Danish sportsman Poul Rask was an all-round athlete who ran in long-distance running events in addition to playing handball. Rask represented IF Stjernen in Odense in the latter, playing in a demonstration event at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. A one-off match was contested between Sweden and Denmark, the finalists of the 1948 World Championships. Sweden won the match 19–11, with Rask making it onto the scoresheet for the Danes. Despite handball being a popular sport in Europe it did not return to the Olympic programme until the 1972 München Games. Rask also participated in the Olympic Flame torch relay prior to the Helsinki Games.
Denmark