66 female EHF Champions League players vie for glory at Rio 2016

66 female EHF Champions League players vie for glory at Rio 2016

The handball tournaments at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro have just started, and the clubs of the Women’s EHF Champions League are represented by 66 players. That’s almost 40 per cent of all 168 female players.

Only the Non-European countries Angola, Korea and Argentina do not have any Champions League participants in their squads.

Each team was able to nominate 14 players which were confirmed at the technical meeting on 5 August. These lists are the basis for this overview.

In the Montenegrin squad (11 of 14 players), at France, Russia and Norway (10 of 14 players) a vast majority of players have Champions League experience.

Three can write Olympic history: If Norway win their third consecutive gold after Beijing 2008 and London 2012, goalkeeper Katrine Lunde (Rostov-Don), right wing Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth-Koren (Larvik) and left wing Camilla Herrem (HC Vardar) would all add a third Olympic gold to their tally as well.

However, Norway lost their opener 31:28 against Brazil on Sunday. Taking to the court for Brazil in this game was two times EHF Champions League winner Eduarda Amorim who plays for Györi Audi ETO KC.

The 2016 and 2015 Women’s EHF Champions League winners, Buducnost and CSM Bucuresti, have each sent nine players to Rio.

Buducnost even have their sports director on court: Bojana Popovic, who carried the flag for Montenegro, ended her career four years ago, but made her comeback for the 2016 Games.

On a side note, clubs from nations which have not qualified for the Rio Olympic Games are in the top third of the ranking, such as HC Vardar from FYR Macedonia and 2013 and 2014 EHF Champions League winners Györ. Both teams are represented by six players.

One player deserves a special mention: Spanish left wing Elisabeth Pinedo is the only Rio 2016 participant from a club that is part of a EHF Champions League qualification tournament: Spanish champion Bera Bera.

All other 65 players play for clubs already qualified for the group matches.

Club ranking:

9 players from 5 nations at Rio: CSM Bucuresti (3 ROU, 2 FRA, 2 SWE, 1 BRA, 1 ESP)

9 players from 2 nations at Rio: Buducnost Podgorica (8 MNE, 1 ROU)

8 players from 3 nations at Rio: Rostov Don (5 RUS, 1 FRA, 1 NOR)

6 players 4 nations at Rio: Vardar Skopje (2 FRA, 2 MNE, 1 BRA, 1 NOR)

6 players from 3 nations at Rio: Audi ETO Györ (3 NOR, 2 NED, 1 BRA)

6 players from 3 nations at Rio: Metz Handball (4 FRA, 1 NED, 1 MNE)

4 players from 3 nations at Rio: FC Midtjylland (2 SWE, 1 ROU, 1 NOR)

4 players from 2 nations at Rio: Team Esbjerg (2 SWE, 2 NED)

4 players from 1 nation at Rio: Astrachanochka (4 RUS)

4 players from 1 nation at Rio: Larvik HK (4 NOR)

2 players from 2 nations at Rio: FTC Hungaria Rail Cargo (1 ESP, 1 NED)

2 players from 1 nation at Rio: Sävehof IK (2 SWE)

1 player from 1 nation at Rio: Bera Bera (1 ESP)

1 player from 12 nation at Rio: Thüringer HC (1 FRA)

Nations ranking of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games:

11 Champions League players from 3 clubs: Montenegro (Buducnost, Metz, Vardar)

10 Champions League players from 5 clubs: Norway (Larvik, Györ, Rostov, Vardar, Midtjylland)

10 Champions League players from 4 clubs: France (Metz, Bucuresti, Thüringer HC, Rostov)

10 Champions League players from 2 clubs: Russia (Rostov, Astrachanochka)

8 Champions League players from 4 clubs: Sweden (Sävehof, Esbjerg, Midtjylland, Bucuresti)

6 Champions League players from 4 clubs: Netherlands: Esbjerg, Györ, Metz, FTC)

5 Champions League players from 3 clubs: Romania (Bucuresti, Buducnost, Midtjylland)

3 Champions League players from 3 clubs: Spain: Bera Bera, FTC, Bucuresti)

3 Champions League players from 3 clubs: Brazil (Bucuresti, Györ, Vardar)

0 Champions League players: Angola, Argentina, Korea