Denmark Wants Greenland and the Faroe Islands to Have Their Own Olympic Teams

Denmark has formally asked the International Olympic Committee to recognize Greenland and the Faroe Islands as independent Olympic teams. If approved, athletes from both territories would compete under their own flags at future Games instead of representing Denmark.

The request came in a letter from Denmark’s national parliament, first reported by USA TODAY. The parliament said the move reflects a “clear and current political commitment by Denmark to support enhanced and more equal international participation for both the Faroe Islands and Greenland.”

Both places already field their own teams in various international sports. The letter argues they deserve the same status at the Olympics.

“Both the Faroe Islands and Greenland possess distinct sporting, cultural and institutional identities and participate internationally in a number of relevant contexts under their own names and symbols,” the letter says.

The politics behind the ask

The timing matters. Denmark’s new coalition government, led by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, has been pushing back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s attempts to buy Greenland. Giving the island its own Olympic team is one way to signal that it has a distinct identity, even while it remains part of the Kingdom of Denmark.

The Faroe Islands, home to about 50,000 people in the North Atlantic, have lobbied for Olympic status for years. Greenland, with roughly 57,000 residents, has done the same. Both regions have deep running cultures shaped by long winters and rugged terrain, and Denmark itself has a strong endurance profile — from the Copenhagen Marathon’s record lottery entries to Danish runners setting world records in unusual categories.

Why the rules make this hard

The IOC recognizes 206 national Olympic bodies. That is 13 more than the 193 member states of the United Nations. The Olympic Charter defines a country as “an independent state recognized by the international community.” Neither Greenland nor the Faroe Islands fits that definition. Both are self-governing but sit inside the Kingdom of Denmark.

Denmark’s letter points to earlier exceptions. Territories like Aruba, Bermuda and Puerto Rico compete under their own flags, but only because they were recognized before 1996, when the IOC tightened its rules. Those exceptions were grandfathered in. Since then, the door has been shut, which is why places like Catalonia have run into the same wall.

“It remains relevant that exceptions to this practice continue to exist,” the letter says, listing those older examples.

The IOC has faced similar pressure on other sports. It recently decided against adding cross country running to the Winter Games, even as Sebastian Coe backed the idea for 2030. New IOC president Kirsty Coventry now inherits the Danish request.

What it could mean for runners

For fans of Olympic athletics, the request opens a door that has been closed for nearly three decades. If the IOC agrees, athletes from Greenland and the Faroes could enter track events, the marathon and other sports under their own colors rather than Danish red and white.

That would give small-nation runners a similar platform to the ones we saw at the men’s and women’s Paris Olympic marathons, and it would matter for qualification math heading into LA28. The IOC’s new $100 million athlete grant program could also become available to newly recognized teams.

If the IOC refuses, it reinforces the 1996 rule even when a member country is the one asking for change.

The IOC has not publicly responded to the letter.