Axel Vang Christensen

Axel Vang Christensen

Personal information
Nationality	Danish
Born	(2004-07-30) 30 July 2004 (age 20)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Steeplechase, cross-country
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	3000m Steeplechase: 8:29.12 (Bergen, 2022) 5km: 13:42 (Monaco, 2022) 10km: 29:01 (Århus, 2022)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Denmark European U20 Championships 2021 Tallinn 3000m steeplechase European Cross Country Championships 2024 Antalya U23 Team 2023 Brussels U20 race 2021 Dublin U20 race

Axel Vang Christensen (born 30 July 2004) is a Danish track and field athlete and cross-country runner. He is the 2021 and 2023 European Cross Country U20 champion.[1]

Early life

Christensen was brought up in Hillerod, to the north of Copenhagen. He started running initially just in order to increase his fitness for football. However, he won an under-age national title when 11 years-old and changed his focus to athletics.[2] He attended the University of Birmingham, where he was a contemporary of Will Barnicoat.[3]

Career

In 2021 he won silver in the 3000 Metres Steeplechase at the 2021 European Athletics U20 Championships in Tallinn.[4] He won the U20 race at the 2021 European Cross Country Championships in Dublin.[5]

In 2021, he also won the Danish national championships over 10k, and retained the title in 2022, finishing a minute ahead of Thijs Nijhuis. In 2022, in Lillesø, he beat the Jakob Ingebrigtsen's U20 European record for 3000 meters indoors.[6] He competed in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2022 European Athletics Championships in Munich, however he picked up an injury during the race and could not complete the course.[7]

In December 2023, he won the 2023 European Cross Country Championships U20 race in Brussels, finishing strongly ahead of Niels Laros and Nick Griggs.[8]

In December 2024, he won a bronze medal in the U23 race at the 2024 European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkey.[9]

References

1. "Axel Vang Christensen". World Athletics. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
2. "Gold in Dublin could be just the beginning for Scandinavia's latest distance running prodigy Christensen". European-Athletics. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
3. Henderson, Jason (December 11, 2022). "Barnicoat pips Griggs in Euro Cross U20 thriller". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
4. Smythe, Steve (July 19, 2021). "European U20 Championships, Tallinn, Estonia, July 15-18, 2021". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
5. "Christensen Dominates U20 Race". Runners Gazette. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
6. "Denmark's 17-year-old running phenomenon does it again". dr.dk. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
7. Poggi, Alessandro. "Heartwarming sportsmanship displayed by Andorran steeplechase runner at 2022 European athletics championships in Munich". Olympics.com. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
8. O'Riordan, Ian (10 December 2023). "Nick Griggs's bronze run leads Ireland to European team under-20 gold in Brussels". Irish Times. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
9. "U23 Men Results - European Cross Country Championships 2024". Watch Athletics. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.