Amaya Kruse Jørgensen: Denmark’s Rising Sprint Star

Full Name: Amaya Kruse Jørgensen
Date of Birth: December 14, 2006
Nationality: Danish
Event(s): 100m, 200m, 4x100m Relay
Club: Sparta Atletik & Løb (Copenhagen)
Current World Rankings: #440 (200m), #594 (100m)
Instagram: @amayajorgensen

Introduction

Amaya Kruse Jørgensen has emerged as one of the most exciting young sprinting talents in Danish athletics. At just 18 years old, she already holds the Danish National U20 Record in the 100 meters and has represented her country at the highest junior levels, including the European Athletics U20 Championships. Competing for the powerhouse club Sparta Atletik & Løb in Copenhagen, Amaya has shown consistent improvement season after season, establishing herself as a cornerstone of Danish women’s sprinting for years to come.

Her blend of raw speed, competitive fire, and genuine enthusiasm for the sport has made her a standout performer both domestically and on the European junior circuit. As she continues to develop under the guidance of experienced coaches at one of Scandinavia’s premier athletics clubs, the future appears remarkably bright for this young Danish speedster.

Early Life and Introduction to Athletics

Amaya Kruse Jørgensen was born on December 14, 2006, and grew up in the Køge area of Zealand, Denmark—a historic port town located approximately 40 kilometers southwest of Copenhagen. The region, known for its well-preserved medieval architecture and strong sporting traditions, provided a nurturing environment for her athletic development.

While specific details about her earliest introduction to track and field are not widely documented, Amaya’s path led her to Sparta Atletik & Løb, one of Denmark’s most decorated and historically significant athletics clubs. Founded in 1895, Sparta has produced countless Danish champions and international competitors across all athletics disciplines. The club’s elite sprint and hurdles program, based at Østerbro Stadium in Copenhagen, would prove to be the perfect home for developing her talents.

Her Instagram profile references “SØS 22/23,” suggesting involvement in school sports during the 2022-2023 academic year, followed by enrollment at Køge Handelsskole (Køge Business School) from 2023 to 2026. Balancing her education at a respected business school with the demands of elite-level athletics speaks to her discipline and time management—qualities that serve her well both on and off the track.

Youth Career Development

Amaya’s competitive results began appearing in official records in her early teenage years, with World Athletics tracking her performances from 2021 onward. Like many promising Danish sprinters, she progressed through the national age-group championship system, steadily improving her times and competing against increasingly talented fields.

By 2024, at age 17, Amaya had established herself as one of Denmark’s top junior sprinters. That year saw significant milestones in her development:

2024 Danish Championships (Hvidovre)

At the senior Danish Championships held in Hvidovre on June 29-30, 2024, Amaya demonstrated that she could compete with the country’s established senior sprinters despite her young age. In the 200 meters, she qualified through the heats with a time of 24.69 seconds before finishing fourth in the final with 24.49 seconds—a highly creditable performance against a field that included experienced national-level competitors.

DNA U20 Clubs – Clash of the Clubs III (Pombal, Portugal)

Perhaps the defining moment of her 2024 season came in September at the Dynamic New Athletics (DNA) U20 Clubs competition in Pombal, Portugal. This innovative European Athletics event brings together elite youth clubs from across the continent in a team-based competition format that emphasizes both individual excellence and collective effort.

Representing Sparta Atletik & Løb, Amaya won the women’s 100 meters in the A Final with a time of 12.17 seconds (+1.6 m/s wind), earning maximum points for her club. Her victory was instrumental in Sparta’s overall triumph, as the Danish club accumulated 100 points across the 11 disciplines to claim the championship title.

The experience clearly resonated with the young sprinter. In post-event feedback, Amaya enthusiastically shared her thoughts on the competition: “I loved the team spirit and how everyone tried to win every point they could to help our relay team get a good start in The Hunt. If someone made a mistake in their event, the rest of us worked together to make up for it. After we got back from Pombal, DNA was all I could talk about with my friends for days. The whole concept of DNA is just great, it’s my favourite competition of all time.”

Her passion for the team-oriented format and the camaraderie it fosters highlights the collaborative spirit that has made Sparta such a successful development environment for young Danish athletes.

2025 Breakthrough Season

The 2025 season has proven to be Amaya’s breakthrough year, marked by significant personal best performances, national age-group records, and her first major international championship appearances representing Denmark.

Indoor Season

The year began promisingly during the indoor campaign. At the Danish U18-22 Indoor Championships in early 2024, Amaya had already shown dominance in the 18-19 age group, winning the 60-meter title with a personal best of 7.73 seconds after improving her time through the rounds. She followed this with another gold in the 200 meters, clocking 25.74 seconds to win by half a second.

The 2025 indoor season continued this trajectory. At the Thorvald Ellegaard Arena in Odense on February 21-22, 2025, she set indoor personal bests of 7.57 seconds in the 60 meters and 24.32 seconds in the 200 meters short track—performances that underlined her readiness for a big outdoor campaign.

Outdoor Breakthrough

The outdoor season delivered everything promised by her indoor form and more. In June 2025, Amaya achieved a career-defining performance when she clocked 11.66 seconds in the 100 meters, establishing a new Danish National U20 Record. Just one week later, on June 21, 2025, she improved further with a wind-legal 11.61 seconds—though this time, due to the specific wind conditions, remains separate from her official record.

Her 200-meter performances showed similar progression, culminating in a personal best of 23.89 seconds at the Danish Team Championships (DM Hold) on August 24, 2025, in Køge—fittingly held in her home region.

Danish Team Championships (DM Hold) – August/September 2025

The team-format Danish Championships, hosted by Køge Atletik at Køge Stadium, proved to be another highlight. In the women’s 100-meter final, Amaya finished third with 11.90 seconds in a thrilling race where the top three all dipped under 12 seconds. She was narrowly beaten by KIF’s Celina Hagihara (11.83) and Aarhus 1900’s Mette Graversgaard (11.88), demonstrating just how competitive Danish women’s sprinting has become at the senior level.

Her relay contributions were equally valuable. Sparta’s women’s 4×100-meter team, featuring Alice Peters, Amaya Kruse Jørgensen, Alma Ravn, and Ida Beiter Bomme, set a Danish club record with a time of 44.92 seconds, contributing crucial points to Sparta’s eventual team victory—their 28th consecutive double championship triumph in both the men’s and women’s categories.

European Athletics U20 Championships (Tampere, Finland)

In August 2025, Amaya earned selection to represent Denmark at the European Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere, Finland—the premier continental championship for junior athletes. She competed in both the 100 meters and 200 meters, as well as the 4×100-meter relay.

In the 200 meters, she navigated through the first round with a time of 24.29 seconds (finishing third in her heat) before advancing to the semifinals, where she ran 23.95 seconds to finish eighth in her heat. While she did not reach the final, the experience of competing against Europe’s elite junior sprinters on the biggest stage was invaluable for her development. Her Danish teammate Celina Hagihara also competed in both sprint events, reflecting the depth of young talent emerging from Denmark.

Nordic U20 Match & Championships (Uppsala, Sweden)

Just weeks before the European Championships, Amaya competed at the Nordic U20 Match & Championships in Uppsala, Sweden, on July 26-27, 2025. This annual competition brings together the best junior athletes from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland.

In the women’s 100-meter Final 1, Amaya finished fifth with a time of 11.83 seconds in a highly competitive field won by Sweden’s Filippa Engström (11.66). Her Danish teammate Celina Hagihara placed fourth (11.80), while Iceland’s Eir Hlesdóttir took third (11.79).

Amaya also anchored the Danish 4×100-meter relay team alongside Frederikke Weinreich Lundberg, Ronja Christophersen, and Celina Hagihara, though the team was unfortunately disqualified in the final.

Personal Bests and Records

Training Environment

Amaya trains with the elite sprint and hurdles group at Sparta Atletik & Løb, one of Scandinavia’s most respected athletics clubs. The program is led by experienced coaches including Michael Jørgensen, a former decathlete who has been coaching since 1997 and has guided numerous athletes to international championships at all levels, from youth to senior.

Michael Jørgensen’s coaching philosophy emphasizes technical development, varied training methods including strength and plyometric work, and athlete-centered approaches that give competitors significant responsibility for their own development. His track record of producing top-level sprinters and hurdlers for Denmark’s national relay programs speaks to the quality of the environment.

Training takes place at Sparta’s facilities at Østerbro Stadium in Copenhagen, with indoor training available at Sparta Hallen. The club’s proximity to elite competition opportunities, including the Copenhagen Athletics Games and various international invitational meets, provides Amaya with regular high-quality racing opportunities throughout the season.

Competition Style and Strengths

Amaya has developed into a well-rounded sprinter capable of competing effectively at both 100 and 200 meters. Her progression over the past two seasons suggests strong fundamental speed combined with developing speed endurance—a combination that bodes well for continued improvement in the 200 meters as she matures physically.

Her relay experience has been a consistent feature of her career development. The team environment appears to bring out her best competitive instincts, as evidenced by her enthusiastic embrace of the DNA format and her contributions to Sparta’s relay successes. This team-first mentality, combined with individual ambition, creates a balanced competitive profile.

At major championships, she has demonstrated the ability to perform through multiple rounds—an essential skill for international success. Her heat management and progression through rounds at the European U20 Championships showed tactical awareness beyond her years.

Personal Life and Education

Amaya is currently enrolled at Køge Handelsskole, a business school located in her home region, where she is pursuing her studies alongside her athletics career. The school, part of Denmark’s robust vocational education system, offers programs that combine academic study with practical business preparation—suggesting Amaya is building a foundation for life beyond athletics while maintaining her focus on sporting excellence.

Her social media presence, while modest by modern standards with approximately 2,000 Instagram followers, reflects the life of a typical Danish teenager balancing studies, athletics, and social connections. Her Instagram bio references both her school and club affiliations, indicating the central role both institutions play in her daily life.

Looking Ahead

At just 18 years old, Amaya Kruse Jørgensen has already achieved what many athletes spend entire careers pursuing: national records, international championship experience, and European club titles. Yet by all indications, she is only beginning to tap into her potential.

The natural progression for an athlete of her caliber would see her targeting:

• Senior Danish Championship medals in the 100m and 200m
• European U23 Championships qualification as she ages into the next category
• Continued relay development with Denmark’s women’s 4x100m program
• Sub-11.50 in the 100m and sub-23.50 in the 200m as medium-term performance goals

With the support of her club, coaches, and the Danish Athletics Federation (Dansk Atletik Forbund), Amaya has every opportunity to become a fixture in Danish senior athletics for years to come. The foundation has been laid through her youth career; the exciting part now is watching her build upon it.

Connect with Amaya

• Instagram: @amayajorgensen
• World Athletics Profile: Amaya Kruse Jørgensen
• Club: Sparta Atletik & Løb