Record champions Norway eye another title

Main facts:

• Norway are the most decorated team in EHF EURO history, with eight gold, three silver, and one bronze medal, missing out on the podium only twice
• the reigning champions will miss line player Kari Dale, right wings Camilla Herrem and Sanna Solberg-Isaksen, and left back Veronica Kristiansen
• Norway’s seventh goal at the EHF EURO 2022 will be their 3,000th in the competition’s history; no other team has reached that milestone yet
• Thorir Hergeirsson is the most successful coach in EHF EURO history, winning four gold and a silver medal since his appointment in 2009
• each All-star Team of past EHF EURO events has featured at least one Norwegian player, except for the 2000 edition, when Norway finished sixth

Three questions ahead the EHF EURO 2022:

- How will Norway cope with the plethora of absentees?

Missing from Norway’s team at the EHF EURO 2022: MVP of the 2021 World Championship, Kari Dale; five-time European champion Camilla Herrem and fellow right wing Sanna Solberg-Isaksen; left back Veronica Kristiansen. For most teams this would mean the end of a medal challenge – not so for Norway.

The Scandinavian side has an excellent system put in place. Whenever a stalwart is missing, other players will be ready to replace them. Sure, a starting back line with Nora Mørk, Stine Bredal Oftedal and Henny Reistad will be almost impossible to stop. Their depth might suffer as a result, as well as the defence.

Yet Norway have constantly found new ways of adapting and, with their exceptional talent pool, always bringing new faces in the squad. Players like Kristina Novak or Sunniva Naes Andersen will make their debut at the EHF EURO, but Norway are still looking like the team to beat, irrespective of the players missing.

- How much can their experience help?

In short, a lot. This might truly be their greatest asset, as Katrine Lunde (17) or Oftedal (11) have both won over 10 medals at major tournaments. It also has something to do with the stability of the coaching staff, as coach Thorir Hergeirsson has been in place since 2009 and his position was never threatened.

Hergeirsson’s experience is next to none in this type of competitions, as he has overseen the team winning 13 medals in 16 tournaments since his appointment. With a strong system in place, that relies heavily on defence and converted fast breaks, Norway will not change the recipe coming into the EHF EURO 2022.

- Are their results in friendly matches enough to justify their contender status?

When the roster crisis hit for Thorir Hergeirsson, the coach was prepared and knew exactly how he will navigate the problems before the start of the EHF EURO 2022. Whether it was part of the plan or not, Norway’s results in friendly matches have been excellent. They won the first of two editions of the Golden League with impressive wins over Netherlands and Denmark; however, they suffered a heavy 33:24 defeat against the Dutch 2019 world champions in the second edition last week.

Under the spotlight: Henny Reistad

It is only Reistad’s third EHF EURO, but the stalwart has slotted in immediately in Thorir Hergeirsson’s team and has become an integrant part of Norway. Reistad is not the traditional Norway back, but has an arsenal at her disposal: not only boasting a strong shot, but also a very good handball IQ, which enables her to displace the opposing defence with shrewd moves.

It is very difficult to pinpoint a leader or the best player in Norway’s team, as the Scandinavian side has always brought a strong side, with them also assembling an incredible crew for the EHF EURO 2022, with players like Stine Bredal Oftedal, Katrine Lunde or Nora Mørk at their disposal.

But at 23 years old, Reistad is not only the present for Norway, she is also the future, after having already been named the MVP of the EHF FINAL4 in 2021 and the All-star left back of the 2021 World Championship.

Did you know?

Norway have scored 2,993 goals in EHF EURO history, or 28.2 goals per game – the highest figure for any team in the competition.

What the numbers say

Two – the number of EHF EURO editions where Norway did not finish on the podium (sixth in 2000; fifth in 2018)

Plays with heart: Nora Mørk

With a gold medal at the EHF EURO 2022, Mørk would tie six other players as the most decorated in the history of the competition, winning the trophy five times. The diminutive right back is the only player to have won the top goal scorer award two times at the EHF EURO, in 2016 and 2020, and has made the All-star Team three times: in 2014, 2016 and 2020. All after undergoing 10 surgeries to her knees. Her determination, skill, vision, and talent are unique and if there is a player who is giving her all, wearing her heart on her sleeve in Norway’s camp, it is definitely Mørk.

Past achievements

EHF EURO Participations (including 2022): 15
Winners (8): 1998, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2020
Runners-up (3): 1996, 2002, 2012
Third place (1): 1994

Norway play against Hungary, Croatia, and Switzerland in preliminary round group A in Ljubljana. Tickets available HERE.