Eugen Schmidt is one of Denmark’s foremost sports pioneers. He co-founded sports clubs in several Danish cities and in various sports, including rowing, golf, tennis and gymnastics. After founding the Polyteknisk Roklub in 1887, he became chairman of Københavns Rokclub, the rowing club of Copenhagen. That same year, he entered the board of the Danish Rowing Federation, later serving as its president (1894-96). In 1896, he co-founded the DIF, the Danish Sports Federation. With two brief interruptions, he sat on the board of the DIF until his death in 1931. Fittingly, Schmidt was one of the three Danish competitors at the first modern Olympics in Athens. An all-around sportsman, he competed in both the 100 metre sprint and the military rifle shooting, although he did not achieve any notable feats. Returning to the Olympics in Paris 1900, Schmidt competed in the mixed Swedish/Danish tug-of-war team that took the Olympic title. Apart from the aforementioned sports, Schmidt was also (actively or passively) involved in athletics, football, fencing, swimming and ice skating. He also published several books on sports and frequently wrote for newspapers and magazines. Despite all this, he still managed to have a regular day job. Initially employed as an engineer at beer breweries (including Carlsberg), he later worked for a chemical company in Aalborg.
Personal Best: 100 – unknown.
Denmark