About Viggo Jensen
Lived 1874 – 1930 (aged 56). Viggo Jensen was a Danish weightlifter, sport shooter, athletics competitor and artistic gymnast.
Alexander Viggo Jensen (22 June 1874 – 2 November 1930) was a Danish weightlifter, sport shooter, gymnast, and athlete. He was the first Danish and Nordic Olympic champion, at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens.
The first weightlifting event held was the two-handed lift, in a style now known as the clean and jerk. Jensen and Launceston Elliot of Great Britain and Ireland finished the competition tied at 111.5 kilograms, though the judges declared Jensen had performed the lift with better form and would be awarded first place. The British delegation protested, resulting in more attempts being given both lifters to improve their scores. Neither did and therefore Jensen retained first place, but he had injured his shoulder in the extra attempts.
That injury hampered Jensen's efforts in the one-handed lift, the snatch. He was able to lift only 57.0 kilograms to Elliot's 71.0 kilograms, taking second place in the event.
In the gymnastics competitions, Jensen entered the rope climbing event. He did not finish the climb, placing fourth behind the two Greeks who did reach the top of the 14 metre rope and Fritz Hofmann, who had gotten higher than Jensen. He was ahead of Launceston Elliot in the event.
He also competed in the two rifle events. In the military rifle, Jensen placed sixth with a score of 1,640 points and 30 hits of 40 shots. The free rifle was more successful for him, as he finished third at 1,305 points on 31 hits. His scores for each string of 10 shots were 392, 423, 280, and 210.
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Important facts
People in Viggo Jensen's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Viggo Jensen's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Viggo Jensen?
Danish sportsman (1874–1930)
When was Viggo Jensen born?
Viggo Jensen was born on 22 June 1874 in Copenhagen.
When did Viggo Jensen die?
Viggo Jensen died on 2 November 1930 in Copenhagen.
What was Viggo Jensen's occupation?
Viggo Jensen was a weightlifter, sport shooter, athletics competitor and artistic gymnast.
What nationality was Viggo Jensen?
Viggo Jensen was Danish.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Viggo Jensen. https://biography.guide/viggo-jensen/
MLA: "Viggo Jensen." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/viggo-jensen/.
Chicago: "Viggo Jensen." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/viggo-jensen/.
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