Ivan Joseph Martin Osiier (December 16, 1888 – December 23, 1965), was a Danish Olympic medalist, and world champion, fencer who fenced foil, épée, and saber.Ivan Osiier Bio, Stats, and Results , Olympics at Sports-Reference.com
/ref> He was given the

Olympic Diploma of Merit The Olympic Diploma of Merit was an award given by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to recognise outstanding services to sports or a notable contribution to the Olympic Games. By 1974, the last time the awards were granted, just 58 peop ...

during his career. He is also one of only five athletes who have competed in the Olympics over a span of 40 years.

Personal life

Osiier was born in

Copenhagen, Denmark Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the Øresund strait. The Øres ...

, and was Jewish. His parents were Martin Moses Meyer Osiier (1861–1933) and Hanne Henriette Ruben (1865–1922). He was married to Ellen Osiier, who became the first female Olympic fencing champion by winning the women's foil at the

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad () and officially branded as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The opening ceremony was held on 5 July, but some competitions had al ...

. He attended the secondary school Borgerdydskolen (The School of Civic Virtue) in Copenhagen, and later studied medicine. He was a surgeon at Garrison Hospital in Copenhagen in 1915–17. He later served as a physician. He was forced to flee Denmark during the

Nazi occupation of Denmark The German invasion of Denmark (), was the German attack on Denmark on 9 April 1940, during the World War II, Second World War. The attack was a prelude to the Norwegian campaign, invasion of Norway (, 9 April – 10 June 1940). Denmark's stra ...

due to his being Jewish, and went to Sweden where he worked at

Saint Göran Hospital Saint Göran Hospital ( Swedish: ''Sankt Görans sjukhus'') is a private hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. It is located on Kungsholmen, a small island in the lake Mälaren in the city center. St. Göran is one of Sweden's oldest hospitals. It was m ...

Fencing career

Championships

At fencing competitions in Denmark, Osiier won 25 events between 1913 and 1929. In fencing competitions for Scandinavia, Osilier won 13 events between 1921 and 1933.

Olympics

Osiier first competed at the

1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were originally schedu ...

and continued to appear in consecutive Olympics up to the

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and officially branded as London 1948, were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus cau ...

. During the

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad () and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 6 July and 22 July 1912. The opening ceremony was he ...

, Osiier finished in second during the épée event. Osiier withdrew from the 1936 Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany, as did Danish Jewish wrestler (and 1932 Olympic silver medalist) Abraham Kurland. He is one of only four athletes who have competed in the Olympics over a span of 40 years, along with sailors Magnus Konow, Paul Elvstrøm, Durward Knowles and showjumper

Ian Millar Ian Millar CM (born January 6, 1947) is a Canadian Equestrian Team athlete for show jumping. He is a two-time winner of the Show Jumping World Cup, and an Olympic silver medallist. Due to his longevity and accomplishments, he is often nickn ...

. Apart from competitions, Osiier worked for the Denmark Fencing Federation as their leader. The

was given to Osiier during his career.

Hall of Fame

Osiier was inducted into the

International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (IJSHOF) () is the international hall of fame for Jewish athletes and special contributors to the world of sport. The purpose of the IJSHOF is to honor Jewish individuals, worldwide, who have accompli ...

in 1986.

References

External links

Olympic record

Jewish Sports Legends bio

Jews in Sports bio

IMDB bio

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Osier, Ivan 1888 births 1965 deaths Danish male fencers Jewish épée fencers Jewish foil fencers Jewish sabre fencers Jewish Danish sportspeople Olympic fencers for Denmark Olympic silver medalists for Denmark Olympic medalists in fencing Fencers at the 1908 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1912 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1920 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1924 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1928 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1932 Summer Olympics Fencers at the 1948 Summer Olympics International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame inductees Medalists at the 1912 Summer Olympics Fencers from Copenhagen