The Norway women's national handball team represents

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...

at international

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the ...

competitions, and is governed by the Norges Håndballforbund (NHF). As of 2022, Norway has been in 24 finals and is regarded as one of the finest women's national handball team ever. Norway women's national handball team holds the distinction in the sport for being the only handball team, on the women's side, and men's side, to have won the European Championship four consecutive times. Their 9 gold medals is a sport record. In 2011, they became the sport's third team and the second Women's team, following

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

to have held all three titles simultaneously: The World Championship, the Olympic Championship and the Euro Championship. In 2015, they won the World Championship and have the distinction of the first Women's handball team to hold simultaneously international titles twice: the 2015 World Championship, the 2014 European Championship and the 2012 Olympic Championship. As of November 2022, they are the reigning double European champions as well as defending World Champions.

History

Norway has been among the world elite in women's handball since the break-through at the 1986 World Championship where the team won a bronze medal. Since then, Norway has won eight

European Championships The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...

, and four

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

. Norway has been in four final matches at the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The ina ...

, and gold medaled in

Beijing 2008 The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...

and

London 2012 The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...

. Norway is unsurpassed in the European Championships, having won eight golds, three silvers, and one bronze in fourteen tournaments. The 2000 European Championship where they ended 6th and in the 2018 European Championship where they ended 5th, is the only times Norway finished outside of the top three.

Early years (1946–1983)

The very first match of the Norwegian women's national handball team, against

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

in 1946, was met with great public interest. The game ended 2–5 in favour of Sweden. During the fifties and sixties women's handball had a relatively low profile in Norway. The national team regularly participated at the Scandinavian Championships, and they qualified for the World Championships in 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1982, placing 7th twice and 8th twice.

Jacobsen period (1984–1993)

Sven-Tore Jacobsen Sven-Tore Jacobsen (born 18 August 1953) is a former Norwegian team handball player, and former head coach for the Norway women's national handball team. Career Jacobsen played 33 matches for the Norway men's national handball team between 1975 ...

coached the national team for ten years, from 1984 to 1993. The team qualified for the 1986 World Championships, where they sensationally won the bronze medal, and they achieved Olympic silver medals in both 1988 and 1992. The press coverage and popularity of female handball in Norway increased significantly during this period.

Breivik period (1994–2009)

Former player Marit Breivik coached the team from 1994 to 2009. During her tenure, the team won six gold medals in international championships. Their achievements included gold medals at the 1999 World Championships, four gold medals at the European Championships from 1998 to 2008, and gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Their play strategy included a strong 6–0 defense and frequent fast breaks on offense.

2008

After the defeat against

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

at the 2007 World Championship, Norway faced two important challenges in 2008: Olympic Games in August and European Championship in December. The team won their first Olympic gold medal, and they won the European Championship.

=Olympic Games 2008, Beijing

Norway had qualified for the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...

by winning the 2006 European Championship. The preparation for

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...

started months before the competition started, but the final squad wasn't decided until the last weeks. Several players who had trained with the team up to this point were left out or kept as reserves, most notably Isabel Blanco and Terese Pedersen. There were no debuts in the group selected by Marit Breivik, but veteran

Tonje Larsen Tonje Larsen (born 26 January 1975, in Tønsberg) is a retired Norwegian handballer who played for the Norwegian national team. She is Olympic champion, World champion and three times European champion. As a club player she is several times N ...

made her comeback to the team after five years of struggle with injury.

Gro Hammerseng Gro Hammerseng-Edin (born 10 April 1980 in Gjøvik as Gro Hammerseng) is a Norwegian former handballer who last played for the club Larvik HK. She was captain of the Norwegian national team for several years, and in 2007 she was voted female ...

maintained her usual role of team captain, with

Else-Marthe Sørlie Lybekk Else-Marthe Sørlie Lybekk (née Sørlie; born 11 September 1978, in Gjøvik) is a retired Norwegian team handball player, world champion from 1999, gold medalist from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, and bronze medalist from the 2000 Olymp ...

and Gøril Snorroeggen completing the "captains team" as vice-captains. The competition for the Norwegian team started on 9 August against the host,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. They defeated the Chinese 30–26 and then went on to win comfortably against

Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordinat ...

(31–17),

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

(35–19) and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

(34–24). The closest result of the Preliminary Round was the last match, on 17 August, against

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

(24–23). During the warm up of this match

Katja Nyberg Katja Johanna Alice Nyberg (born 24 August 1979) is a naturalized Norwegian handball player, currently retired. She played 99 games and scored 321 goals for the Norwegian national team during her career. With the Norwegian team she won a gold ...

suffered a knee injury that prevented her from playing the quarter final against

. Norway defeated the Swedish team 31–24, advancing to the semi-finals comfortably. The semi-final match was played on 21 August. Former Olympic and World Champions

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

turned out to be the toughest opponent of the tournament. After 58 minutes of play Norway was leading 28–25. In less than two minutes the Koreans managed to score three goals in a row, reaching the tie score of 28–28 with only two seconds left.

Katrine Lunde Haraldsen Katrine Lunde (former Haraldsen; born 30 March 1980) is a Norwegian handball goalkeeper for Vipers Kristiansand and the Norwegian national team. She is the twin sister of fellow handball player Kristine Lunde-Borgersen. Her sporting achieveme ...

quickly started the last attack of the game with a pass to Karoline Dyhre Breivang, who was already at the middle of the field. Breivang passed the ball on to Hammerseng who scored at the 60 minutes mark. The goal was validated by the referees but the Norwegians refrained from celebrating until the IHF delegate finally confirmed the decision. The final match was played on 23 August. It was a replay of the 2007 World Championship, Norway vs Russia. The Norwegian victory was secured early on. They were already leading by 10 goals after 14 minutes played and Trefilov's team never managed to lower that margin below a five-goal difference. The match ended 34–27 for Norway.

Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Koren (born 1 August 1984) is a retired Norwegian handball player for the Norway women's national handball team, Norwegian national team, who last played for Larvik HK. She is commonly known as Linka. Outside handball she ...

was top scorer with nine goals out of ten shots. The Norwegian team received their first Olympic gold medal after the final match. Two Norwegian players were selected into the tournament's All-Star Team: Katrine Lunde Haraldsen as goalkeeper and Else-Marthe Soerlie-Lybekk as pivot. Lunde Haraldsen was also overall top goalkeeper with a 42% save rate while

Kari Aalvik Grimsbø Kari Aalvik Grimsbø (born 4 January 1985) is a former Norwegian handball player who last played for Győri ETO KC and the Norwegian national team. Since her retirement she is the goalkeeping coach at Byåsen HE. Career Aalvik Grimsbø played h ...

ranked first (together with Korean Oh Yongran) at 7-metres shots with a 40% rate. Regarding team statistics, Lybekk finished the tournament as Norway's top scorer with 31 goals and a 72% scoring rate, two points ahead of Riegelhuth who scored the same number of goals but with a 70% success rate.

=European Championship 2008, Macedonia

= After the Olympic Games, Breivik encountered challenges for the 2008 European Championship: Lybekk retired from the national team, Snorroeggen was recovering from a shoulder injury and both Hammerseng and Nyberg would forego international play in order to recover from recent sport activity with only club matches. Thus a new squad was formed. Three players made their debut: Heidi Løke (pivot) and Tine Rustad Kristiansen (centre back) from

Larvik Larvik () is a town and municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik. The municipality of Larvik has about 46,364 inhabitants. The municipality has a 110 ...

, and

Camilla Herrem Camilla Herrem (born 8 October 1986) is a Norwegian handball player for Sola HK and the Norwegian national team. Her international achievements include one Olympic gold medal, three World Championship gold medals, and five gold medals at the E ...

(left wing) from

Byåsen Byåsen is a large neighborhood area in the city of Trondheim in Trøndelag county, Norway. It constitutes a large part of the city in the borough of Midtbyen. It encompasses a number of areas southwest of the main city centre. This includes al ...

. With the three members of the Olympic "captains team" out, Kristine Lunde was appointed new captain with Marit Malm Frafjord and Karoline Dyhre Breivang as vice-captains. Norway was a favorite to win the European title, especially after winning the GF World Cup '08 and Møbelringen Cup 2008. Spain was not overcome with the perceived invincibility of the competition when Norway lost to them the first match of the tournament on 3 December. The Norwegians could only tie 21–21 against

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, the same team which left them out of the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

in 2003. Following that first disappointment, they managed to advance through the Preliminary Round and Main Round without a loss. The semi-final match was played on 13 December against Russia. It was an easy win for Norway and even goalkeeper Haraldsen was able to score once. On 14 December, Spain was waiting at the final match. After an even first half the score was 13–12 for the defending champions. During the second half Norway increased the lead to a final score of 34–21. Euro 2008 was the third European Championship gold in a row for Norway, and the fourth title in the history of the team. Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth was top scorer of the tournament with 51 goals and four Norwegian players were included in the All-Star Team: Riegelhuth as right wing, Katrine Lunde Haraldsen as goalkeeper, Tonje Larsen as left back and Kristine Lunde as center back. Lunde was also named MVP.

Hergeirsson period (2009–)

In 2009 Thorir Hergeirsson took over as coach, and the first season resulted in a bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships. A year later, in 2010, the team won its 5th European Championship title and in 2011 its second World Championship. In August 2012, the team defended its Beijing Olympic gold by beating Montenegro 26–23 in the final at the Olympic Games in London. In the European Championship the same year, the two teams met again. This time Montenegro beat Norway, who won silver. The Norwegian team won another gold medal at the

2014 European Women's Handball Championship The 2014 European Women's Handball Championship was the eleventh continental tournament for women's national teams, organized by the European Handball Federation. The second jointly hosted edition in the competition's history took place in Hungar ...

, and at the

2015 World Women's Handball Championship The 2015 IHF World Women's Handball Championship, the 22nd event hosted by the International Handball Federation, was held in Denmark. The decision to select Denmark as the host was announced on 27 January 2011. In the final Norway won 31–23 ag ...

in Denmark they won their third World Championship title. They won a bronze medal at the

2016 Olympics ) , nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams) , athletes = 11,238 , events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines) , opening = 5 August 2016 , closing = 21 August 2016 , opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer , cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro ...

, having lost to Russia in the semi-final after extra time. At the

2016 European Women's Handball Championship The 2016 European Women's Handball Championship was held in Sweden from 4 to 18 December 2016. It was the second time that Sweden hosts the tournament, after it also hosted the 2006 European Women's Handball Championship. Sweden was awarded the c ...

in Sweden, the Norwegian team won their seventh title. The team won a silver medal at the 2017 World Women's Handball Championship in Germany, defeated by France in the final. At the

2018 European Women's Handball Championship The 2018 European Women's Handball Championship was held in France in from 29 November to 16 December 2018. It was the first time France hosts the women's tournament. The matches were played in Brest, Montbéliard, Nancy, Nantes and Paris. Fra ...

in France they failed to reach the semi-finals, but finished 5th after defeating Sweden in the top 5 match.

Honours

Competitive record

Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place

Olympic Games

Since their first appearance in 1988, Norway has participated in eight

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...

. They received their first gold medal twenty years after the debut, in Beijing 2008.

World Championship

Norway received their first

World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

medal in 1986, when they defeated three-time champions

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In t ...

23–19 in the third place play-off, marking also their first ever win over East Germany. They achieved a bronze medal in 1993, and a silver medal in 1997. In 1999 Norway won their first gold medal after a final match against

that needed two overtimes to break the tie. They won their second title in 2011, and their third title in 2015.

European Championship

As of 2020, Norway has participated in every European Championship that has taken place. They are the most successful team in the Championships, having won nine golds, three silvers, and one bronze out of fourteen tournaments. The two times Norway finished outside of the top three were at the 2000 Championship in Romania and the 2018 Championship in France.

Other tournaments

Team

Current squad

The squad for the

2022 European Women's Handball Championship The 2022 European Women's Handball Championship was held in Slovenia, North Macedonia and Montenegro from 4 to 20 November 2022. It showed an impressive action by the norwegian right-back Nora Mørk, who was the top scorer of the EHF EURO 2022, a ...

. Head coach: Þórir Hergeirsson ''Caps and goals as of 20 November 2022.''

Coaching staff

Past squads

1971 World Championship (7th place) : Liv Bjørk, Siri Keul,

Sissel Buchholdt Sissel Buchholdt, née Brenne (born 17 June 1951) is a Norwegian team handball, handball player. She played for the clubs SK Freidig and Skogn IL. She played more than 180 matches on the Norway women's national handball team from 1969 to 1984. ...

, Bjørg Andersen, Eldbjørg Willassen, Karen Fladset,

Astri Knudsen Bech Astri Knudsen Bech is a Norwegian handball player. She played 103 matches for the Norway women's national handball team between 1970 and 1977. She participated at the 1971, 1973 and 1975 World Women's Handball Championship The 1975 World Women' ...

, Sigrid Halvorsen, Astrid Skei Høsøien, Unni Anisdahl, Inger-Johanne Tveter, Lille Storberg, Anne Hilmersen, Berit Moen Johansen. 1973 World Championship (8th place) : Liv Bjørk, Siri Keul,

, Bjørg Andersen, Karen Fladset, Kari Aagaard,

, Sigrid Halvorsen, Unni Anisdahl, Inger-Johanne Tveter, Grethe Tønnesen, Hjørdis Høsøien, Wenche Wensberg, Svanhild Sponberg. 1975 World Championship (8th place) : Liv Bjørk, Siri Keul,

, Marit Breivik, Bjørg Andersen, Kari Aagaard,

, Unni Anisdahl, Anne Aanestad Winter,

Turid Sannes Turid Sannes is a Norwegian handball player. She played 54 matches and scored 122 goals for the Norway women's national handball team between 1975 and 1977. She participated at the 1975 World Women's Handball Championship The 1975 World Women ...

, Hjørdis Høsøien, Wenche Wensberg,

Randi Elisabeth Dyrdal Randi Elisabeth Dyrdal is a Norwegian handball player. She played 35 matches for the Norway women's national handball team The Norway women's national handball team represents Norway at international handball ...

, Lisabeth H. Muhrer. Coach: Frode Kyvåg 1982 World Championship (7th place) : Liv Bjørk, Linn Siri Jensen,

Turid Smedsgård Turid Smedsgård is a Norwegian former handball goalkeeper. She played 113 matches for the Norway women's national handball team from 1978 onwards. She participated at the 1982 World Women's Handball Championship, where the Norwegian team placed ...

, Heidi Sundal, Hanne Hegh,

, Britt Johansen, Kristin Midthun, Marit Breivik, Ingunn Thomassen Berg, Kristin Glosimot Kjeldsberg, Wenche Halvorsen Stensrud, Åse Nygård Pedersen, Ingunn Rise Kirkeby, Susanne Hannestad. Coach: Karen Fladset 1986 World Championship (Third place) :Kristin Midthun, Heidi Sundal, Trine Haltvik, Ingrid Steen, Åse Birkrem, Cathrine Svendsen, Hanne Hegh ''(captain)'', Hanne Hogness, Anne Migliosi, Kristin Eide, Karin Pettersen, Karin Singstad, Unni Birkrem, Linn-Siri Jensen, Kjerstin Andersen. Coach:

1988 Summer Olympics (Second place) : Annette Skotvoll, Berit Digre, Cathrine Svendsen, Hanne Hegh ''(captain)'', Hanne Hogness, Heidi Sundal, Karin Singstad, Ingrid Steen, Karin Pettersen, Kjerstin Andersen, Kristin Midthun, Susann Goksør, Marte Eliasson,

Trine Haltvik Trine Haltvik (born March 23, 1965) is a Norwegian handball coach and former player. Currently she is coach for the Norwegian girls' under-17 team. Haltvik started her handball career at just 16 for Byåsen IL Byåsen Idrettslag is a multi- ...

, Vibeke Johnsen. Coach:

1990 World Championship (6th place) : Kjerstin Andersen, Annette Skotvoll, Reidun Gunnarson, Susann Goksør

Kjersti Grini Kjersti Elizabeth Grini (born 9 September 1971, in Oslo) is a Norwegian former handball player. She played in the clubs Jaren, Lunner, Bækkelaget, Toten and Ikast Ikast is a Danish town in the Mid Jutland Region (''Midtjylla ...

, Hanne Hegh ''(captain)'', Hanne Hogness, Marte Eliasson, Kristin Cecilie Karlsen, Cathrine Svendsen,

1992 Summer Olympics (Second place) : Annette Skotvoll, Cathrine Svendsen, Hanne Hogness ''(captain)'', Hege Frøseth, Heidi Sundal, Heidi Tjugum, Henriette Henriksen, Ingrid Steen, Karin Pettersen,

Kristine Duvholt Kristine, a variant of Christine, may refer to: * Kristine (given name) * Lisa Kristine (born 1965), American photographer * Liv Kristine (born 1976), Norwegian singer, songwriter * ''Kristine'' (TV series), a 2010 Filipino television series ...

, Mona Dahle, Siri Eftedal, Susann Goksør,

Tonje Sagstuen Tonje Sagstuen (born 17 November 1971 in Lørenskog) is a Norwegian team handball player and Olympic medalist. She received silver medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.Sven-Tore Jacobsen Sven-Tore Jacobsen (born 18 August 1953) is a former Norwegian team handball player, and former head coach for the Norway women's national handball team. Career Jacobsen played 33 matches for the Norway men's national handball team between 1975 ...

1993 World Championship (Third place) :Cecilie Leganger, Anette Skottvoll, Hege Frøseth, Susann Goksør ''(captain)'', Siri Eftedal, Connie Mathisen, Mette Davidsen, Mona Dahle, Marte Eliasson, Kristine Duvholt, Karin Pettersen, Heidi Sundal, Hege Kristine Kvitsand, Tonje Sagstuen, Cathrine Svendsen. Coach:

1994 European Championship (Third place) :Cecilie Leganger, Annette Skotvoll, Monica Løken, Tonje Larsen, Kjersti Grini, Tonje Sagstuen, Susann Goksør ''(captain)'', Kristine Moldestad,

, Marte Eliasson, Kari Solem, Hege Kristine Kvitsand, Mona Dahle, Ingrid Steen, Siri Eftedal Coach: Marit Breivik 1995 World Championship (4th place) : Heidi Tjugum, Cecilie Leganger, Annette Skotvoll, Susann Goksør ''(captain)'',

Mette Davidsen Mette Davidsen (born 26 June 1976, in Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. T ...

Ann Cathrin Eriksen Ann Cathrin Eriksen (born 9 September 1971) is a former Norwegian team handball player and Olympic medalist. She received a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and ...

, Mona Dahle,

Tonje Sagstuen Tonje Sagstuen (born 17 November 1971 in Lørenskog) is a Norwegian team handball player and Olympic medalist. She received silver medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.Tonje Larsen Tonje Larsen (born 26 January 1975, in Tønsberg) is a retired Norwegian handballer who played for the Norwegian national team. She is Olympic champion, World champion and three times European champion. As a club player she is several times N ...

, Hege Kristin Kvitsand, Cathrine Svendsen, Kristine Moldestad Coach: Marit Breivik 1996 Summer Olympics (4th place) :

, Annette Skotvoll, Hege Kvitsand, Heidi Tjugum,

Hilde Østbø Hilde Østbø (born 1 September 1974) is a Norwegian handball player who played for the club Sola IL and the Norwegian national team in the 1990s. She was born in Stavanger. She competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta Atlanta ( ) ...

Kari Solem Kari Solem (born 1 December 1974) is a Norwegian handball player who played for the club Byåsen IL and the Norwegian national team in the 1990s. She was born in Trondheim. She competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta Atlanta ( ) ...

, Kristine Moldestad,

, Mona Dahle, Sahra Hausmann, Susann Goksør ''(captain)'',

. Coach: Marit Breivik 1996 European Championship (Second place) : Heidi Tjugum,

Jeanette Nilsen Jeanette Nilsen (born 27 June 1972) is a Norwegian team handball player and World Champion from 1999. She was born in Skien. She received a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XX ...

, Annette Skotvoll,

, Sahra Hausmann, Susann Goksør ''(captain)'',

, Monica Vik Hansen,

, Kristine Moldestad,

, Janne Tuven, Ellen Thomsen,

Silje Bolset Silje Elin Bolset is a Norwegian handball player. She played 16 matches for the Norway women's national handball team from 1996 to 1997. She participated at the 1996 European Women's Handball Championship The 1996 EHF European Women's Ha ...

. Coach: Marit Breivik 1997 World Championship (Second place) : Heidi Tjugum,

, Lise Kristiansen,

Tonje Sagstuen Tonje Sagstuen (born 17 November 1971 in Lørenskog) is a Norwegian team handball player and Olympic medalist. She received silver medals at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.Susann Goksør Bjerkrheim Susann Goksør Bjerkrheim (born 7 July 1970, in Oslo) is a Norwegian former handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six ...

''(captain)'',

, Janne Tuven, Anette Tveter,

, Sahra Hausmann, Monica Vik Hansen, Ellen Thomsen. Coach: Marit Breivik 1998 European Championship (Winner) :

, Camilla Carstens, Cecilie Leganger,

Elisabeth Hilmo Elisabeth Hilmo (born 29 November 1976) is a Norwegian team handball player and World Champion. She was born in Trondheim. She received a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVI ...

, Elise Margrete Alsand,

, Heidi Tjugum, Janne Tuven,

''(captain)'',

, Mia Hundvin, Sahra Hausmann, Siv Heim Sæbøe,

. Coach: Marit Breivik 1999 World Championship (Winner) :

, Birgitte Sættem, Cecilie Leganger,

, Else-Marthe Sørlie, Heidi Tjugum,

, Marianne Rokne,

, Mia Hundvin, Sahra Hausmann,

Susann Goksør Bjerkrheim Susann Goksør Bjerkrheim (born 7 July 1970, in Oslo) is a Norwegian former handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six ...

''(captain)'',

. Coach: Marit Breivik 2000 Summer Olympics (Third place) :

, Birgitte Sættem, Cecilie Leganger,

, Else-Marthe Sørlie, Heidi Tjugum,

, Marianne Rokne, Mia Hundvin, Monica Sandve,

''(captain)'',

. Coach: Marit Breivik 2000 European Championship (6th place) : Birgitte Sættem, Camilla Carstens, Camilla Thorsen, Cecilie Thorsteinsen,

, Else-Marthe Sørlie ''(captain)'',

, Hege Christin Vikebø, Hege Johansen,

, Marianne Rokne,

Mimi Kopperud Slevigen Mimi-Johanne Kopperud Slevigen (born 1977) is a Norwegian team handball player. She made her debut on the Norway women's national handball team in 1999, and played 59 matches for the national team. She received a silver medal at the World ...

, Karoline Dyhre Breivang, Monica Sandve, Vigdis Hårsaker. Coach: Marit Breivik 2001 World Championship (Second place) : Cecilie Leganger, Mimi Kopperud Sleivigen, Heidi Halvorsen,

''(captain)'',

, Janne Tuven, Marianne Rokne, Else Marthe Sørlie,

, Monica Sandve, Vigdis Hårsaker, Kristine Lunde, Unni Nyhamar Hinkel, Hanne Halén. Coach: Marit Breivik 2002 European Championship (Second place) : Anette Hovind Johansen, Birgitte Sættem,

''(captain)'',

, Heidi Tjugum Mørk, Janne Tuven, Kari-Anne Henriksen,

Katrine Lunde Katrine Lunde (former Haraldsen; born 30 March 1980) is a Norwegian handball goalkeeper for Vipers Kristiansand and the Norwegian national team. She is the twin sister of fellow handball player Kristine Lunde-Borgersen. Her sporting achievem ...

Lina Olsson Rosenberg Lina Olsson Rosenberg (born 27 December 1971) is a Swedish handball player who played for the Norwegian club Larvik HK, and later obtained Norwegian citizenship and played for the Norway women's national handball team. She made her debut o ...

, Mia Hundvin,

, Monica Sandve,

, Vigdis Hårsaker. Coach: Marit Breivik 2003 World Championship (6th place) : Heidi Tjugum, Cecilie Leganger,

''(captain)'', Unni Nyhamar Hinkel,

, Vigdis Hårsaker, Berit Hynne, Anette Hovind Johansen,

, Kristine Lunde,

, Monica Sandve, Ragnhild Aamodt. Coach: Marit Breivik 2004 European Championship (Winner) : Camilla Thorsen,

''(captain)'', Gøril Snorroeggen, Isabel Blanco, Kari Mette Johansen, Karoline Dyhre Breivang,

, Kjersti Beck, Kristine Lunde,

, Ragnhild Aamodt,

Randi Gustad Randi Heggemsnes Gustad (born 2 May 1977) is a Norwegian team handball player. She played for the club Nordstrand IF and for the Norwegian national team. Gustad played 26 matches and scored 47 goals for the Norwegian national handball team ...

, Terese Pedersen, Vigdis Hårsaker. Coach: Marit Breivik 2005 World Championship (9th place) : Anette Hovind Johansen, Camilla Thorsen,

''(captain)'', Isabel Blanco, Kari Mette Johansen, Karoline Dyhre Breivang,

, Kjersti Beck, Kristine Lunde, Linn Jørum Sulland, Marianne Rokne, Ragnhild Aamodt,

, Terese Pedersen, Tonje Nøstvold. Coach: Marit Breivik 2006 European Championship (Winner) : Anette Hovind Johansen, Anne Kjersti Suvdal,

''(captain)'', Gøril Snorroeggen,

, Kari Mette Johansen, Karoline Dyhre Breivang,

, Kristine Lunde,

, Marianne Rokne, Marit Malm Frafjord, Ragnhild Aamodt, Terese Pedersen, Tonje Nøstvold. Coach: Marit Breivik 2007 World Championship (Second place) : Anette Hovind Johansen,

''(captain)'', Gøril Snorroeggen,

, Kari Mette Johansen, Karoline Dyhre Breivang,

, Linn Jørum Sulland,

, Marit Malm Frafjord, Ragnhild Aamodt, Terese Pedersen, Tonje Nøstvold, Vigdis Hårsaker. Coach: Marit Breivik

(Winner) :

''(captain)'', Gøril Snorroeggen,

, Kari Mette Johansen, Karoline Dyhre Breivang,

, Kristine Lunde,

, Marit Malm Frafjord, Ragnhild Aamodt,

, Tonje Nøstvold. Coach: Marit Breivik 2008 European Championship (Winner) :

, Heidi Løke, Isabel Blanco,

, Kari Mette Johansen, Karoline Dyhre Breivang,

, Kristine Lunde ''(captain)'', Linn Jørum Sulland,

, Marit Malm Frafjord, Ragnhild Aamodt, Terese Pedersen, Tine Rustad Kristiansen,

, Tonje Nøstvold. Coach: Marit Breivik 2009 World Championship (Third place) :

, Renate Urne, Ida Alstad, Heidi Løke, Tonje Nøstvold, Karoline Dyhre Breivang,

Kristine Lunde-Borgersen Kristine Lunde-Borgersen (born 30 March 1980) is a retired Norwegian handballer who played for the Norwegian national team. She is Olympic champion, World Champion and three times European champion. She is the twin sister of fellow handball pl ...

''(captain)'', Kari Mette Johansen, Terese Pedersen, Marit Malm Frafjord,

Tine Stange Tine Stange (born 14 May 1986) is a Norwegian handball player. She currently plays for Larvik HK. She made her debut on the Norwegian national team on 21 June 2007, and played 50 games for the national team between 2007 and 2016. Her internation ...

, Anja Edin,

. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson 2010 European Championship (Winner) :

, Mari Molid,

Nora Mørk Nora Mørk (born 5 April 1991) is a Norwegian handball player for Team Esbjerg and the Norway women's national handball team, Norwegian national team. She made her debut on the Norwegian national team on 21 September 2010. Before joining Team ...

, Ida Alstad, Heidi Løke, Tonje Nøstvold, Karoline Dyhre Breivang,

''(captain)'', Kari Mette Johansen, Marit Malm Frafjord,

, Linn Jørum Sulland,

, Stine Bredal Oftedal,

. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson 2011 World Championship (Winner) :

, Mari Molid, Stine Bredal Oftedal, Ida Alstad, Heidi Løke, Tonje Nøstvold, Karoline Dyhre Breivang,

, Kari Mette Johansen, Marit Malm Frafjord ''(captain)'', Gøril Snorroeggen,

, Linn Jørum Sulland, Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Koren, Amanda Kurtović,

. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...

(Winner) :

, Ida Alstad, Heidi Løke, Tonje Nøstvold, Karoline Dyhre Breivang,

, Kari Mette Johansen, Marit Malm Frafjord ''(captain)'', Gøril Snorroeggen,

, Linn Jørum Sulland, Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Koren, Amanda Kurtović,

. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson 2012 European Championship (Second place) : Karoline Næss, Stine Bredal Oftedal, Ida Alstad, Heidi Løke, Karoline Dyhre Breivang,

, Anja Edin,

Silje Solberg Silje is a Norwegian given female name. It is a short form of the Latin female name Caecilia / Cecilie from the family name Caecilius which is formed from the Latin adjective Caecus, "blind". Notable people with the name include: * Silje Bolset, ...

, Marit Malm Frafjord ''(captain)'', Ida Bjørndalen,

, Linn Jørum Sulland, Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Koren, Linn Gossé, Maja Jakobsen,

. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson 2013 World Championship (5th place) : Mari Molid, Stine Bredal Oftedal, Ida Alstad, Heidi Løke, Tonje Nøstvold, Karoline Dyhre Breivang ''(captain)'', Isabel Blanco,

Anja Hammerseng-Edin Anja Hammerseng-Edin (born 5 February 1983) is a former Norwegian handball player. She previously played for Larvik HK and for the Norwegian national team. Career Hammerseng-Edin made her début on the Norwegian national team in 2006, and pla ...

, Linn Jørum Sulland,

, Veronica Kristiansen, Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Koren,

Sanna Solberg Sanna Charlotte Solberg-Isaksen (born 16 June 1990) is a Norwegian handball player for Team Esbjerg and the Norwegian national team. She made her debut on the Norwegian national team in 2010. She is a twin sister of Silje Solberg and is half ...

. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson 2014 European Championship (Winner) :

, Betina Riegelhuth, Emilie Hegh Arntzen, Veronica Kristiansen, Ida Alstad, Heidi Løke, Karoline Dyhre Breivang ''(captain)'',

, Stine Bredal Oftedal,

, Ida Bjørndalen Karlsson, Emily Stang Sando, Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Koren, Maja Jakobsen,

, Pernille Wibe. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson 2015 World Championship (Winner) :

, Mari Molid, Veronica Kristiansen, Ida Alstad, Heidi Løke, Stine Skogrand,

Vilde Ingstad Vilde Ingstad (born 18 December 1994) is a Norwegian handball player for Team Esbjerg and the Norwegian national team. She made her debut on the Norwegian national team in 2014. She also represented Norway in the 2013 Women's Junior European ...

, Stine Bredal Oftedal ''(captain)'',

, Linn Jørum Sulland, Pernille Wibe, Betina Riegelhuth, Amanda Kurtović,

Marta Tomac Marta Tomac (born 20 September 1990) is a Norwegian-Croatian professional handball player for Vipers Kristiansand and the Norwegian national team. She made her debut on the Norwegian national team in 2015. Previously in her career she played ...

. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson

2016 Summer Olympics ) , nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams) , athletes = 11,238 , events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines) , opening = 5 August 2016 , closing = 21 August 2016 , opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer , cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro de ...

(Third place) :

, Mari Molid, Emilie Hegh Arntzen, Veronica Kristiansen, Ida Alstad, Heidi Løke,

, Stine Bredal Oftedal ''(captain)'', Marit Malm Frafjord,

, Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Koren, Amanda Kurtović,

. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson 2016 European Championship (Winner) :

, Emilie Hegh Arntzen, Veronica Kristiansen, Stine Skogrand,

, Stine Bredal Oftedal ''(captain)'',

Malin Aune Malin Larsen Aune (born 4 March 1995) is a Norwegian handball player for CSM București and the Norwegian national team. She also represented Norway in the 2013 Women's Junior European Handball Championship, placing 4th, and in the 2014 Wome ...

, Marit Malm Frafjord, Silje Waade, Kjerstin Boge Solås, Amanda Kurtović,

. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson 2017 World Championship (Second place) :

, Emilie Hegh Arntzen, Veronica Kristiansen, Heidi Løke, Stine Skogrand,

, Stine Bredal Oftedal ''(captain)'',

, Kari Brattset,

, Helene Gigstad Fauske, Emilie Christensen, Amanda Kurtović,

, Marit Røsberg Jacobsen. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson 2018 European Championship (5th place) : Henny Reistad, Emilie Hegh Arntzen, Veronica Kristiansen, Heidi Løke, Silje Waade, Stine Bredal Oftedal ''(captain)'',

, Kari Brattset, Linn Jørum Sulland,

, Thea Mørk,

, Marit Røsberg Jacobsen,

. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson 2019 World Championship (4th place) : Emilie Hegh Arntzen, Heidi Løke, Stine Skogrand, Silje Waade, Stine Bredal Oftedal ''(captain)'',

, Kari Brattset Dale, Andrea Austmo Pedersen, Helene Gigstad Fauske, Moa Högdahl, Marit Røsberg Jacobsen, Ingvild Bakkerud,

, Sanna Solberg-Isaksen,

Kristine Breistøl Kristine Breistøl (born 23 August 1993) is a Norwegian handball player for Team Esbjerg and the Norwegian national team. She also represented Norway in the 2011 Women's Junior European Handball Championship, placing 12th, and in the 2012 Wom ...

. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson 2020 European Championship (Winner) : Emily Stang Sando, Henny Reistad, Emilie Hegh Arntzen, Veronica Kristiansen, Marit Malm Frafjord, Heidi Løke, Stine Skogrand,

, Stine Bredal Oftedal ''(captain)'',

, Kari Brattset Dale,

, Marit Røsberg Jacobsen,

, Sanna Solberg-Isaksen,

Rikke Granlund Rikke Marie Granlund (born 14 November 1989) is a Norwegian handball player for french league club Chambray Touraine Handball and the Norwegian national team. She was selected to represent Norway at the 2020 European Women's Handball Champio ...

. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson

2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...

(Third place) : Henny Reistad, Veronica Kristiansen, Marit Malm Frafjord, Stine Skogrand,

, Stine Bredal Oftedal ''(captain)'',

, Kari Brattset Dale,

, Marit Røsberg Jacobsen,

, Sanna Solberg-Isaksen,

Vilde Johansen Vilde Johansen (born 25 July 1994) is a former Norwegian handball player who last played for Ikast Håndbold. She made her debut for Norway women's national handball team on 24 July 2015, against Russia. Achievements *Olympic Games: **''Bronze ...

. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson 2021 World Championship (Winner) : Henny Reistad, Emilie Hegh Arntzen, Veronica Kristiansen,

, Stine Bredal Oftedal ''(captain)'',

, Kari Brattset Dale,

, Moa Högdahl, Marit Røsberg Jacobsen,

, Sanna Solberg-Isaksen,

, Emilie Hovden,

, Maren Nyland Aardahl. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson 2022 European Championship (Winner) : Marie Davidsen, Emilie Hegh Arntzen, Ragnhild Valle Dahl, Maren Nyland Aardahl, Stine Skogrand,

, Stine Bredal Oftedal ''(captain)'',

, Silje Solberg-Østhassel,

, Kristina Novak, Henny Reistad, Emilie Hovden, Sunniva Næs Andersen, Anniken Wollik, Thale Rushfeldt Deila, Ane Høgseth. Coach: Thorir Hergeirsson

Coaches

* Frode Kyvåg (1974–1978) *

Otto Th. Pedersen Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', ''Odo'', ''Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded fro ...

(1978–1982) * Karen Fladset (1982–1984) *

(1984–1993) * Marit Breivik (1994–2009) * Thorir Hergeirsson (2009–present)

Captains

* Hanne Hegh (World Championship 1986, Olympic Games 1988, World Championship 1990) * Hanne Hogness (Olympic Games 1992) *

(World Championship 1993, European Championship 1994, World Championship 1995, Olympic Games 1996, European Championship 1996, World Championship 1997, World Championship 1999, Olympic Games 2000) *

(European Championship 1998, World Championship 2001) *

(European Championship 2000, European Championship 2002) *

(World Championship 2003, European Championship 2004, European Championship 2006, World Championship 2007, Olympic Games 2008, European Championship 2010) *

(World Championship 2005) * Kristine Lunde (European Championship 2008, World Championship 2009) * Marit Malm Frafjord (World Championship 2011, Olympic Games 2012, European Championship 2012) * Karoline Dyhre Breivang (World Championship 2013, European Championship 2014) * Stine Bredal Oftedal (World Championship 2015, Olympic Games 2016, European Championship 2016, World Championship 2017, European Championship 2018, World Championship 2019, European Championship 2020, Olympic Games 2020, World Championship 2021, European Championship 2022)

Notable players

Several Norwegian players have seen their individual performance recognized at international tournaments, either as

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a partic ...

, top scorer or as a member of the All-Star Team. ;MVP * Cecilie Leganger, 1993 World Championship *

, 1998 European Championship *

, 2004 and 2006 European Championship *

, 2007 World Championship * Kristine Lunde, 2008 European Championship * Anja Edin, 2012 European Championship * Stine Bredal Oftedal, 2017 World Championship * Kari Brattset Dale, 2021 World Championship * Henny Reistad, 2022 European Championship ;All-Star Team * Heidi Sundal, 1992 Summer Olympics; 1993 World Championship * Cecilie Leganger, 1993, 1995, 1999 and 2001 World Championship; 1994 and 1998 European Championship *

, 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics; 1998 European Championship * Heidi Tjugum, 1996 European Championship; 2000 Summer Olympics *

, 2002 European Championship *

, 2004, 2006 and 2010 European Championship; 2007 World Championship * Kari Mette Johansen, 2006 European Championship *

, 2008 Summer Olympics *

, 2008 and 2020 Summer Olympics; 2008, 2010 and 2012 European Championship, 2017 World Championship *

, 2008 European Championship; 2009 World Championship *

, 2008 European Championship * Kristine Lunde, 2008 European Championship *

, 2009 and 2019 World Championship, 2016 and 2020 European Championship * Heidi Løke, 2010, 2012 and 2014 European Championship; 2011 and 2015 World Championship, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics *

, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics *

, 2014, 2016 and 2020 European Championship; 2015 and 2017 and 2021 World Championship *

, 2014 European Championship * Stine Bredal Oftedal, 2015 World Championship, 2018, 2020 and 2022 European Championship * Henny Reistad, 2021 World Championship ;Top scorers *

, 1996 European Championship (48 goals), 2000 Summer Olympics (61 goals) *

, 2008 European Championship (51 goals) *

, 2016 Summer Olympics (62 goals), 2016 European Championship (53 goals), 2017 World Championship (66 goals), 2020 European Championship (52 goals), 2020 Summer Olympics (52 goals), 2022 European Championship (50 goals)

Individual all-time records

Most matches played

Total number of matches played in official competitions only. Last updated: 20 November 2022
Source
handball.no
/small>

Most goals scored

Total number of goals scored in official matches only. Last updated: 20 November 2022
Source
handball.no
/small>

References

External links

*
IHF profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norway Women's National Handball Team National team Women's national handball teams

Handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the ...