News archive, Primo 2001:

• Merete Hansen not in WC qualification match
• Kristine Andersen postpones come-back
• Short news
• Friendship match vs. Hungary
• Weise Cup
• Mette injured plus critique of the national team
• Janne Kolling's truly last match
• Team for Weise Cup
• Another ex-national player quits
• Anja's team Slagelse in 1. division
• Munk Lauritsen stops
• Tv deal about Danish tournament handball
• Anja not in favour of high wages
• Brutto team March
• Fruelund back
• Anette Olesen quits the national team

July 2001

Hoffmann second best player of the year

In IHF's annual competition in the World Handball Magazine, Anette Hoffman only became second after the Hungarian Radulovic. Heidi Tjugum and Fridrikas were second and Camilla Andersen unfortunately only made it to number seven.

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June 2001

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Difficult WC group for Denmark

The Danish trainer Pytlick is not happy about the lot drawn in the WC "lottery" - there will be no easy matches at all and the inexperienced team must fight hard to win every match. Denmark must be in the top four in order to go on from the preliminary group. The world championship takes place in Bolzano, Italy from 4.-16. December. The Danish team is at the moment in a training camp on Djursland in order to improve their communication and group dynamics.

Group A: Ukraine, France, Denmark, Holland, China, Macedonia.
Gruoup B: Hungary, Rhumania, Sweden, Angola, Congo, Spain.
Group C: Russia, Yugoslavia, South Korea, Japan, Austria, Greenland (also a part of us, so to speak).
Group D: Norway, Slovenia, Italy, Brazil, Uruguay, Tunesia.

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May 2001

Qualification matches to the WC

The second qualification match versus the Chezck Republic was supposed to be easy and the players looked forward to having holiday. Too much it seems, but in spite of a miseable play, the Danes won with 31-23 on home ground in Århus. (Mette was top scorer with 10. Luckily the opponents were even more tired.

Danish articles:
Let dansk VM-kvalifikation (Haandboldligaen)
På vej mod VM (Haandboldligaen)
Let dansk spil og VM-kvalifikation (EB)

Denmark had no reason to fear this first qualification match against the Chezck Republic. A comfortable victory was won over a somewhat "tired" looking East European team without its main profiles: 24-16 (12-6). Mette Vestergaard played her match no hundred and did her part to get the important lead. She was top scorer with 10 goals, Lotte scored 6 goals and also Rantala and Brødsgård did a fine job. The next match will take place in Århus, Denmark this Saturday and the team is quite sure, it will just be a formality and the WC awaits us!

Danish articles:
Danmark klar til VM (BT)
Håndboldkvinderne på VM-kurs (JP)

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Test matches

The testmatch against Sweden was lost with 23-24 (13-10) after what is said to be a weak performance with many errors and lost balls. Mette Vestergaard and Lotte Kiærskou were top scorers with five goals.

The national team (minus the Viborg players who are busy with Champions League finals) won over Holland 24-23 in the first of two test matches before the WC qualification matches. Lotte top scorer 7(2) - according to the papers it was a boring affair, with only Lotte and Rantala showing fitness. The rest have had too long a break. Debutantes were Mette Melgaard, Josephine Touray and Anne Jensen. Tonight there is the next test match agains Sweden.

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Merethe Hansen was injured during the first of two Champions League finals matches and will not take part in the first of the two WC qualification matches in two weeks.

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April, 2001

Kristine Andersen postpones comeback

Kristine Andersen, who have had a long break from the national team due to an injury to her foot, is well underway in Ikast again. However, she wants to postpone her comeback on the national team untill this autumn in order to avoid strain on her foot. That means that she will not participate in Denmark's two training matches against Holland and Sweden on 8.th and 9.th May and not in the two WC qualification matches either.

Camilla Andersen and Mia Hunvin finally decided to start playing for Slagelse (Anja's team) - read more on my Camillapage!!

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Janne Kolling stops her career

They fall like leaves these days, the old and much beloved stars from the previous national team. Now also Janne Kolling has been forced to stop her career earlier than she had expected due to a serious kneeinjury. However, she stays in Anja's club Slagelse as an employee (projects, sponsors, PR) and occasional trainer of the wings.

Sources:
Janne Kolling tvunget til at stoppe (Politiken)
Janne Kolling færdig med aktiv håndbold (Berlingske)
Knæet vil ikke mere (Aktuelt)

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Tina Bøttzau stops her career.

The 29-year old former national team player has decided to stop due to a knee injury, which cannot be cured. However, she just managed to gain her second olympic gold medal when she made a come-back to the national team after a long break. For more details read my player page.

Heidi Astrup, Viborg (ex-national team player, also from the "golden team") won the title as Female Handball Profile of the year.

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Friendship match against Hungary

Denmark - Hungary 26-17 (14-9)

Denmark: Mette Vestergaard 5, Line Daugaard 4, Christina Roslyng 4, Louise Pedersen 2, Pernille Jørgensen 2, Gitte Nielsen 2, Rikke Hørlykke 2, Karen Brødsgaard 2, Pernille Hansen 1, Ditte Andersen 1, Janne Kolling 1 (1).

Hungary: Nikoletta Brigovacz 4 (3), Gabriela Kindl 2, Krisztina Pigniczki 2, Simics Zsemberyne 1, Beatrix Prok 1, Beata Siti 1, Krisztina Nagy 1, Zsuzsanna Palfy 1, Beatrix Balogh 1, Bernadett Ferling 1, Anita Kulcsar 1, Yvett Nagy 1.

Not the grand meeting between the Olympic finalist as could be expected, as both teams were not in the original form (Champions League also makes the Hungarians spare their best players). Much better performance by all, esp. captain Mette Vestergaard and Roslyng plus Rantala and Mortensen in the goal, but unfortunately Rikke Skov got a knee injured and may not play more this year. A new arena in Århus was celebrated as well as a sad goodbye to Janne Kolling, appearing for the last time in her match no. 250 (and scoring her first penalty shot ever - her goal no. 756). She only came on court for a few minutes, as she is still a bit injured and may stop playing for Slagelse also. Janne started playing when she was 20 in 1988 and since then she has won all there is to win of Olympic, World- and European Championships. Made a fabulous team with the other wing Anette Hoffmann, who has also ended her career now.

The team gets a new sponsor: E-boks. Not as groovy as the names Metal or Jolly printed on the jersey.

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Weise Cup

3. Denmark - Norway: 24 - 25 (8 - 12)

Denmark: Line Daugaard 6, Trine Jensen 5, Pernille Jørgensen 4, Majken Larsen 4, Rikke Hørlykke 2, Anja Nielsen 1, Ditte Andersen 1(1), Louise Pedersen 1.
Norway: Marianne Rokne 6(1) , Monica Sandve 5, Hege-Christin Vikebo 3, Else-Marthe Sørlie 3, Cecilie Thorsteinsen 2, Beate Grua Jonassen 2, Kristine Lunde 2, Marianne Økland 1, Unni Hinkel Nyhamar 1.

The three players from Viborg were spared for the club's semi-finals in Champions League next weekend. Also Mette Vestergaard was on the spectator seat due to her knee injury. Too obvious that just theese players ARE the only true players on that team.

2. Denmark - France 23 -20 (10 - 10)

With the players from Viborg, kindly rented out by Wilbek for the evening plus captain Mette Vestergaard back again, the match was a little bit better to watch. Karin Mortensen was brilliant in the goal and certain second choice after Rantala. Generally, there are still too many chances wasted and messy attacks but the defence is o.k.

Denmark: Mette Vestergaard 8 (1) , Christina Roslyng 4 , Pernille Jørgensen 3, Rikke Hørlykke 2, Louise Pedersen 2, Karen Brødsgaard 1, Gitte W. Nielsen 2, Rikke Skov 1.
France: Leila Duchemann 5, Myriam Korfanty 5 (1), Laisa Lerus 3, Nathalie Selambarom 2, Isabelle Wendling 2, Raphaelle Tervel 1, Mezuela Servier 1, Stephanie Norval-Tabard 1.

Articles:
Smilet tilbage hos Pytlick & co. (B.T.) (Pytlick and co. can smile again)
Mette Vestergaard førte an (B.T.) (Mette Vestergaard took the lead)

1. Denmark - Germany 16-18 (9-10)

Without either Fruelund, Vestergaard, Kiærskou or Rantala and with four debutants on the team, the defeat was expected. The players know each other so little that cards almost had to be exchanged on court. The German team was equally uncertain and "green", performing without eg. Grit Jurack (they have to play against Sweden for their place in the WC). Not much good to say about the defence and the attack was totally slow and unable to score much. Also many penalties were wasted by the Danes. Two of the debutants did a fine job, the new goal keeper Mette Iversen and Ditte Andersen - four goals is something of a debut. She also scored the first goal in the second half... it should take the team 16 minutes before the next goal was put in. Next matches will be against France and Norway.

Denmark: Ditte Andersen 4 (2), Pernille Jørgensen 4, Winne Mølgaard 2, Line Daugaard 1, Anja Nielsen 2, Gitte Nielsen 1, Majken Larsen 1, Rikke Hørlykke 1

Germany: Nicola Pietsch 7 , Heike Schmidt 4 (3), Heike Ahlgrimm 4 , Anke Schultz 2, Melanie Schliecker 1.

Articles:
Håndboldpiger skuffede: Til tælling (B.T.) (Handball girls disappointed)

Other subjects:
Anne Dorthe Tanderup: Bare jeg var stoppet tidligere (B.T.) (I wish I had stopped earlier)
Farvel til en epoke (B.T.)

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Mette injured plus critique of the national team

Now the last experienced force on the team has cancelled at least the first match in the Weise Cup: Mette Vestergaard. That removes the last motivation for me to watch these matches, which start tonight. Pytlick says he has never experienced such worn out players, so many suffering from constant injuries. The league teams and national team compete for the last strength of the players. Teams with high economical demands squeeze the last drops of blood out of the players who then have no strength or motivation for the national team as well. Pytlick and Wilbek even had to make a deal about the Viborg players who could only get to play one Weise Cup match in exchange for the Hungary match afterwards, because Viborg need the players for Champions League, endgames and Europe Cup. In a Danish article "For nemt at komme på landsholdet" in Aktuelt, there is much criticism of the team. Too many leave the team and the new players are really unexperienced, leaving us with a very weak national team which soon will play for WC qualifications. Ulrik Wilbek, former national coach even says that the standard of the players are way too low and that it is too easy to get on the national team these days. He understands their lack of motivation as the brutto team keeps changing all the time with new players no one knows. Also this time of year the league teams are busy enough with other things as Champions League, endgames in the league, Europe Cup. Personally, I can only agree. The standard has simply hit rock bottom and I doubt if they will make it to the World Championship. I have to update my site constantly with new names of players, I've never heard of before. And the well-known players are still very very inexperienced. Another factor is said to be the many foreign players on the Danish league teams: 40!

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Janne's truly last match

Even though Janne Kolling resigned from the national team after the Olympics, she will make a last farewell-appearance in the match against Hungary in Århus on the 26th. March. That will be her match no. 250 - a Danish record.

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Team for Weise Cup

19. March the new team is gathered for training. Then on 22. March they go to Neubrandenburg in Germany to participate in the Weise Cup 23. - 25. March. The day after they go back to Denmark to play a friendship match against Hungary.

Mette Iversen GOG, Karin Mortensen, Horsens, Rikke Petersen, Kolding, Louise Pdersen, Horsens, Majken Larsen, Viborg, Mette Vestergaard, FIF, Pernille Jørgensen, Horsens, Christine Roslyng, Viborg, Gitte Nielsen, Virum-Sorgenfri, Pernille Hansen, GOG, Rikke Hørlykke, FIF, Anja Nielsen, Ikast/Bording, Winnie Mølgaard, El Ferrobus Mislata, Rikke Skov, Viborg, Karen Brødsgaard, Viborg, Line Daugaard, Brabrand, Ditte Andersen, GOG, Trine Jensen, Ikast/Bording.

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March 2001

Another ex-national player quits

Marianne Florman, ex-player on the national team now quits playing for Virum. The 36-year old Marianne is pregnant and expects her baby in November.
Source: Gravide Florman stopper. (B.T.)

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Anja's status after reaching goal: 1. division

In an article from B.T. called Svært at få nye venner (Difficult to get new friends) Anja tells that she had her doubts about returning home to Denmark after a career of 10 years abroad. She was not sure how she would be received, as she finds that her mother country treats the native "profiles" too badly. She refers to Brian Laudrup, who was receceived with envy and criticism. Earlier on, criticism really got to her badly, but now she is more precatious about her official statements. And she stands by what she says and means without caring what people might think of her.

It has been easy for her to return home however, even though she had to move from her villa in Slagelse because people could not respect her privacy.

Fame also has its negative sides. You can either hide or go out and meet people, Anja says - and she does not mind writing autographs and greeting her fans. But the well-known problem always occurs: when you are famous everyone wants to befriend you. Anja does not easily let in new people in her life but hangs on to old friends from the time before fame struck and people she met through handball.

But she has a problem with money. Not that she has not earned enough during her life-time (which she really has), but she hates what money can do to people, she states to the paper.

As a coach, she has learned to control her temper more, because she has to think of her team. But much to her own surprise she finds that the referees are not as bad as they used to be (she is much concerned about their lack of skills). But the standard of Danish coaches is still not good enough. She wants a new type of coach: the one that gives the players freedom to experiment, one that makes the player be her own coach, so to speak. She also finds that the sport lacks big profiles, unique people who dare and go in front with new ideas.

"I do not think, we'll have another national team like the one we had. There were big personalities and we had charisma. Looking at the international handball scene today, there are basically no profiles", she says. But with her annual handball schools, she wants to breed her own future profiles. When they do her tricks and show emotions freely, she knows that her lifelong struggle has not been in vain.

Now that her goal number one has been reached with Slagelse - first division - her next goal is to win Champions League.

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Munk Lauritsen stops

Susanne Munk Lauritsen, the world famous keeper on the national team during its golden period, has decided to end her career after this season. She has stopped playing for the national team long ago, but still plays for the league team Viborg, which she has done since 1985. The reason she wants to quit: Training is getting too hard for her body. Furthermore she'd rather stay home and take care of her husband Wilbek (the coach) and their son. But.. eh... why doesn't HE quit his career and becomes a house"wife" instead? Just asking. She was just recovering enough from injuries and childbirth to make a great come-back, and she was qualified for the national team again, in my opinion.

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Tv deal about Danish tournament handball

Berlingske Tidende writes that the Danish Handball Federation and Team Denmark has sold the television rights of Danish tournament handball for five years to Denmarks Radio and TV 2 (the only two stations which can be viewed all over the country). Only the latter has not yet signed the deal. The newspaper claims that the amount involved is around 125 mio dkk. The question is, if this monopoly will be accepted legally.

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Anja not in favour of high wages for star players

Anja Andersen, coach of the team Slagelse (just entering first division) is on the lookout for new players. But she will not contribute to the "trend" of paying increasingly sky high wages to star players, as it is the case with eg. Kjersti Grini. Generally she finds that many top players in the handball league receives too high wages and contributes too little in comparison. That is esp. the case with the teams Ikast and Viborg. Anja adds, that Danish handball is just too dull at the moment. And knowing which style Anja stands for, I can only agree with her. I also fear that if Danish handball will end up like eg. football or ice hockey, paying mega-star-Hollywood wages to star players, they will crash economically. Later, Grini has answered back in harsh tone, saying a.o. that Anja is a spoiled brat and should mind her own business. Besides, Anja has offered her (Grini) increasingly higher wages if only she'd come to Slagelse, the Norwegian player claims, so Anja is only acting up when she can't get what she wants. Also Wilbek disregards Anja's statements and finds nothing wrong with the standard of his team or the level of wages.

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February 2001

Team list for first training session

When the national team meet for training in March, the list of players look as following (minus the players from Viborg who are busy with Champions League during that period) and Lene Rantala (just the Hungary match).

Goal: Lene Rantala, Larvik, Karin Mortensen, Horsens, Rikke Petersen, Kolding, and Mette Iversen, GOG. Players: Katrine Fruelund, Viborg, Louise Pedersen, Horsens, Majken Larsen, Viborg, Mette Vestergaard, FIF, Pernille Jørgensen, Horsens, Christina Roslyng Hansen, Viborg, Gitte W. Nielsen, Virum, Pernille Hansen, GOG, Rikke Hørlykke, FIF, Anja Nielsen, Ikast, Lotte Kiærskou, Frederikshavn, Winnie Mølgaard, Ferrobus Valencia, Sara Hansen, Ikast, Rikke Skov, Viborg, Karen Brødsgaard, Viborg, Line Daugaard, Brabrand, Ditte Andersen, GOG, and Trine Jensen, Ikast. Source: Håndboldligaen.

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Pytlick begs: come back!

Pytlick tries once more to contact the players who resigned from the national team after the Olympics in order to make them return. It is: Tonje Kjærgaard, Camilla Andersen and Maja Grønbek. It seems most unlikely that the two first mentionned will ever change their minds. But it is almost certain that we soon can welcome Kristine Andersen back on the national team, after a long break due to injuries.

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Fruelund back again

Katrine Fruelund, who asked for a break after the Olympics, has rediscovered her motivation to return to the national team. We'll se her again in the red jersey in the four-nation tournament in Neubrandenburg in March.

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January 2001

Short news

Janne Kolling will soon resume playing for Slagelse, when her injury gets better.

Anette Olesen quits the national team

As you may remember Anette Olesen was one of the new "unknown" players, who joined the national team before the EC. You may also remember that she did not even make it to the border of Denmark, as she left the train on the way to Rumania already in the town of Slagelse. She had a strong feeling of homesickness for her husband and family, whom she could not take with her to Rumania, and thus she changed her mind about going. Now she plans to tell the coach Jan Pytlick, that joining the national team was not a good idea in the first place, as she still has problems with travels.