Hans Hollen Nielsen (born 26 December 1959) is a Danish former professional motorcycle speedway rider. He competed in the Speedway World Championships from 1977 to 1999. Nielsen is notable for winning four Speedway World Championship titles. During his career, he won a total of 22 world championships, making him arguably the most successful speedway rider of all time. In 2012, Nielsen was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements. He later managed the Danish national team.
Contents
Career
Nielsen was born in Arentsminde near Brovst, Denmark. He was one of, if not the most successful riders the sport has ever seen. Altogether he participated in winning 22 World Championships for Denmark (out of the 46 won by Danish riders/teams in all competitions to the end of 2014). This included the individual World Championship in 1986, 1987 (the only time the final was held over two days), 1989 and the first ever championship ran in the Grand Prix format in 1995. Nielsen and Sweden's Tony Rickardsson are the only 2 riders to have won world titles in both the old single meeting format and the Speedway Grand Prix series.
Nielsen was known as "The Main Dane" to fans, taking over the title from triple World Champion Ole Olsen, but was referred to as "The Professor" by his fellow riders due to his immaculate style and ability to ride speedway. Nielsen won the Danish Championship in 1978, 1982, 1987, 1990, 1993 and 1994. He was also the Nordic Champion in 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991 and 1994 as well as winning the Intercontinental Final in 1983.
Nielsen rode in the British League for the Oxford Cheetahs from 1984 to 1992. In 1986 he recorded a league average of 11.57, his average in away league matches that season was a perfect 12.00. With the Cheetahs, Nielsen won the British League Riders' Championship in 1986, 1987 and 1990, the British League Pairs Championship with Simon Wigg in 1985 and 1986 and in 1987 with Andy Grahame, the British League in 1985, 1986 and 1989, as well as winning the British League Knockout Cup in 1985 and 1986. He was also the 1984 "Pride of the Midlands" winner at the Norfolk Arena in King's Lynn.
Nielsen was successful almost everywhere he rode. As well as his World Championship winning feats in Europe, he would win the Speedway World Team Cup as part of the Danish team in the USA in 1985 and 1988, as well as winning major meetings in Australia, including the 1987 West End Speedway International at the Wayville Showground in Adelaide.
Nielsen rode in a record 18 straight Speedway World Team Cup Finals for Denmark between 1978 and 1995, winning 10 which included a record six in a row from 1983 until 1988 and finishing on the podium a record 14 times in a row between 1978 and 1991. Denmark were the favourites to win again in 1989 at the Odsal Stadium in Bradford, but would eventually finish third after the opening heat crash which ended the career and nearly took the life of Nielsen's friend, teammate and closest rival, triple World Champion Erik Gundersen.
Nielsen also represented Denmark in the World Pairs Championship on 14 occasions from 1979 until 1993, following which the Pairs Championship was merged with the World Team Cup. He won the Pairs title in 1979 with Ole Olsen, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989 with Erik Gundersen, 1990 with Jan O. Pedersen and 1991 with Pedersen and Tommy Knudsen.
By year
1977
Nielsen aged just 17, signed for Wolverhampton Wolves for the 1977 British League season recording a healthy 7.25 average.
1978
Nielsen won his first Danish Championship and rode in the 1978 European Under-21 Final at the Pista Olimpia Terenzano in Lonigo, Italy where he finished 5th with 11 points. The European U/21 Championship was later renamed the World U/21 Championship in 1988. He topped the Wolves averages in just his second year with them.
1979
Nielsen won the World Pairs with Ole Olsen and finished runner-up to Jan Andersson in the Scandinavian final. In his third season with Wolverhampton he finished 5th in the 1979 British League season averages and topped the Wolves averages.
1980
Nielsen reached his first World individual final at the 1980 Individual Speedway World Championship, finishing 11th in Gothenburg. He had won the Scandinavian final on his way to the final. During the 1980 British League season he topped the averages on 10.69 riding for Wolves. After the season had ended he put in a transfer request but Wolverhampton then withdrew from the British League.
1981
Nielsen appeared in his second World final at the 1981 Individual Speedway World Championship, where he improved two places on the previous year, finishing in 9th place at Wembley Stadium. He was allocated to Birmingham Brummies for the 1981 British League season.
1982
A seventh-place finish in Nielsen's third world final constituted another two place improvement. He also won his second Danish Championship.
1983
Nielsen finished seventh in his fourth world individual final, this was a disappointment for Nielsen who expected to go better. During the 1983 World Pairs Final at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden, Nielsen was involved in one of the more bizarre tape exclusions ever seen in speedway. While lining up for the start of Heat 10 against eventual champions England, represented by 1976 World Champion Peter Collins and the highly rated Kenny Carter, Nielsen was in gate 2 and initially attempted to line up across on Carter on his inside before being forced by the official to move as he was deemed to be across the line and out of his gate. After moving he then almost broke the tapes once before coming forward again, this time actually falling over his handlebars and onto the track as he tried to stop his bike which had actually rolled over the tapes (without breaking them), leaving Australian referee Sam Bass no option but to exclude him from the race. During the 1983 British League season Nielsen topped the league averages for Birmingham Brummies with a 10.82 average.
Retirement
Nielsen retired at the end of 1999 having finished third in the 1999 Speedway Grand Prix series, proving he could still win by winning the Grand Prix of Poland II in Bydgoszcz. Many judges, from other riders, the media and the fans, feel he was the greatest rider of all time.
After retiring, Nielsen returned to Denmark, where he continued playing golf in his spare time. He became the Danish national team manager in June 2016, a post which he held until February 2023.
World final appearances
Individual World Championship
1980 - Gothenburg, Ullevi - 11th - 7pts
1981 - London, Wembley Stadium - 9th - 6pts
1982 - Los Angeles, Memorial Coliseum - 7th - 8pts
1983 - Norden, Motodrom Halbemond - 7th - 9pts
1984 - Gothenburg, Ullevi - 2nd - 13pts + 3pts
1985 - Bradford, Odsal Stadium - 2nd - 13pts + 2pts
1986 - Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - Winner - 14pts
1987 - Amsterdam, Olympic Stadium - Winner - 27pts
1988 - Vojens, Speedway Center - 2nd - 14pts + 2pts
1989 - Munich, Olympic Stadium - Winner - 15pts
1990 - Bradford, Odsal Stadium - 4th - 11pts
1991 - Gothenburg, Ullevi - 3rd - 11pts + 3pts
1993 - Pocking, Rottalstadion - 2nd - 11pts + 3pts
1994 - Vojens, Speedway Center - 2nd - 12pts + 2pts
1995 - Speedway Grand Prix - Winner - 103pts
1996 - Speedway Grand Prix - 2nd - 111pts
1997 - Speedway Grand Prix - 7th - 75pts
1998 - Speedway Grand Prix - 4th - 76pts
World Pairs Championship
1979 - Vojens, Speedway Center (with Ole Olsen) - Winner - 25pts (15)
1980 - Krško, Matija Gubec Stadium (with Ole Olsen) - 3rd - 21pts (8)
1981 - Chorzów, Silesian Stadium (with Ole Olsen) - 5th - 17pts (7)
1982 - Sydney, Liverpool City Raceway (with Ole Olsen) - 3rd - 21pts (10)
1983 - Gothenburg, Ullevi (with Erik Gundersen) - 3rd - 19pts (11)
1984 - Lonigo, Santa Marina Stadium (with Erik Gundersen) - 2nd - 25+3pts (15+3)
1986 - Pocking, Rottalstadion (with Erik Gundersen) - Winner - 46+5pts (27+5)
1987 - Pardubice, Svítkov Stadion (with Erik Gundersen) - Winner - 52pts (26)
1988 - Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Erik Gundersen) - Winner - 45pts (27)
1989 - Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (with Erik Gundersen) - Winner - 48pts (28)
1990 - Landshut, Ellermühle Stadium (with Jan O. Pedersen) - Winner - 43pts (19)
1991 - Poznań, Olimpia Poznań Stadium (with Jan O. Pedersen / Tommy Knudsen) - Winner - 28pts (14)
1992 - Lonigo, Santa Marina Stadium (with Brian Karger / Tommy Knudsen) - 5th - 16pts (13)
1993 - Vojens, Speedway Center (with Tommy Knudsen / Brian Karger) - 3rd - 21pts (14)
World Team Cup
1978 - Landshut, Stadion Ellermühle (with Ole Olsen / Mike Lohmann / Finn Thomsen) - Winner - 37pts (11)
1979 - London, White City Stadium (with Ole Olsen / Mike Lohmann / Finn Thomsen / Bo Petersen) - 2nd - 31pts (9)
1981 - Olching, Olching Speedwaybahn (with Ole Olsen / Erik Gundersen / Tommy Knudsen / Finn Thomsen) - Winner - 36pts (11)
1982 - London, White City Stadium (with Ole Olsen / Erik Gundersen / Preben Eriksen / Tommy Knudsen) - 2nd - 27pts (11)
1983 - Vojens, Speedway Center (with Ole Olsen / Erik Gundersen / Finn Thomsen / Peter Ravn) - Winner - 37pts (11)
1984 - Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (with Bo Petersen / Erik Gundersen / Preben Eriksen) - Winner - 44pts (11)
1985 - Long Beach, Veterans Memorial Stadium (with Bo Petersen / Tommy Knudsen / Erik Gundersen / Preben Eriksen) - Winner - 37pts (10)
1986 - Gothenburg, Ullevi, Vojens, Speedway Center and Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Erik Gundersen / Tommy Knudsen / Jan O. Pedersen / John Jørgensen) - Winner - 129pts (35)
1987 - Fredericia, Fredericia Speedway, Coventry, Brandon Stadium and Prague, Marketa Stadium (with Erik Gundersen / Jan O. Pedersen / Tommy Knudsen) - Winner - 130pts (38)
1988 - Long Beach, Veterans Memorial Stadium - (with Erik Gundersen / Tommy Knudsen / Jan O. Pedersen / John Jørgensen) - Winner - 44pts (14)
1989 - Bradford, Odsal Stadium - (with Erik Gundersen / Gert Handberg / John Jørgensen / Brian Karger) 2nd - 34pts (11)
Individual Under-21 World Championship
1978 - Lonigo, Santa Marina Stadium - 5th - 11pts
World Longtrack Championship
1979 Semi-final
1980 Semi-final
1981 Semi-final
1982 Esbjerg (9th) 8pts
1983 Mariánské Lázně (12th) 7pts
1984 Herxheim (12th) 7pts
1985 Semi-final
1986 Pfarrkirchen (5th) 14pts
1987 Semi-final
1988 Scheeßel (4th) 27pts
1989 Mariánské Lázně (6th) 20pts