Stefan Lövgren
Encyclopedia
Lars Stefan Lövgren (born December 21, 1970) is a former Swedish
handball
player. He was born in Gothenburg, Sweden
. Making his debut in the national team in , he played a total of 268 games and scored 1138 goals. During his adult career he played for Redbergslids IK
(in Gothenburg, Sweden), and German sides TV Niederwürzbach and Champions League- and Bundesliga-winning team THW Kiel
. He was the captain of the national team during the period 1996-2006 and for THW Kiel 2001-2009. He is a five-time Swedish league champion with Redbergslid, and a seven-time Bundesliga champion with THW. He won the German cup four times, and he helped lead Kiel to the European Champions League title in 2007 (being a losing finalist in 2000, 2008 and 2009).
Lövgren was World Champion in 1999
with the national team and is one of the few players to have participated in all the gold medal-winning Swedish sides in the European Championships (1994
, 1998
, 2000
, 2002
). As an individual player, he was named Most Valuable Player in both the 1999 and 2001
World Championships, was top scorer in the Olympic Games in 2000 (51 goals, same as Rafael Guijosa, ESP) as well as in the European Championships in 2002 (57 goals, same as Ólafur Stefánsson
, ISL), and provided the most assists during the 2005 World Men's Handball Championships
. He is a former member of the IHF
Athletes Commission, and is one of the most respected players in team handball (with, among others, Nikola Karabatić
citing him as a role model both as a person, player and captain).
Lövgren is a two-time Olympic silver medalist. In the 1996 Atlanta games, the Swedish team won the silver medal with Lövgren playing all seven matches and scoring a total of 17 goals. Four years later in Sydney Sweden again won silver. Lövgren played all eight matches and scored 51 goals.
In January 2010, Lövgren returned to the US to play in the Big Apple Team Handball Tournament where he competed with a group of European all-stars against the reigning US club champions, New York City THC. Lövgren and the all-stars won 39-27.
Lövgren lives in Kungälv outside Gothenburg with his wife and their two children. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends, watching sports and cooking.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
player. He was born in Gothenburg, Sweden
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
. Making his debut in the national team in , he played a total of 268 games and scored 1138 goals. During his adult career he played for Redbergslids IK
Redbergslids IK
Redbergslids IK, RIK, is a handball team from Gothenburg, Sweden founded in 1916. Redbergslid is the most successful in Swedish titles, with twenty titles...
(in Gothenburg, Sweden), and German sides TV Niederwürzbach and Champions League- and Bundesliga-winning team THW Kiel
THW Kiel
THW Kiel is a team handball club from Kiel, Germany. Currently, THW Kiel competes in the German First League of Handball and is German record champion with 16 titles....
. He was the captain of the national team during the period 1996-2006 and for THW Kiel 2001-2009. He is a five-time Swedish league champion with Redbergslid, and a seven-time Bundesliga champion with THW. He won the German cup four times, and he helped lead Kiel to the European Champions League title in 2007 (being a losing finalist in 2000, 2008 and 2009).
Lövgren was World Champion in 1999
1999 World Men's Handball Championship
The 1999 World Championship for men in team handball was the 16th edition of the Men's World Handball Championship. It was held in Egypt, from June 2 to June 15, in the cities of Cairo, Ismailia and Port Said.-Preliminary round:In the following tables:...
with the national team and is one of the few players to have participated in all the gold medal-winning Swedish sides in the European Championships (1994
1994 European Men's Handball Championship
-Final ranking:...
, 1998
1998 European Men's Handball Championship
The 1998 EHF European Men's Handball Championship was held in Italy from 29 May–7 June, in the cities of Meran and Bolzano. Sweden won the tournament with Spain second and Germany third.-Teams:-Venues:- Group A :-Group B:...
, 2000
2000 European Men's Handball Championship
-Placement Matches:-Final ranking:...
, 2002
2002 European Men's Handball Championship
The 2002 Men's European Handball Championship took place from 25 January to 3 February 2002 in Sweden.-Teams:-Venues:-Preliminary round:The first three of each group reach the main stage...
). As an individual player, he was named Most Valuable Player in both the 1999 and 2001
2001 World Men's Handball Championship
The 2001 World Men's Handball Championship took place in France from January 23 to February 4, 2001.-Qualified teams:24 teams were qualified for the first round and dispatched into 4 groups.Group A : , , , , , .Group B : , , , , ,...
World Championships, was top scorer in the Olympic Games in 2000 (51 goals, same as Rafael Guijosa, ESP) as well as in the European Championships in 2002 (57 goals, same as Ólafur Stefánsson
Ólafur Stefánsson
Ólafur Indriði Stefánsson is an Icelandic handball player who currently plays for AG_København in Denmark. He is the current captain for the Iceland national handball team. His demarcation is right back...
, ISL), and provided the most assists during the 2005 World Men's Handball Championships
2005 World Men's Handball Championship
The 2005 World Championship for men in team handball was played in Tunisia between January 23 and February 6, 2005.The winner of the gold medal was Spain, Croatia took silver and France won the bronze.-Group A :-Group B :...
. He is a former member of the IHF
International Handball Federation
The International Handball Federation, often referred to by the acronym IHF, is the administrative and controlling body for International team handball.- Championships :*World Men's Handball Championship*World Women's Handball Championship...
Athletes Commission, and is one of the most respected players in team handball (with, among others, Nikola Karabatić
Nikola Karabatic
Nikola Karabatić ) is a French team handball player, born to a Croatian father and Serbian mother.He was part of the French national handball team that won the bronze medal at the 2008 European Men's Handball Championship. He was top scorer at the championship together with Ivano Balić and Lars...
citing him as a role model both as a person, player and captain).
Lövgren is a two-time Olympic silver medalist. In the 1996 Atlanta games, the Swedish team won the silver medal with Lövgren playing all seven matches and scoring a total of 17 goals. Four years later in Sydney Sweden again won silver. Lövgren played all eight matches and scored 51 goals.
In January 2010, Lövgren returned to the US to play in the Big Apple Team Handball Tournament where he competed with a group of European all-stars against the reigning US club champions, New York City THC. Lövgren and the all-stars won 39-27.
Lövgren lives in Kungälv outside Gothenburg with his wife and their two children. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends, watching sports and cooking.
World championships
- 19951995 World Men's Handball ChampionshipThe 1995 World Championship for men in team handball was the 14th World Handball Championship. It was held in Iceland.-Preliminary round:-Group A:-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Finals:-Final standings:# # # # # # # # # # # #...
- bronze - 19971997 World Men's Handball Championship- Final standings :# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # - External links :*...
- silver - 19991999 World Men's Handball ChampionshipThe 1999 World Championship for men in team handball was the 16th edition of the Men's World Handball Championship. It was held in Egypt, from June 2 to June 15, in the cities of Cairo, Ismailia and Port Said.-Preliminary round:In the following tables:...
- gold - 20012001 World Men's Handball ChampionshipThe 2001 World Men's Handball Championship took place in France from January 23 to February 4, 2001.-Qualified teams:24 teams were qualified for the first round and dispatched into 4 groups.Group A : , , , , , .Group B : , , , , ,...
- silver
European Championships
- 19941994 European Men's Handball Championship-Final ranking:...
- gold - 19981998 European Men's Handball ChampionshipThe 1998 EHF European Men's Handball Championship was held in Italy from 29 May–7 June, in the cities of Meran and Bolzano. Sweden won the tournament with Spain second and Germany third.-Teams:-Venues:- Group A :-Group B:...
- gold - 20002000 European Men's Handball Championship-Placement Matches:-Final ranking:...
- gold - 20022002 European Men's Handball ChampionshipThe 2002 Men's European Handball Championship took place from 25 January to 3 February 2002 in Sweden.-Teams:-Venues:-Preliminary round:The first three of each group reach the main stage...
- gold
Olympic Games
- 1996 - silver
- 2000 - silver