Bernhoff Hansen

Bernhoff Otelius Hansen (August 17, 1877 – December 22, 1950) was a Norwegian wrestler who competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics for the United States.^[1]

Bernhoff Hansen

Personal information
Full name	Bernhoff Otelius Hansen
Born	(1877-08-17)August 17, 1877 Rognan, Norway
Died	December 22, 1950(1950-12-22) (aged 73) New York, New York, U.S.
Medal record Men's freestyle wrestling Representing  Norway Olympic Games 1904 St. Louis Heavyweight

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.^[2]

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 not only never became a U.S. citizen but never identified as an American his entire life. The historians thus petitioned to have Hansen's gold registered as belonging to Norway, which they successfully did.^[3]