Claus Elsborg Olesen (born 21 August 1974 in Galten, Skandenborg) is a retired Danish sailor, who specialized in two-person keelboat ( Star) class. He represented

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 = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

in the Star class in two editions of the Olympic Games (2004 and 2012), and also shared bronze medals with his partner Michael Hestbæk at the 2012 Star World Championships in

Hyères Hyères (), Provençal Occitan: ''Ieras'' in classical norm, or ''Iero'' in Mistralian norm) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. The old town lies from the sea clustered arou ...

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. Olesen has also been training throughout most of his sporting career for Kaløvig Bådelaug Yacht Club in

Århus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...

. Olesen made his official debut at the 2004 Summer Olympics in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, where he paired up with Nicklas Holm in the Star class. On 16 August 2004 Olesen had almost been injured and charged in a road accident, when his partner Holm struck and killed a British pedestrian while speeding in his car on the way to witness the Danish handball team's prelim match. Being overshadowed and cleared by the accident charges, the Danish duo recorded a net score of 83 points to establish a satisfying ninth-place finish in a fleet of seventeen boats, trailing behind Bermuda (led by four-time Olympian

Peter Bromby Peter Frederick Bromby (born August 26, 1964 in Sandys Parish) is a Bermudian keelboat sailor, who specialized in Star class. He represented Bermuda in four editions of the Olympic Games (1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004), and has earned the third hi ...

) by a single mark. Eight years after competing in his last Olympics, Olesen qualified as a 38-year-old veteran and a crew member for the Danish squad in the Star class at the 2012 Summer Olympics in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, 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 dow ...

by placing third and receiving a berth from the

World Championships 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, ...

. Teaming with his new partner and four-time Olympian Michael Hestbæk in the opening series, the Danish duo occupied an eleventh spot with a net score of 89, missing out a chance to compete for the medal race by nine points behind French sailors Pierre-Alexis Ponsot and Xavier Rohart.

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* * * * * 1974 births Living people Danish male sailors (sport) Olympic sailors for Denmark Sailors at the 2004 Summer Olympics – Star Sailors at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Star People from Skanderborg Municipality Sportspeople from the Central Denmark Region {{Denmark-yachtracing-bio-stub