LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The International Olympic Committee announced Wednesday that it will deny a push from Denmark’s national parliament to grant separate, independent Olympic team status to two semi-autonomous Danish territories, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
For three decades, the Olympic Charter has held a clear, unchanging requirement for entities seeking official national team recognition: a prospective member must be an independent sovereign state that has received formal recognition from the broader international community. Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which hold broad self-governance powers but remain part of the Kingdom of Denmark, fail to meet this core eligibility threshold, the IOC confirmed in an official statement.
The IOC noted that this long-standing stance has already been communicated repeatedly and explicitly to all relevant parties over the course of many years. The formal request from Denmark’s parliament was submitted just two weeks ago, and was made public this Tuesday.
The bid comes on the heels of a recent shift in Danish politics, coming weeks after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen established a new coalition government following national elections. During her election campaign, Frederiksen made a high-profile pledge to stand with Greenland against a controversial proposal from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who publicly expressed interest in purchasing the Arctic island from Denmark.
For the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where Trump is set to deliver the official opening declaration, athletes from both Greenland and the Faroe Islands will remain eligible to compete as part of the Danish national Olympic team. Denmark is currently one of the 206 national Olympic committees officially recognized by the IOC.