Norway’s national women’s handball team, popularly known as handballjentene (the handball girls), partied late into the night in Brazil, after winning their first World Championship title in 12 years.
“It’s an absolutely wonderful feeling,” player Heidi Løke told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK), which had been airing the matches live from Sao Paulo. “Indescribably good.”
The women’s handball team has been among the best in the world for years, has won Olympic gold and the European Championships five times since 1998. Their last time to be world champions, though, was in 1999.
So they let the champagne flow freely Sunday night after beating France 32-24. “I’m not sure this has really sunk in yet,” player Linn Jørum Sulland told NRK. “It’s fantastic, really fun.” Teammate Camilla Herrem said she’d received so many messages of congratulations from family and friends that it was definitely sinking in for her.
Commentators said the Norwegian women outclassed their French rivals, with lots of energy and goals, and a score of 19-13 at the break. The French team had hoped for revenge after losing the final at Lillehammer 12 years ago, but didn’t succeed.
None of the current players had won a World Championship before, and Kristine Lunde-Borgersen was deemed the best player of the match, making a major comeback after both giving birth and breaking a bone in her hand in October. That was all forgotten, but she had her little son Theo with her, to enjoy the confetti that showered down before the celebrations began.
Views and News staff
