Bernhoff Hansen

{{Short description|Norwegian wrestler}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{Infobox sportsperson

|name = Bernhoff Hansen

|full_name = Bernhoff Otelius Hansen

|birth_date = {{birth date|1877|08|17}}

|birth_place = Rognan, Norway

|death_date = {{death date and age|1950|12|22|1877|08|17}}

|death_place = New York, New York, U.S.

|medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport|Men's freestyle wrestling}}

{{MedalCountry| {{NOR}}}}

{{MedalOlympic}}

{{MedalGold|1904 St. Louis | Heavyweight}}

|show-medals = yes

}}

Bernhoff Otelius Hansen (August 17, 1877 – December 22, 1950) was a Norwegian-American wrestler who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics for the United States.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/60651 |title=Bernhoff Hansen |work=Olympedia |access-date=February 25, 2021}}

He was born in Rognan in Saltdal Municipality in Norway. Originally, he was a Norwegian wrestler in Nordland, but one and a half years before the 1904 Olympic Games, he left Norway for the United States. He was affiliated with the Brooklyn-based Norwegian Turnverein gymnastic society. Hansen was sponsored by the Norwegian Turnverein at the Olympics in 1904. Hansen won three matches at the 1904 Olympics and the gold medal in the freestyle heavyweight category, wrestling on the United States team.[http://www.olympic.org/en/content/All-Olympic-results-since-1896/?AthleteName=Bernhuff%20HANSEN&Category=&Games=&Sport=&Event=&MenGender=true&WomenGender=false&MixedGender=false&TeamClassification=false&IndividualClassification=false&Continent=&Country=&GoldMedal=false&SilverMedal=false&BronzeMedal=false&TargetResults=true Bernhuff Hansen (Official website of the Olympic Movement)]

His first name was spelled "Bernhoff" by FILA and in an article by The New York Times from January 16, 1918. By the time of the article, he was referred to as a "Norwegian light-heavyweight wrestler". Hansen died in New York City at the age of 73.

In 2012, Norwegian historians found documentation showing that Hansen was registered as an "alien" (foreigner) as late as 1925 and questioning whether he ever received American citizenship. The historians thus petitioned to have Hansen's gold registered as Norwegian.{{cite news|url=http://www.nrk.no/ol2012/nyheter/her-er-norges-ukjente-ol-gullvinner-1.8281024|work=NRK|title=Her er beviset som endrer norsk idrettshistorie|date=14 August 2012}}