Hans Hollen Nielsen (born 26 December 1959) is a Danish former professional

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only ...

rider. He competed in the

Speedway World Championship The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest-ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world, run under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). The first official championsh ...

s from 1977 to 1999. Nielsen is notable for winning four Speedway World Championship titles. During his career, he won a total of 22 World Championships, making him arguably the most successful speedway rider of all time. In 2012, Nielsen was named an

FIM FIM may refer to: Organizations and companies * Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme, the International Motorcycling Federation * Flint Institute of Music, in Michigan, United States * Fox Interactive Media, now News Corp. Digital Media * ...

Legend for his motorcycling achievements. He later managed the Danish national team.

Career

Nielsen was born in

Arentsminde Arentsminde is a village in North Jutland, Denmark. It is located in Jammerbugt Municipality Jammerbugt Municipality is a municipality ( Danish: '' kommune'') in the North Jutland Region on the North Jutlandic Island. It is located along the c ...

near

Brovst Brovst is a town in North Jutland, Denmark. It is located in Jammerbugt Municipality, 16 km east of Fjerritslev, 14 km southwest of Aabybro and 2 km east and northeast of the villages of Ny Skovsgård and Skovsgård. Until 1 Ja ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

. He was one of, if not the most successful riders the sport has ever seen. Altogether he participated in winning 22 World Championships for Denmark (out of the 46 won by Danish riders/teams in all competitions to the end of 2014). This included the individual

World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

(the only time the final was held over two days), 1989 and the first ever championship ran in the Grand Prix format in

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

. Nielsen and

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

Tony Rickardsson Tony Rickardsson (born on 17 August 1970) is a Swedish former professional motorcycle speedway rider. He competed in the Speedway World Championships from 1989 to 2006. Rickardsson is notable for winning six Speedway World Championship titles in 1 ...

are the only 2 riders to have won world titles in both the old single meeting format and the

Speedway Grand Prix Speedway Grand Prix are a series of stand-alone motorcycle speedway events over the course of a season used to determine the Speedway World Champion. The series started in 1995 replacing the previous format of a single event final. The first win ...

series. He was known as "The Main Dane" to fans, taking over the title from triple World Champion Ole Olsen, but was referred to as "The Professor" by his fellow riders due to his immaculate style and ability to ride speedway. Nielsen won the Danish Championship in 1978, 1982, 1987, 1990, 1993 and 1994. He was also the Nordic Champion in 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991 and 1994 as well as winning the

Intercontinental Final The Intercontinental Final was a Motorcycle speedway Final sanctioned by the FIM as the final qualifying round for the Speedway World Championship between 1975 and 2001. After being introduced in 1975, it replaced the European Final as the final q ...

in 1983. Nielsen rode in the

British League The British League was the main motorcycle speedway league in Britain from its formation in 1965 until 1995 when British speedway was restructured. It initially had a single division, with a second division starting in 1968 (which was renamed the ...

for the

Oxford Cheetahs The Oxford Cheetahs are a British speedway teamLawson,K (2018) “Riders, Teams and Stadiums”. based at Oxford Stadium, in Oxford, England. They were founded in 1939 and are five times champions of Britain, in 1964, 1985, 1986, 1989 and ...

from 1984 to 1992. In 1986 he recorded a league average of 11.57, his average in away league matches that season was a perfect 12.00. With the Cheetahs, Nielsen won the

British League Riders' Championship The British League Riders Championship was an individual motorcycle speedway contest between the top riders (or two riders) with the highest average from each club competing in the British League in the UK, or the top division of the league during ...

in 1986, 1987 and 1990, the

British League Pairs Championship The British League Pairs Championship was a speedway contest between the top two riders from each club competing in the British League in the UK, or the top division thereof when it had multiple divisions. The meetings comprised a competition ...

with

Simon Wigg Simon Antony Wigg (15 October 1960 – 15 November 2000) was an English speedway, grasstrack and longtrack rider who won five World Long Track Championships and finished runner-up in the Speedway World Championship in 1989.Rogers, G.(200 ...

in 1985 and 1986 and in 1987 with

Andy Grahame Andrew George Grahame (born 10 September 1957 in Birmingham, England) is a former motorcycle speedway rider. Career Grahame began his British leagues career when he joined his older brother Alan Grahame at Birmingham Brummies for the 1976 Brit ...

, the British League in 1985, 1986 and 1989, as well as winning the

British League Knockout Cup The British League Knockout Cup was a speedway Knockout Cup competition in the United Kingdom governed by the Speedway Control Board (SCB) in conjunction with the British Speedway Promoters' Association (BSPA), that was staged between 1965 and ...

in 1985 and 1986. He was also the 1984 "Pride of the Midlands" winner at the Norfolk Arena in

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is located north of London, north-east of Peterborough, no ...

. Hans Nielsen was successful almost everywhere he rode. As well as his World Championship winning feats in Europe, he would win the

Speedway World Team Cup The Speedway World Team Cup was an annual speedway event held each year in different countries. The competition started in 1960 and was replaced with the Speedway World Cup in 2001. Format From 1960 until 1985 each team consisted of four riders ...

as part of the

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

team in the

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...

and

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

, as well as winning major meetings in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, including the 1987 West End Speedway International at the Wayville Showground in

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

. Hans Nielsen rode in a record 18 straight

Finals for

between 1978 and 1995, winning 10 which included a record six in a row from 1983 until 1988 and finishing on the podium a record 14 times in a row between 1978 and 1991. Denmark were the favourites to win again in 1989 at the

Odsal Stadium Odsal Stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, is the home of Bradford Bulls Rugby League team. It has also been used by the Bradford Dukes speedway team, BRISCA F1 and F2 stock cars, the football team Bradford City, following the Valley ...

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

, but would eventually finish 3rd after the opening heat crash which ended the career and nearly took the life of Neilsen's friend, teammate and closest rival, triple World Champion

Erik Gundersen Erik Gundersen (born 8 October 1959 in Esbjerg, Denmark) is a former motorcycle speedway rider in the late 1970s and 1980s. Gundersen is one of the most successful speedway riders of all time. He was the ...

. Neilsen also represented Denmark in the World Pairs Championship on 14 occasions from 1979 until 1993, following which the Pairs Championship was merged with the World Team Cup. He won the Pairs title in

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

with Ole Olsen,

and 1989 with Erik Gundersen,

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

with

Jan O. Pedersen Jan Osvald Pedersen (born 9 November 1962 in Middelfart, Denmark) is a former Speedway rider who became Speedway World Champion in 1991 after finishing runner-up in 1986 and in third place in 1988 behind fellow Danes Erik ...

and

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

with Pedersen and

Tommy Knudsen Tommy Knudsen (born 9 November 1961 in Roager, Denmark) is a former Motorcycle speedway rider who won eight Speedway World Team Cups, and two Speedway World Pairs Championship, World Pairs. Career Knudsen first became kno ...

By year

1977
Nielsen aged just 17, signed for

Wolverhampton Wolves Wolverhampton Wolves are a British speedway team based in Wolverhampton, England. They are sponsored by Parry's International Travel, and signed a deal with owner Dave Parry (previous speedway rider for the Wolverhampton Wolves) for the 20 ...

for the 1977 British League season. 1978
Nielsen won his first Danish Championship and rode in the 1978 European Under-21 Final at the Pista Speedway in

Lonigo Lonigo is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, northern Italy, its population counts around 16,400 inhabitants.Source: ISTAT - Bilancio demografico al 31/12/200 In its ''frazione'' of Bagnolo is the Villa Pisani, a Renaissance ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

where he finished 5th with 11 points. The European U/21 Championship was later renamed the World U/21 Championship in 1988. 1979
Nielsen won the World Pairs with Ole Olsen and finished runner-up to Jan Andersson in the Scandinavian final. In his third season with Wolverhampton he finished 6th in the

1979 British League season The 1979 Gulf British League season was the 45th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 15th season known as the British League. Summary The league was sponsored by Gulf Oil for a fifth season. It comprised 18 teams - on ...

averages. 1980
Nielsen reached his first World individual final at the 1980 Individual Speedway World Championship, finishing 11th in Gothenburg. He had won the Scandinavian final on his way to the final. During the 1980 British League season he topped the averages with Peter Collins on 10.70. After the season had ended he put in a transfer request but Wolverhampton then withdrew from the British League. 1981
He appeared in his second World final at the 1981 Individual Speedway World Championship, where he improved two places on the previous year, finishing in 9th place at Wembley Stadium. He was allocated to

Birmingham Brummies Birmingham Brummies are a British speedway team founded in 1928. They were inaugural members of the Southern League in 1929. The team have twice finished runner-up in the highest tier of British speedway, during the 1952 Speedway National Lea ...

for the 1981 British League season. 1982
A 7th-place finish in his third world final constituted another two place improvement. He also won his second Danish Championship. 1983
Nielsen finished 7th in his fourth world individual final, this was a disappointment for Nielsen who expected to go better. During the 1983 World Pairs Final at the

Ullevi Stadium Ullevi, sometimes known as Nya Ullevi (, ''New Ullevi''), is a multi-purpose stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was built for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but since then has also hosted the World Allround Speed Skating Championships six times; th ...

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

, Nielsen was involved in one of the more bizarre tape exclusions ever seen in speedway. While lining up for the start of Heat 10 against eventual champions

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, represented by

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

World Champion Peter Collins and the highly rated

Kenny Carter Kenneth Malcolm Carter (28 March 1961 – 21 May 1986), was a British world class speedway rider. He rode for Newcastle Diamonds (1978), Halifax Dukes (1978–1985) and Bradford Dukes (1986). On Wednesday, 21 May 1986, he shot dead his w ...

, Nielsen was in gate 2 and initially attempted to line up across on Carter on his inside before being forced by the official to move as he was deemed to be across the line and out of his gate. After moving he then almost broke the tapes once before coming forward again, this time actually falling over his handlebars and onto the track as he tried to stop his bike which had actually rolled over the tapes (without breaking them), leaving

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

referee Sam Bass no option but to exclude him from the race. During the 1983 British League season Nielsen topped the league averages for Birmingham Brummies with a 10.82 average. 1984
A winner of the Scandinavian final on the way to his fifth world final at the 1984 Individual Speedway World Championship, where he finished runner-up to his great rival

. Nielsen defeated American

Lance King Lance King (born November 23, 1962) is an American heavy metal music singer and songwriter specializing in melodic progressive power metal. He has sung with many groups over the last 35 years and started the record label Nightmare in 1990 to ...

in the silver medal run-off. Earlier in the year Nielsen was signed by Oxford Cheetahs on their return to the British League for a record £30,000, Oxford also signed Simon Wigg for £25,000,

Marvyn Cox Marvyn Cox (born 11 July 1964 in Whitstable, Kent) is a former Speedway rider . Cox was twice a winner of the German Individual Championship in 1993 and 1995, when he raced under a German licence. Domestic career In 1984 he was signed by Oxfor ...

for £15,000,

Melvyn Taylor Melvyn Roy Taylor (born 26 April 1961) is a former speedway rider from England. Speedway career Taylor started his career at Mildenhall Fen Tigers in 1977 before riding in the top tier of British Speedway for King's Lynn Stars and Reading Ra ...

for £12,000 and Jens Rasmussen. Nielsen topped the league averages with 10.76. 1985
Nielsen won the Danish final with a perfect 15 point maximum but finished runner-up once again to the defending champion Erik Gundersen in the 1985 Individual Speedway World Championship. He helped the Oxford Cheetahs team win the

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...

and

cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay, ...

double during a 1985 British League season. Nielsen topped the league averages with an incredible 11.35. 1986
After winning both the Danish and Nordic qualifying finals, Nielsen finally won his first world title after finishing in second place during the two previous Championships. In the 1987 Individual Speedway World Championship he lost his first ride to Erik Gundersen but then won his next four rides to be crowned the champion. Fellow Dane Jan O. Pedersen took silver and England's

Kelvin Tatum Kelvin Martin Tatum MBE (born 8 February 1964, in Epsom, Surrey) is a former British international motorcycle speedway and grasstrack rider. Career Tatum attended Brighton College from 1977 to 1980. He started riding speedway bikes at Hackney' ...

took the bronze while Gundersen faded into tenth place. Despite his rivalry with Gundersen he teamed up with him in the World Pairs winning the gold medal. He helped the Oxford Cheetahs team win the league and cup double for the second consecutive season during a

1986 British League season The 1986 British League season was the 52nd season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 22nd known as the British League. Summary Oxford Cheetahs won the league for the second consecutive year and the treble by sharing both t ...

. Nielsen topped the league averages with a record 11.57. 1987
Nielsen won his second individual world crown by winning the 1987 Individual Speedway World Championship. In a two-day final in Amsterdam Nielsen trailed after day one by 1 point to Erik Gundersen and the American

Sam Ermolenko Guy Allen 'Sudden Sam' Ermolenko (born November 23, 1960 Maywood, California) is a former speedway rider. In 1993 he won the Speedway World Championship in Pocking, Germany.Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). ''A History of the World Speedway ...

. However, in trademark style Nielsen produced a 15-point maximum on day two to wrap up the World Title, with Gundersen claiming silver and Ermolenko bronze. He also won a third World Pairs and third Danish title and the prestigious Golden Helmet of Pardubice in

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

(one of the world's oldest speedway races). In the

1987 British League season The 1987 British League season was the 53rd season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 23rd known as the British League. Summary Coventry Bees comfortably won the league finishing 16 points clear of Cradley Heath. The same f ...

Nielsen finished top of the league averages (11.38) for a remarkable fifth season running. 1988
Nielsen was denied a third world title in his home country at Vojens in the

1988 Individual Speedway World Championship The 1988 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 43rd edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider. The final was held at the Vojens Speedway Center, owned by former World Champion Ole Olsen. Despite th ...

. The Gundersen-Nielsen rivalry continued with both finishing on 13 points to tie for the lead of the Championship. However it was Gundersen that won the toss to choose his starting gate for the run-off. He chose the outside and on a wet track he won his third title by defeating Nielsen in the run-off. Nielsen won a fourth World Pairs and extended his average topping record, a sixth consecutive season during the

1988 British League season The 1988 British League season was the 54th season of the top tier of speedway in the United Kingdom and the 24th known as the British League. Summary Coventry Bees won the league for the second successive year and again by a 16 point margin. The ...

. 1989
A third World title at the

Olympic Stadium ''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games. An Olympic stadium is the site of the opening and closing ceremonies. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words ''Olympic Stadium'' as ...

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

was well deserved after a 15-point maximum. Nielsen joined fellow Danes Ole Olsen and Erik Gundersen as a three time Speedway World Champion. Nielsen also helped Oxford Cheetahs to another title and topped the averages for the seventh season running, during the 1989 British League season. In a memorable season he also won a fourth consecutive World Pairs (fifth in total). 1990
Nielsen finished fourth at the 1990 Individual Speedway World Championship and was champion of Denmark for the fourth time. Nielsen topped the league averages for the eighth season running and last time during the 1990 British League season. His consistency that led to being the top rider for eight seasons running was an astonishing and unique achievement. He won a fifth consecutive World Pairs (sixth in total). 1991
He won the bronze medal run-off beating

at the

1991 Individual Speedway World Championship The 1991 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 46th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider. Diminutive Danish people, Danish rider Jan O. Pedersen won his first and only World Championship with a ...

in Gothenburg. There was consolation in winning a sixth consecutive World Pairs (seventh in total and a record for any rider). 1992
Nielsen failed to qualify for the world final for the first time since 1979 after finishing 12th in the Nordic Final. 1993
Neilsen had another excellent performance in the

1993 Individual Speedway World Championship The 1993 Individual Speedway World Championship was the 48th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider. "Sudden" Sam Ermolenko of the United States won his only Speedway World Championship to become the first ...

but was unable to win the fourth titel he was seeking, he had to settle for the runner-up position behind Sam Ermolenko. He was champion of Denmark for the fifth time. He was forced to leave his beloved Oxford Cheetahs following their decision not to compete in the top division, he joined the

Coventry Bees Coventry Bees were a motorcycle speedway team that existed from 1929 to 2018. They raced at Brandon Stadium, Brandon near Coventry, England. History A Coventry team was first formed in 1928 and competed in the inaugural season of the Southern ...

. 1994
Nielsen just failed to win his fourth World title in the 1984 Individual Speedway World Championship after losing a run-off to Swede Tony Rickardsson in the last ever one-off race final. It was also the sixth and last time he was champion of Denmark and his last season in the British leagues. 1995
In the first Grand Prix six race series (the new format for the World Championship) Nielsen claimed his fourth world title. He won with a commanding 103 points, which was 15 points clear of his nearest rival Rickardsson. It would be his last individual World title. 1996
Nielsen was set to win his fifth world crown with a nine-point lead going into the last of the six events at Vojens in the World Championship Grand Prix series. However

Billy Hamill William Gordon Hamill (born 23 May 1970, in California, United States) is an American international motorcycle speedway rider. He is a former Speedway World Champion, winning the title in 1996. Career Early career Hamill began junior speedway ...

won the event gaining 25 points and Nielsen only managed 14 points leaving the Dane two points behind the American in the final standings. 1997
During the 1997 Speedway Grand Prix Nielsen won the

1997 Speedway Grand Prix of Germany The 1997 Speedway Grand Prix of Germany was the third race of the 1997 Speedway Grand Prix season. It took place on 6 July in the Ellermühle Stadium in Landshut, Germany Greg Hancock Gregory Alan Hancock (born June 3, 1970 in Whittier, California) is an American former professional motorcycle speedway rider. As of 2023, he was one of only six riders to have won the individual World Championship four or more times. In addit ...

. 1998
During the 1998 Speedway Grand Prix Nielsen won the 1998 Speedway Grand Prix of Denmark but finished fourth in the World title standings behind Tony Rickardsson. He won his second Golden Helmet of Pardubice in the Czech Republic. 1999
In his last World Championship during the

1999 Speedway Grand Prix The 1999 Speedway Grand Prix was the 54th edition of the official World Championship to determine the world champion rider. It was the fifth season in the Speedway Grand Prix era and was used to determine the Speedway World Champion. Event forma ...

Nielsen won the 1999 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland II and won the bronze medal in the World title standings behind Rickardsson.

Retirement

Hans Nielsen retired at the end of 1999 having finished third in the

series, proving he could still win by winning the Grand Prix of Poland II in

Bydgoszcz Bydgoszcz ( , , ; german: Bromberg) is a city in northern Poland, straddling the meeting of the River Vistula with its left-bank tributary, the Brda. With a city population of 339,053 as of December 2021 and an urban agglomeration with more ...

. Many judges, from other riders, the media and the fans, feel he was the greatest rider of all time. After retiring, he returned to Denmark, where he continued playing golf in his spare time. He became the Danish national team manager in June 2016, a post which he held until February 2023.

World final appearances

Individual World Championship results timeline

Individual World Championship

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

Ullevi Ullevi, sometimes known as Nya Ullevi (, ''New Ullevi''), is a multi-purpose stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was built for the 1958 FIFA World Cup, but since then has also hosted the World Allround Speed Skating Championships six times; the ...

- 11th - 7pts *

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...

- 9th - 6pts *

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, Memorial Coliseum - 7th - 8pts *

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...

Norden Norden is a Scandinavian and German word, directly translated as "the North". It may refer to: Places England * Norden, Basingstoke, a ward of Basingstoke and Deane * Norden, Dorset, a hamlet near Corfe Castle * Norden, Greater Manchester, a vi ...

, Motodrom Halbemond - 7th - 9pts *

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

- 2nd - 13pts + 3pts *

- 2nd - 13pts + 2pts *

Chorzów Chorzów ( ; ; german: link=no, Königshütte ; szl, Chorzōw) is a city in the Silesia region of southern Poland, near Katowice. Chorzów is one of the central cities of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union – a metropolis with a population ...

Silesian Stadium Silesian as an adjective can mean anything from or related to Silesia. As a noun, it refers to an article, item, or person of or from Silesia. Silesian may also refer to: People and languages *Silesians, inhabitants of Silesia, either a West Sla ...

- Winner - 14pts *

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

- Winner - 27pts *

Vojens Vojens (german: Woyens) is a railway town in Denmark with a population of 7,475 (1 January 2022).Speedway Center - 2nd - 14pts + 2pts * 1989 -

- Winner - 15pts *

- 4th - 11pts *

- 3rd - 11pts + 3pts *

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

Pocking Pocking (; bar, label=Central Bavarian, Bocking) is a town in the district of Passau, in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is situated about 30 km south-west of Passau, close to the Austrian border. History A Roman settlement was founded in the a ...

, Rottalstadion - 2nd - 11pts + 3pts *

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

Vojens Vojens (german: Woyens) is a railway town in Denmark with a population of 7,475 (1 January 2022).Speedway Center - 2nd - 12pts + 2pts *

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

- Winner - 103pts *

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

- 2nd - 111pts *

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

- 7th - 75pts *

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

- 4th - 76pts *

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

- 3rd - 76pts

World Pairs Championship

Vojens Vojens (german: Woyens) is a railway town in Denmark with a population of 7,475 (1 January 2022).Speedway Center (with Ole Olsen) - Winner - 25pts (15) *

- Krsko,

Matija Gubec Stadium Matija Gubec Stadium ( sl, Stadion Matije Gubca) is a multi-purpose stadium in Krško, Slovenia. The stadium was built in 1946 and has a capacity of 1,470 seats. It is currently used mostly for football matches and also hosts motorcycle speed ...

(with Ole Olsen) - 3rd - 21pts (8) *

(with Ole Olsen) - 5th - 17pts (7) *

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, Liverpool City Raceway (with Ole Olsen) - 3rd - 21pts (10) *

(with

) - 3rd - 19pts (11) *

Pista Speedway The Pista Olimpia Terenzano is a 4,000-capacity motorcycle stadium in the Terenzano Province of Udine. The stadium is situated south of Udine and north east of Pozzuolo del Friuli. The stadium has been the home of the World Championship round kno ...

(with

) - 2nd - 25+3pts (15+3) *

, Rottalstadion (with

) - Winner - 46+5pts (27+5) *

Pardubice Pardubice (; german: Pardubitz) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 89,000 inhabitants. It is the capital city of the Pardubice Region and lies on the Elbe River. The historic centre is well preserved and is protected as an Cultural monu ...

, Svítkov Stadion (with

) - Winner - 52pts (26) *

(with

) - Winner - 45pts (27) * 1989 -

Leszno Leszno (german: Lissa, 1800–1918 ''Lissa in Posen'') is a historic city in western Poland, within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seventh-largest city in the province with an estimated population of 62,200, as of 2021. Previously, it ...

, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (with

) - Winner - 48pts (28) *

Landshut Landshut (; bar, Landshuad) is a town in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also t ...

, Ellermühle Stadium (with

) - Winner - 43pts (19) *

Poznań Poznań () is a city on the River Warta in west-central Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business centre, and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John ...

Olimpia Poznań Stadium Olimpia may refer to: Sports teams * Club Atlético Olimpia, a sports club based in Montevideo, Uruguay *Club Deportivo Olimpia, a football team based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras *Club Olimpia, a sports club based in the city of Asunción, Paraguay ...

(with

) - Winner - 28pts (14) *

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

(with

Brian Karger Brian Karger (born 9 February 1967, in Horsens, Denmark) is a former international motorcycle speedway rider. He was a member of the Denmark speedway team when they won the 1991 and 1995 World Team Cup Finals. He also qualified for the 1992 World ...

) - 5th - 16pts (13) *

Vojens Vojens (german: Woyens) is a railway town in Denmark with a population of 7,475 (1 January 2022).Speedway Center (with

) - 3rd - 21pts (14)

World Team Cup

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...

, Stadion Ellermühle (with Ole Olsen /

Mike Lohmann Mike Lohmann (born 6 June 1954) is a former international speedway rider from Denmark. Speedway career Lohmann won a gold medal at the Speedway World Team Cup in the 1978 Speedway World Team Cup. The following year he won a silver medal at th ...

Finn Thomsen Finn Thomsen (born 16 February 1955 Arhus, Denmark) is a former motorcycle speedway rider Career Thomsen first rode in the UK with the Wolverhampton Wolves. Signed by Len Silver for the Hackney Hawks in a swap deal with Dave Mo ...

) - Winner - 37pts (11) *

White City Stadium White City Stadium was a stadium located in White City, London, England. Built for the 1908 Summer Olympics, it hosted the finish of the first modern marathon and other sports like swimming, speedway, boxing, show jumping, athletics, stock car ...

(with Ole Olsen /

Bo Petersen Bo Petersen (born 21 February 1958 Bolbro, Denmark) is a former motorcycle speedway rider from Denmark. He was the 1980 Danish champion. Career Petersen first rode in the United Kingdom with the Hackney Hawks. Signed by Len Silver in 1978 he s ...

) - 2nd - 31pts (9) *

Olching Olching (Central Bavarian: ''Oiching'') is a town in the district of Fürstenfeldbruck, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated approximately 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Munich. Geography Olching lies approximately halfway between Dachau ...

Olching Speedwaybahn Olching (Central Bavarian: ''Oiching'') is a town in the district of Fürstenfeldbruck, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated approximately 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Munich. Geography Olching lies approximately halfway between Dachau ...

(with Ole Olsen /

) - Winner - 36pts (11) *

(with Ole Olsen /

Preben Eriksen Preben Kollster Eriksen (born 9 August 1958) in Odense, Denmark, is a former motorcycle speedway rider from Denmark. Career Eriksen rode with the Wolverhampton Wolves and the Ipswich Witches in the British League. He won the World Team Cup wit ...

) - 2nd - 27pts (11) *

Vojens Vojens (german: Woyens) is a railway town in Denmark with a population of 7,475 (1 January 2022).Speedway Center (with Ole Olsen /

/ Peter Ravn) - Winner - 37pts (11) *

, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (with

) - Winner - 44pts (11) *

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, Veterans Memorial Stadium (with

) - Winner - 37pts (10) *

Vojens Vojens (german: Woyens) is a railway town in Denmark with a population of 7,475 (1 January 2022).Speedway Center and

(with

John Jørgensen John Jørgensen (born 18 July 1962 in Middelfart, Denmark) is a former international motorcycle speedway rider from Denmark. He is not to be confused with Johnny Jørgensen, the 1989 Danish Junior speedway champion. Career Jørgensen won the ...

) - Winner - 129pts (35) *

Fredericia Fredericia () is a town located in Fredericia Municipality in the southeastern part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. The city is part of the Triangle Region, which includes the neighbouring cities of Kolding and Vejle. It was founded in 16 ...

Fredericia Speedway Fredericia () is a town located in Fredericia Municipality in the southeastern part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. The city is part of the Triangle Region Denmark, Triangle Region, which includes the neighbouring cities of Kolding and Vejl ...

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...

Brandon Stadium Brandon Stadium, also known as Coventry Stadium, is located 6 miles east of Coventry in Brandon, Warwickshire, England. It was the home of the Coventry Bees motorcycle speedway team. It also hosted BriSCA F1 Stock Car Racing on the 1st Satur ...

and

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

, Marketa Stadium (with

) - Winner - 130pts (38) *

, Veterans Memorial Stadium - (with

) - Winner - 44pts (14) * 1989 -

- (with

Gert Handberg Gert Handberg (born 30 May 1969 in Brædstrup, Denmark) is a former international motorcycle speedway rider form Denmark. Career Gert joined Cradley Heathens in 1988 on a recommendation, after winning the Danish Junior Championship during the ...

) 2nd - 34pts (11) *

, Svítkov Stadion - 3rd - 30pts (13) *

Vojens Vojens (german: Woyens) is a railway town in Denmark with a population of 7,475 (1 January 2022).Speedway Center - Winner - 51pts (14) *

Kumla Kumla is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Kumla Municipality, Örebro County, Sweden with a population of 21,640 as of 2018. Geography Kumla is situated roughly 15 kilometres south of neighbouring city Örebro, and is connected t ...

Kumla Speedway The Glottra Skog Arena or Sannaheds Motorstadion is a 15,000-capacity motorcycle speedway stadium, south of Kumla in Sweden. The Arena is the home venue of the speedway team called Indianerna who race in the Eliserien, which is the highest lea ...

- 4th - 17pts (11) *

- 2nd - 38pts (13) *

Brokstedt Brokstedt is a municipality in the district of Steinburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after R ...

, Holsteinring Brokstedt - 3rd - 17+3pts (5) *

, Polonia Bydgoszcz Stadium - Winner - 28pts (13) *

Piła Piła (german: Schneidemühl) is a city in northwestern Poland and the capital of Piła County, situated in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. Its population as of 2021 was 71,846, making it the third-largest city in the voivodeship after Poznań ...

, Stadion Żużlowy Centrum - Winner - 27pts (14) *

Vojens Vojens (german: Woyens) is a railway town in Denmark with a population of 7,475 (1 January 2022).Speedway Center - 3rd - 23pts (10)

Individual Under-21 World Championship

- 5th - 11pts

Speedway Grand Prix results

World Longtrack Championship

* 1979 Semi-final * 1980 Semi-final * 1981 Semi-final * 1982

Esbjerg Esbjerg (, ) is a seaport town and seat of Esbjerg Municipality on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. By road, it is west of Kolding and southwest of Aarhus. With an urban population of 71,698 (1 January 2022)

(9th) 8pts * 1983 Marianske Lazne (12th) 7pts * 1984 Herxheim (12th) 7pts * 1985 Semi-final * 1986

Pfarrkirchen Pfarrkirchen is a municipality in southern Lower Bavaria Germany, the capital of the district Rottal-Inn. It has about 12,500 inhabitants and is an important school centre with about 10,000 pupils from all over Lower Bavaria. The town spreads o ...

(5th) 14pts * 1987 Semi-final * 1988

Scheeßel Scheeßel (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Scheeßl'') is a municipality in the district of Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Wümme, approx. 10 km northeast of Rotenburg, 45 km east of Bremen, and 70 km south ...

(4th) 27pts * 1989 Marianske Lazne (6th) 20pts

References

*Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). ''A History of the World Speedway Championship''. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. {{DEFAULTSORT:Nielsen, Hans 1959 births Living people Danish speedway riders Individual Speedway World Champions Speedway World Pairs Champions Birmingham Brummies riders Oxford Cheetahs riders Wolverhampton Wolves riders Coventry Bees riders Individual Speedway Long Track World Championship riders People from Jammerbugt Municipality Sportspeople from the North Jutland Region