Annika Baun Haldbo: Danish Hurdles Specialist

Personal Background

Annika Baun Haldbo was born on July 28, 2003, making her 21 years old. She is a Danish track and field athlete who represents Denmark in international competition, specializing in hurdles events.

Athletic Career and Accomplishments

Primary Disciplines: Hurdles

Haldbo is a versatile athlete who competes across multiple disciplines, but her primary focus is on hurdles events. Her event repertoire includes:

• 60 meters hurdles (indoor)
• 100 meters hurdles (outdoor)
• 60 meters sprint
• 100 meters sprint
• 200 meters
• Long jump
• High jump
• Shot put

This breadth of events demonstrates her well-rounded athletic capabilities, though her strongest performances have come in the hurdles disciplines.

Personal Bests and Current Rankings

60 Meters Hurdles (Indoor): 8.15 seconds (January 21, 2025, Aarhus Atletik og Løbeakademi, Aarhus, Denmark)

100 Meters Hurdles (Outdoor): 13.55 seconds (June 29, 2024)

60 Meters Sprint (Indoor): 7.85 seconds (January 21, 2023, Telekonsult Arena, Växjö, Sweden)

100 Meters Sprint: 12.39 seconds (June 11, 2022)

Long Jump: 5.63 meters (August 27, 2020)

Current World Rankings: As of 2025, Haldbo is ranked #247 in the world in the women’s 100 meters hurdles, indicating she competes at a competitive international level within her age category.

International Competition Experience

World Athletics U20 Championships

Haldbo represented Denmark at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships held in Cali, Colombia (August 1-6, 2022). This prestigious competition brings together the world’s best junior athletes (under 20 years old) to compete for global titles.

She was one of five athletes selected to represent Denmark at the U20 World Championships, a significant honor that recognized her as one of Denmark’s top junior athletes in her discipline. The Danish Athletics Federation announced the selections in July 2022, expressing congratulations to the athletes, their coaches, clubs, and support teams for this achievement.

Competing in the women’s 100 meters hurdles, Haldbo gained valuable international experience competing against the world’s best junior hurdlers at the Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero. The competition featured 53 athletes from 33 countries, demonstrating the depth of global talent she competed against.

European Rankings

According to European Athletics, Haldbo holds significant European rankings in her events:

• Women’s 100m Hurdles: Ranked #18 in Europe with a score of 1084 points
• Women’s Overall Ranking: #1495 overall across all events

She has held the #176 ranking for the Women’s 100m Hurdles for three weeks and the #1492 overall ranking for one week, showing fluctuation based on seasonal performance.

National Level Competition

Haldbo competes regularly in Danish national championships and domestic competitions. Her most recent personal best in the 60 meters hurdles was set at the Aarhus Atletik og Løbeakademi in January 2025, demonstrating continued improvement and competitive activity in the 2024-2025 indoor season.

She has also competed in Swedish indoor competitions, including at the Telekonsult Arena in Växjö, showing her participation in the wider Scandinavian athletics circuit.

Competition Progression

Haldbo’s progression shows steady development from her youth competitions in 2020 (when she set her long jump personal best at age 17) through her junior international appearances in 2022, and into her transition to senior competition in 2024-2025.

Her most recent personal best in the 100 meters hurdles (13.55 seconds in June 2024) came as she aged out of the junior (U20) category and began competing more regularly at the senior level, suggesting she is still improving as she gains experience against older competition.

Development as a Young Athlete

At 21 years old, Haldbo is in a crucial transitional phase of her athletic career. Athletes in this age category (U23) are typically:

• Transitioning from junior to senior international competition
• Refining technical skills in their specialty events
• Building the physical strength and maturity needed to compete with senior athletes
• Establishing themselves within their national team programs
• Balancing athletics with educational or career development

Haldbo’s participation at the 2022 World U20 Championships and her continued competition through 2024-2025 demonstrates sustained commitment to developing her athletic potential at the international level.

Danish Athletics Context

Denmark has a strong tradition in athletics, particularly in sprints, hurdles, and field events. The Danish Athletics Federation (Dansk Atletik Forbund) operates comprehensive development programs for talented junior athletes, with pathways from youth competition through elite international representation.

Danish hurdlers have historically achieved success at European and world levels, and the federation invests in developing the next generation of talent through training programs, coaching support, and international competition opportunities.

The selection of Haldbo for the 2022 World U20 Championships indicates she was viewed as among Denmark’s most promising junior hurdlers, with potential for future senior international representation.

Training and Competition Venues

Haldbo trains and competes primarily in Denmark, with notable appearances at:

• Aarhus Atletik og Løbeakademi, Aarhus – Where she set her indoor 60m hurdles personal best in January 2025
• Various Danish national championship venues throughout Denmark
• Telekonsult Arena, Växjö, Sweden – Demonstrating participation in Scandinavian indoor competitions
• International venues including the Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero in Cali, Colombia

Education and Personal Life

Specific details about Haldbo’s educational background, university enrollment, or career aspirations beyond athletics are not extensively documented in public sources. This is common for athletes in her age category who maintain privacy regarding their personal lives and educational pursuits.

As a 21-year-old athlete, she is likely balancing her athletic training with educational commitments, though whether she is enrolled in university or pursuing other educational or vocational paths is not publicly known.

Social Media Presence

Haldbo maintains an Instagram presence (@annikahaldbo) with approximately 8,000 followers, where she shares updates about her athletic career. This suggests she has built a following among Danish athletics fans and the broader track and field community.

Future Potential and Aspirations

As a young athlete still in the U23 age category, Haldbo’s current performances should be viewed as developmental milestones rather than definitive measures of her ultimate potential. Hurdles athletes often continue to improve significantly through their early to mid-twenties as they:

• Refine the complex technical skills required for elite hurdling
• Develop the speed, power, and rhythm essential for fast hurdle times
• Gain tactical experience in championship competition
• Complete physical maturation that enhances strength and power output

Her progression from junior international competition (2022 World U20 Championships) to senior-level competition in 2024-2025 is a natural developmental pathway. The coming years will be important as she:

• Seeks to lower her personal best times and improve her international rankings
• Competes for spots on Danish senior national teams for European Championships
• Potentially qualifies for major senior championships such as European Championships, World Championships, or Olympic Games
• Makes decisions about long-term athletic career goals versus other professional pursuits

Looking Ahead: The Path to Senior Success

For Danish athletes like Haldbo, the pathway to senior international success typically involves:

1. Consistent National Performance: Establishing herself among the top Danish hurdlers to earn national team selection
2. European U23 Championships: Competing at the European U23 Championships to gain experience at championship-level competition
3. Senior National Team: Breaking into Denmark’s senior national team for European Team Championships or Continental Tours
4. Continental Championships: Qualifying for European Athletics Championships
5. World-Level Competition: Eventually earning selection for World Athletics Championships or Olympic Games

Haldbo’s selection for the 2022 World U20 Championships suggests the Danish Athletics Federation sees potential in her development. Whether she can continue progressing to achieve senior international success will depend on continued improvement, injury management, and the depth of competition within Danish athletics.

Conclusion

Annika Baun Haldbo is a developing Danish hurdles specialist who has represented her country at junior world championships and continues to compete actively in the 2024-2025 season. At 21 years old, she is transitioning from junior to senior competition, with personal bests of 8.15 seconds in the indoor 60 meters hurdles and 13.55 seconds in the outdoor 100 meters hurdles.

While not yet at the elite international level, her selection for the 2022 World U20 Championships and her continued participation in national and international competitions demonstrate her commitment to athletics. As she continues to develop over the coming years, she represents part of Denmark’s next generation of track and field athletes.

The limited public information available about Haldbo reflects her status as a developing athlete still establishing herself in senior competition. As she continues to compete and potentially achieves higher levels of success, more details about her athletic achievements, personal background, and aspirations will likely become available to the public.

For now, she remains a promising young Danish hurdler with international junior championship experience, working to establish herself at the senior level and contributing to Denmark’s athletics tradition.

Go Annika!