club, 4×100 m freestyle

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Lars Green Bach, sports director of the Danish Swimming Union, said:

“It is a very positive milestone for Danish swimming, we now finally stand by where the Danish Sports Confederation has selected swimmers for the Olympic Games.

“In less than a month, the trip will start in Nagano in Japan for the swimmers, where they will go to training camp and adjust to the time zone, climate, strict corona protocols and to focus on the big and very different experience that the Olympics will be.

“And with a team ranging from very experienced international swimmers like Pernille Blume and Jeanette Ottesen, with their third and fifth Olympics, respectively, over Julie Kepp Jensen and Anton Ørskov Ipsen, who also participated in the Olympics in Rio 2016, and to five new athletes in Olympic context, the Danish colors are widely represented when it starts at the Tokyo Aquatics Center on 24 July.”

 


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