Tonje Larsen
Encyclopedia
Tonje Larsen is a Norwegian
handball
er who plays for the Norwegian national team
and the club Larvik HK
. She is Olympic champion, World champion and twice European champion. As a club player she is several times Norwegian champion and once Danish champion, and has won the EHF Cup
, EHF Cup Winners' Cup and the EHF Champions League
.
, seventeen years old, when Sven-Tore Jacobsen
was head coach. Her first major tournament came when Marit Breivik
selected her for the 1994 European Championship
in Germany
, where she won a bronze medal. She continued playing for the national team and received medals in the three major competitions for women's handball: gold in the 1998 European Championship
, gold in the 1999 World Championship
and bronze at the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney
.
Due to jumper's knee, she was out of the team in 2001 and between 2003 and 2008. She continued playing for Larvik mostly on defense, as her knees could not tolerate the heavier stress of the offensive game. Her career seemed to be in danger, and she considered retiring. Finally, she underwent surgery successfully in 2006. As a side effect of the years she spent injured, Larsen is now considered to be an excellent defense player.
She made her comeback to the national team in 2008, winning a gold medal both at the Summer Olympics
in Beijing
and at the European Championship
held in December in the Republic of Macedonia
, where she also made the official All-Star Team as the Best left back of the championship.
As of January 2009, she has played more than 200 matches for the national team, and scored more than 500 goals.
when Marit Breivik
coached the club, and has later played for Larvik, except one year with the Danish club Viborg HK
, in the 1998/1999 season. With Viborg she won the Danish championship as well as the Women's EHF Cup
.
With Larvik HK
she won the EHF Cup Winners' Cup in 2004/2005, and again in 2007/2008. She reached the semi final of the Women's EHF Champions League
in 2002 and in 2004, and reached the final at the Women's EHF Cup
in 1996. She won the Norwegian national championship title with Larvik HK in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. She has won the Norwegian top League with Larvik ten times, in 1994, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
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...
er who plays for the Norwegian national team
Norway women's national handball team
The Norway women's national handball team is the national team of Norway. It is governed by the Norwegian Handball Federation and takes part in international handball competitions....
and the club Larvik HK
Larvik HK
Larvik Håndballklubb, is a women's handball club from Larvik, Norway. They play in the Norwegian top league for women and they have won the Norwegian Championship thirteen times.- History :...
. She is Olympic champion, World champion and twice European champion. As a club player she is several times Norwegian champion and once Danish champion, and has won the EHF Cup
Women's EHF Cup
The Women's EHF Cup is an official competition for women's handball clubs of Europe. It takes place every year, from September to May. It was first organized by the European Handball Federation in 1993...
, EHF Cup Winners' Cup and the EHF Champions League
Women's EHF Champions League
The EHF Women's Champions League is an official competition for women's handball clubs of Europe, organized annually by the European Handball Federation . It is the most competitive and prestigious tournament for clubs since the champions of the best national leagues participate on it.- Eligibility...
.
International championships
Larsen made her debut with the national team in June 1992 against DenmarkDenmark women's national handball team
The Denmark women's national handball team is the national team of Denmark. It is governed by the Dansk Håndbold Forbund and takes part in international handball competitions....
, seventeen years old, when Sven-Tore Jacobsen
Sven-Tore Jacobsen
Sven-Tore Jacobsen is a former Norwegian team handball player, and former head coach for the Norwegian women's national handball team...
was head coach. Her first major tournament came when Marit Breivik
Marit Breivik
Marit Breivik is a former Norwegian team handball player, and former head coach for the Norwegian women's national handball team...
selected her for the 1994 European Championship
1994 European Women's Handball Championship
-Final ranking:...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where she won a bronze medal. She continued playing for the national team and received medals in the three major competitions for women's handball: gold in the 1998 European Championship
1998 European Women's Handball Championship
-Final ranking:Source: EuroHandball.com.Source: Dagbladet....
, gold in the 1999 World Championship
1999 World Women's Handball Championship
-Group B:---------------------------------------------------------Group C:---------------------------------------------------------Group D:----------------------------------------...
and bronze at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
Due to jumper's knee, she was out of the team in 2001 and between 2003 and 2008. She continued playing for Larvik mostly on defense, as her knees could not tolerate the heavier stress of the offensive game. Her career seemed to be in danger, and she considered retiring. Finally, she underwent surgery successfully in 2006. As a side effect of the years she spent injured, Larsen is now considered to be an excellent defense player.
She made her comeback to the national team in 2008, winning a gold medal both at the Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and at the European Championship
2008 European Women's Handball Championship
The 2008 EHF European Women's Handball Championship was held in the Republic of Macedonia from 2–14 December, it was won by Norway after beating Spain 34–21 in the final match.-Venues:...
held in December in the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
, where she also made the official All-Star Team as the Best left back of the championship.
As of January 2009, she has played more than 200 matches for the national team, and scored more than 500 goals.
Club career
Larsen started playing handball for her hometown club Tønsberg Turn. She was recruited to Larvik HKLarvik HK
Larvik Håndballklubb, is a women's handball club from Larvik, Norway. They play in the Norwegian top league for women and they have won the Norwegian Championship thirteen times.- History :...
when Marit Breivik
Marit Breivik
Marit Breivik is a former Norwegian team handball player, and former head coach for the Norwegian women's national handball team...
coached the club, and has later played for Larvik, except one year with the Danish club Viborg HK
Viborg HK
Viborg HK is the name of a Danish handball club from Viborg. The club has many teams for both women and men, but especially the professional women's team is one of the most successful in Danish and European handball since the beginning of the 1990s...
, in the 1998/1999 season. With Viborg she won the Danish championship as well as the Women's EHF Cup
Women's EHF Cup
The Women's EHF Cup is an official competition for women's handball clubs of Europe. It takes place every year, from September to May. It was first organized by the European Handball Federation in 1993...
.
With Larvik HK
Larvik HK
Larvik Håndballklubb, is a women's handball club from Larvik, Norway. They play in the Norwegian top league for women and they have won the Norwegian Championship thirteen times.- History :...
she won the EHF Cup Winners' Cup in 2004/2005, and again in 2007/2008. She reached the semi final of the Women's EHF Champions League
Women's EHF Champions League
The EHF Women's Champions League is an official competition for women's handball clubs of Europe, organized annually by the European Handball Federation . It is the most competitive and prestigious tournament for clubs since the champions of the best national leagues participate on it.- Eligibility...
in 2002 and in 2004, and reached the final at the Women's EHF Cup
Women's EHF Cup
The Women's EHF Cup is an official competition for women's handball clubs of Europe. It takes place every year, from September to May. It was first organized by the European Handball Federation in 1993...
in 1996. She won the Norwegian national championship title with Larvik HK in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. She has won the Norwegian top League with Larvik ten times, in 1994, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Awards
- Player of the year 2002 in the Norwegian League
- Player of the year 2003 in the Norwegian League
- Selected into the All-star-team as Best left back at the 2008 European championship