It will require a part of Greenlandic sport if athletes are to be able to compete at the Olympics under the Greenlandic flag, but the special associations look positively on the possibility.
The Presidium of the Folketing has contacted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with a call for Greenlandic and Faroese athletes to be allowed to participate in the Olympic Games under their own flag.
And that brings joy to Greenlandic sportsmen.
– I think it’s fantastic if it can be done. So, it is very positive, says Uiloq Slettemark, who is the founder of the Greenland Biathlon Association.
She says that in the Greenland Biathlon Union they participate in the World Cup, World Cup, Youth World Cup and Junior World Cup with the Greenlandic flag, which they are very proud of.
Ukaleq and Sondre Slettemark are two of the Greenlandic athletes who have qualified for the Olympics and competed under the Danish flag. They both competed in biathlon at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
TAAK: Both natural and reasonable
Timersoqatigiiffiit Assammik Arsartartut Kattuffiat (TAAK) also welcomes the opportunity. Like Greenland’s Biathlon Union, they have for many years been able to compete internationally under Erfalasorput.
– It has meant a lot for the players, for the sport and for the whole country. It has created joy and pride and strengthened the feeling that we Greenlanders stand together as a people and as a nation, states the association in a written reply to Sermitsiaq and continues:
– Therefore, we look positively if this is extended to also apply to the Olympics, so that Greenland can compete under its own flag, should we one day qualify. We believe that this will be both natural and reasonable.
TAAK fully understands and supports the fact that the Faroe Islands want the opportunity to participate in the Olympics in handball under their own flag, if their team qualifies.
What does an Olympic Committee require?
But if the Olympic Committee approves the recommendation, it will not just mean that Greenlandic athletes can compete for Greenland. It will also mean that Greenland must have its own Olympic Committee, and this requires a number of legal, organizational and international prerequisites that have not yet been met.
This is stated by the Greenland Sports Association in a press release.
They, like the sports federations, are happy about the news and believe that it is an important recognition of Greenland’s sporting development and the many athletes, coaches and volunteers who have worked purposefully over many years to develop Greenlandic sports on an international level.
But they also look at what it will take to meet the requirements.
Therefore, the Greenland Sports Association looks forward to entering into a constructive dialogue with relevant national and international partners about the next steps and will continue to work to create the best possible international opportunities for Greenlandic athletes.
– The Greenland Sports Confederation emphasizes at the same time that the process should be based on broad cooperation between sports, Naalakkersuisut, the Folketing, the Danish Sports Confederation and the Olympic movement. Only through joint and long-term work can a solid foundation be created for a possible Greenlandic Olympic Committee.
