Alf Hansen

For the footballer, seeAlf Hansen (footballer).

Alf Hansen

Hansen with the Holland Beker trophy in 1978
Personal information
Full name	Alf John Hansen
Born	13 July 1948(1948-07-13)(age76) Oslo,Norway
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	85 kg (187 lb)
Relatives	Frank Hansen(brother)
Sport
Sport	Rowing
Club	Ormsund Roklub, Oslo
Medal record RepresentingNorway Olympic Games 1976 Montreal Double sculls 1988 Seoul Quadruple sculls World Rowing Championships 1975 Nottingham Double sculls 1978 Hamilton Double sculls 1979 Bled Double sculls 1982 Lucerne Double sculls 1974 Lucerne Double sculls 1983 Duisburg Double sculls 1987 Copenhagen Quadruple sculls 1970 St. Catharines Coxless fours 1981 Munich Double sculls

Alf John Hansen(born 13 July 1948) is a retiredrowerfrom Norway. Early in his career, he received two Norwegian sport awards shared with his brotherFrank.Towards the end of his career in 1990, he was the inaugural recipient of theThomas Keller Medal,the highest honour in rowing. His international rowing career spanned more than two decades.

Biography

Hansen was born in 1948 inOslo.His first international rowing success came at the1970 World Rowing ChampionshipsinSt. Catharines,Canada, where he won a bronze medal with the coxed four.At the1971 European Rowing Championships,the coxed four team came seventh.He competed at the1972 Summer OlympicsinMunich,Germany, where thecoxed fourteam came ninth.At the1973 European Rowing Championships,the coxed four team came fifth.

He then changed boats and competed at the1974 World Rowing ChampionshipsinLucerne,Switzerland, in double sculls with his brotherFrank;they won a silver medal beaten by a team from East Germany.At the1975 World Rowing ChampionshipsinNottingham,the Hansen brothers won the world championship title in the double sculls.In 1976, the brothers won a gold medal at theMontreal Olympic Gamesin the same boat class.At the1977 World Rowing Championships,Hansen competed in the single sculls and came tenth.The brothers would then return to double sculls and win the1978and1979 World Championships.Unfortunately the Norwegian Rowing Federationboycottedthe Moscow Olympics in 1980, so the brothers were unable to defend their Olympic title. Frank officially retired after the Moscow Olympics.

Alf Hansen continued his career and teamed up withRolf Thorsenin the double sculls. At the1981 World Rowing ChampionshipsinMunich,Germany, they won a bronze medal. At the1982 World Rowing ChampionshipsinLucerne,Switzerland, they became world champions. At the1983 World Rowing ChampionshipsinDuisburg,Germany, they won a silver medal.At the1984 Summer OlympicsinLos Angelesthey came tenth.

At the1986 World Rowing Championships,Hansen and Thorsen were both part of the Norwegian quad scull team that came ninth; their team members wereVetle VinjeandLars Bjønness.At the1987 World Rowing Championships,the same team won a silver medal.The four stayed together and competed at the1988 Summer OlympicsinSeoulwhere they won Olympic silver.

At the1989 World Rowing ChampionshipsinBled,Hansen was part of a newly-composed quad scull team; they came sixth.Hansen ended his professional career after the1991 World Rowing Championshipsat the age of 43.

Awards

The Hansen brothers were awarded theAftenposten Gold Medalafter their world championship win in 1975; it is one of the highest awards that are awarded within Norwegian sport.After their 1976 Olympic gold, the Hansen brothers were awarded theFearnley award.In 1990, Alf Hansen was the inaugural recipient of theThomas Keller Medal.The medal is given by theInternational Rowing Federation(FISA) for an outstanding international career in thesport of rowingas well as exemplarysportsmanship.It is the highest honour in rowing.

External links

• Alf HansenatWorld Rowing
• Alf HansenatOlympics.com
• Alf HansenatOlympedia