Retired badminton star Viktor Axelsen has weighed in on the heated debate between entrepreneur Martin Thorborg and Danish Minister of Culture Zenia Stampe—which took place on the DR2 program 'Debatten'—offering a clear verdict:
"I watched the debate, and honestly, I found Zenia Stampe’s behavior embarrassing. The tone, the body language, and the way she handled the situation were, in my opinion, far below what one should expect from a minister," writes Viktor Axelsen on Facebook.
It was not the debate itself that prompted the two-time Olympic gold medalist to respond, but rather a Facebook post by Zenia Stampe (of the Social Liberal Party, 'Radikale Venstre') following the tense exchanges between her and Thorborg on live television.
In the post, Stampe describes the last few days as "intense," noting that she has received thousands of angry comments—including labels like "insane" and "hysterical"—and claims that she is unfit for her role as Minister of Culture.
However, after re-watching the heated exchange with Thorborg—which concerned the entrepreneur's use of artificial intelligence to write his autobiography—Zenia Stampe maintains that she did not cross the line. It is this stance that has prompted Viktor Axelsen to speak out.
"I actually find this post even more cringeworthy than the debate itself," writes the badminton legend, emphasizing that hate, threats, and personal attacks—like those directed at Zenia Stampe—are completely unacceptable. Viktor Axelsen, on the other hand, strongly disagrees with the Minister of Culture’s assertion that there was nothing wrong with her behavior during Thursday’s episode of 'Debatten,' and he finds it deeply puzzling that she still holds this view in retrospect.
According to Axelsen, this demonstrates a lack of self-reflection and is incompatible with the values he believes Danish elite sports represent. "That is why I am reacting so strongly to this," says Viktor Axelsen.