Denmark urges IOC to recognize Greenland and Faroe Islands as independent Olympic teams

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COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark asked the IOC to recognize its territories Greenland and the Faroe Islands as independent Olympic teams, the national parliament said Tuesday.

The parliament published a letter urging the International Olympic Committee to recognize the semi-autonomous territories as “independent National Olympic Committees and to participate in the Olympic Games under their own flags.”

The revival of a longstanding Olympic proposal previously made 20 years ago comes weeks after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen formed a new coalition government. She has pledged support for Greenland against U.S. President Donald Trump’s wish to acquire the island.

The IOC recognizes 206 national Olympic bodies, which is 13 more than the United Nations has member states, and is unlikely to support Denmark’s request.

The Olympic body's policy since 1996 has been to recognize only independent states, such as Kosovo in 2014 and South Sudan the next year. The Olympic Charter defines “country” as “an independent state recognized by the international community.”

Two biathletes from Greenland competed for Denmark at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February.

The Faroe Islands has competed in qualifying games for international soccer tournaments since the 1992 European Championship and 1994 World Cup.

The Danish parliament said its presidium’s June 18 letter to the IOC would “reflect a clear and current political commitment by Denmark to support enhanced and more equal international participation for both the Faroe Islands and Greenland.”

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics