Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen

1.1. Olympic Games

Høyer Larsen participated in three consecutive Summer Olympics. At the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, he reached the quarterfinals, where he was defeated by Ardy Wiranata of Indonesia.

His most significant achievement came at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He secured the gold medal in the men's singles event, becoming the first European badminton player to win an Olympic gold medal. On his path to the final, he defeated Alan Budikusuma of Indonesia with a score of 15-11, 15-6 in the quarterfinals, and Hariyanto Arbi of Indonesia in the semifinals with the same score. In the final match, he triumphed over Dong Jiong of China with a score of 15-12, 15-10. This victory established him as a pioneering European champion in the sport. He remained the sole European men's singles Olympic gold medalist until Viktor Axelsen's victory at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Høyer Larsen competed but was eliminated in the opening round.

The following table details his performance at the 1996 Olympic Games:

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1996	Georgia State University Gymnasium, Atlanta, United States	Dong Jiong (China)	15-12, 15-10	Gold

1.2. World Championships

Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen earned three bronze medals in the men's singles event at the BWF World Championships. He secured his first bronze at the 1995 World Championships held in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he lost to Hariyanto Arbi of Indonesia in the semifinals with a score of 10-15, 7-15.

He followed this with another bronze medal at the 1997 World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, after being defeated by Sun Jun of China with a score of 7-15, 17-14, 9-15. His third bronze came at the 1999 World Championships in his home country, Copenhagen, Denmark, where he again lost to Sun Jun, this time with a score of 4-15, 6-15.

The following table summarizes his World Championships bronze medals:

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1995	Malley Sports Centre, Lausanne, Switzerland	Hariyanto Arbi (Indonesia)	10-15, 7-15	Bronze
1997	Scotstoun Centre, Glasgow, Scotland	Sun Jun (China)	7-15, 17-14, 9-15	Bronze
1999	Brøndby Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark	Sun Jun (China)	4-15, 6-15	Bronze

1.3. European Championships

Høyer Larsen achieved significant success at the European Badminton Championships, winning three consecutive gold medals in men's singles. His first gold came at the 1992 Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, where he defeated fellow Dane Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen 15-10, 15-10. He successfully defended his title at the 1994 Championships in Den Bosch, Netherlands, beating Tomas Johansson of Sweden 15-9, 15-5. His third gold medal was won at the 1996 Championships in Herning, Denmark, where he overcame Peter Rasmussen of Denmark 15-5, 15-11.

In addition to his singles titles, Høyer Larsen also contributed to Denmark's success in team events. He won four gold medals in the mixed team event (1990, 1996, 1998, 2000), and a silver medal in the mixed team event in 1992 and 1994. He also secured a silver medal in men's singles at the 2000 European Championships in Glasgow, losing to Peter Gade of Denmark, and bronze medals in men's singles in 1990 and 1998.

The following table summarizes his men's singles achievements at the European Championships:

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1990	Moscow, Soviet Union	Steve Baddeley (England)	10-15, 15-0, 11-15	Bronze
1992	Glasgow, Scotland	Thomas Stuer-Lauridsen (Denmark)	15-10, 15-10	Gold
1994	Den Bosch, Netherlands	Tomas Johansson (Sweden)	15-9, 15-5	Gold
1996	Herning, Denmark	Peter Rasmussen (Denmark)	15-5, 15-11	Gold
1998	Sofia, Bulgaria	Kenneth Jonassen (Denmark)	6-15, 6-15	Bronze
2000	Kelvin Hall International Sports Arena, Glasgow, Scotland	Peter Gade (Denmark)	5-15, 11-15	Silver

1.4. All England Open

Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen won the prestigious All England Open Badminton Championships men's singles title twice. His first victory came in 1995, where he defeated Hariyanto Arbi of Indonesia with a score of 17-16, 15-6. He successfully defended his title in 1996, beating Rashid Sidek of Malaysia 15-7, 15-6. These victories cemented his status as one of the top players of his era.

1.5. World Cup

Høyer Larsen earned a bronze medal in the men's singles event at the 1989 Badminton World Cup held in Guangzhou, China. He lost to Foo Kok Keong of Malaysia with a score of 7-15, 17-18 in the semifinals.

The following table details his World Cup performance:

Year	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result
1989	Guangzhou Gymnasium, Guangzhou, China	Foo Kok Keong (Malaysia)	7-15, 17-18	Bronze

1.6. IBF World Grand Prix

Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen was a consistent performer on the IBF World Grand Prix circuit, which was sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation (IBF) from 1983 to 2006. Over his career, he secured 19 titles and was a runner-up 16 times in men's singles events within this series. His victories spanned from the Carlton Inter-sport Cup in 1986 to the Denmark Open in 1999, showcasing his longevity and dominance.

The table below lists his results in IBF World Grand Prix men's singles finals:

1.7. Career Statistics

Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen concluded his distinguished badminton career with an impressive overall record of 398 wins and 93 losses in men's singles matches. This record, combined with his numerous titles across major international tournaments, including an Olympic gold medal, two All England Open titles, and three European Championships, highlights his consistent excellence and status as one of Denmark's greatest badminton players. He also achieved a career-high world ranking of 1.

He was also a significant contributor to Danish national teams, earning medals in prestigious team competitions:

• Sudirman Cup: Bronze medals in 1991 Copenhagen, 1993 Birmingham, and 1997 Glasgow (Mixed team).
• Thomas Cup: Silver medal in 1996 Hong Kong and bronze medals in 1990 Tokyo, 1998 Hong Kong, and 2000 Kuala Lumpur (Men's team).

2.1. Danish Olympic Committee

Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen has been actively involved in national sports governance within Denmark. Since 2005, he has served as a board member of the Danish Olympic Committee (officially the National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark), contributing to the strategic direction and oversight of Olympic sports within the country. In February 2007, he was also nominated as Vice-President of the Danmarks Badminton Forbund (Danish Badminton Federation).

2.2. Badminton Europe

In 2010, Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen was elected as the President of Badminton Europe, the continental governing body for badminton in Europe. During his tenure, he played a crucial role in leading and developing badminton across the European continent, overseeing various initiatives and championships.

2.3. Badminton World Federation (BWF)

Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen's leadership expanded globally when he was elected President of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on May 18, 2013. He has since been re-elected for two additional four-year terms, winning re-election in 2017 and 2021. His presidency has seen the BWF undertake various initiatives aimed at promoting and growing the sport worldwide. He is set to retire from the BWF presidency on April 26, 2025.

2.4. International Olympic Committee (IOC)

In recognition of his distinguished career and contributions to sports, Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2014. As an IOC member, he contributes to the highest level of sports governance, participating in decisions that shape the future of the Olympic Games and the global Olympic movement.