IOC says it will not give Olympic team status to Greenland and Faroe Islands

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry, speaks during the 146th Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the SwissTech Convention Centre, in Lausanne, Switzerland, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (Cyril Zingaro/Keystone via AP)

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Greenland and the Faroe Islands will not be recognized as separate and independent Olympic teams despite a request from Denmark’s parliament, the IOC said Wednesday.

The Olympic Charter has for 30 years defined a country that can have an official team as “an independent state recognized by the international community.”

Greenland and the Faroe Islands — which are semi-autonomous territories in the kingdom of Denmark — do not meet that standard, the International Olympic Committee said in a statement.

“This position has been explained and communicated very clearly to the concerned parties on numerous occasions over the past years,” the IOC said.

The formal request by the Danish parliament was made two weeks ago and published Tuesday.

It came weeks after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen formed a new coalition government. In the election campaign, she pledged support for Greenland against U.S. President Donald Trump’s wish to acquire the island.

At the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games, which President Trump should formally declare open, athletes from Greenland and Faroes can compete for Denmark. It is one of 206 national Olympic bodies recognized by the IOC.

The Associated Press