Else-Marthe Sørlie Lybekk (née Sørlie; born 11 September 1978, in
Gjøvik
Gjøvik () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Gjøvik (town), town of Gjøvik. Some of the villages in Gjøvik include Biri, Norway, Biri, Bybrua, ...
) is a Norwegian sports executive and former
team handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a Handball goalkeeper, goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands ...
player,
world champion
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 ...
from 1999, gold medalist from the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...
in
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
, and bronze medalist from the
2000 Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...
.
["2000 Summer Olympics – Sydney, Australia – Handball"]
''databaseOlympics.com'' (Retrieved on February 3, 2008) She is also a triple
European champion with the Norwegian national team, which she previously captained prior to the reign of fellow Gjøvik handballer
Gro Hammerseng. She is the only player on the Norwegian team that received all the first five gold medals that the national team won up to the 2008 Olympics. Ending her career for
Nordstrand in her second spell, she has previously played for
Leipzig
Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
, Nordstrand,
Snertingdal
Snertingdal is a former municipality in the old Oppland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1910 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Gjøvik Municipality in the traditional district of Vestoppland. The administrati ...
and
Toten
Toten is a Districts of Norway, traditional district in Innlandet county in the eastern part of Norway. It consists of the municipalities Østre Toten and Vestre Toten.
The combined population of Toten is approximately 27,000. The largest town ...
.
Since 2024 she has been acting secretary general for the
.
International career
2 November 1997, Sørlie Lybekk debuted in a friendly against
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, marking the beginning of a long career for the Norwegian side. She participated in consecutive international championships from her debut in the
1998 European Championships until the
2008 Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fr ...
, except for the
2004 European Championships where she was dropped after having suffered injuries preventing her from a necessary build-up, and the World Championships the following year. At the 2004 European championship she was not included in the main team, but was listed as home reserve. When
Isabel Blanco injured her thumb during the championship, Sørlie Lybekk was called to join the team, and received a gold medal from the championship without playing.
[Sørlie Lybekk vraket]
– ''VG-nett (15.11.04)'' (Retrieved on August 25, 2008)[Vraket seg selv]
– ''VG-nett (16.11.04)'' (Retrieved on August 25, 2008)
– ''NRKsport (16.12.04)'' (Retrieved on August 25, 2008)[- Jeg er klar, Marit! – Men Sørlie Lybekk er spent på mottakelsen]
– ''VG-nett (16.12.04)'' (Retrieved on August 25, 2008) Before the
2000 Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...
, she was named vice-captain for
Kjersti Grini, and when Grini withdrew from the
2000 European Championships she captained her national team at the age of 22 at a difficult moment when many experienced players had recently retired. She remained in this position until the
2003 World Championship where Gro Hammerseng took over the captaincy. The tournament was disappointing for both the squad and Sørlie Lybekk, as they finished 6th in the tournament keeping them out of the Olympic tournament the following year.
The first highpoint in her international career is the victory in the 1999 World Championships held on home turf (alongside
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
) where she was contributing to her nation's win mostly in the defensive side of the game. In the epic final against
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
her unforgiving defensive work cost her three two-minute suspensions meaning a red card, meaning she had to see her compatriots win the extra time playoffs from the bench. It was the first World Championship won by her country, a natural highpoint, but since the Olympic tournaments carry higher status in the sport, the win from the 2008 Olympics was an even higher point. In the tournament Sørlie Lybekk, now 29, contributed with her international experience and calm, in both ends of the pitch. Norway went undefeated through the tournament, and scoring 7 goals in the final against
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
as well as making a profound impression throughout the tournament, she was selected into the
All Star Team of the tournament (as pivot/line player).
[All-star team of the women's olympic tournament established]
– ''International Handball Federation'' (Retrieved on August 24, 2008) The success sparked speculation that she would retire from international duty when she was on top of her long career.
Playing style
As a line player, Sørlie Lybekk is known for secure finishing when she dispatches from the 6-meter line, often after relentless fighting for positions in the most crowded area of the defense. Being a player used in both defense and attack, she applies the same hard-working style in defending her own goal. The playing style is efficient, but not as spectacular as other notable players in her generation of Norwegian handballers.
Post playing career
She retired as player in 2010, and has later given birth to three children. She eventually assumed administrative positions at the
, where she was assisting secretary general under secretary general . When Aas resigned his position in December 2024, Lybekk took over as acting secretary general until the next executive was appointed. In May 2025 the confederation announced Kjell Bjarne Helland to become the new secretary general, effective from latest 4 August.
Awards and recognitions
Sørlie Lybekk was awarded the
Håndballstatuetten
Håndballstatuetten is a Norwegian Handball award given to Norwegian players who has represented the Norwegian national team. The awardee must have played at least 200 matches and played at least 60% of matches in a 6-year period. It is awarded a ...
trophy from the
Norwegian Handball Federation
The Norwegian Handball Federation (, NHF) is the national handball association in Norway.
The Norwegian Handball Federation was founded in 1937, and is a member of the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports (NIF) ...
in 2013.
References
External links
Else-Marthe Sørlie at databaseolympics.com*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lybekk, Else-Marthe Soerlie
1978 births
Living people
Norwegian expatriate handball players in Germany
Norwegian female handball players
Handball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Handball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Olympic handball players for Norway
Olympic gold medalists for Norway
Olympic bronze medalists for Norway
Olympic medalists in handball
Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Sportspeople from Gjøvik
Handball players from Innlandet