– It hardly feels real – VG

The tears of France’s final defeat during the World Cup in 2017 were replaced by Norwegian tears of joy in the Box. After a dramatic second round, Norway claimed their eighth gold at the European Championship in Denmark. That after two championships in a row without a medal.

– He’s very sensitive. It has been a tough and steep road for me on the way back. I’ve had to dig deeper than I thought possible and the fact that I can play handball and a European Championship final means a lot to me, says Nora Mørk after the match.

– It’s completely unreal, adds Mørk.

See the highlights of the match:

He has played his first championship since the final against France three years ago. After that, he’s been through a long injury nightmare. On her return, she became the top scorer in the European Championship.

– It hardly seems real that he is here as the top scorer. I am very proud and I just want to thank those who have helped me along the way. It is completely unreal to be here now. We have regained the throne, continue.

The term “championship won on defense” was imposed when Norway won gold. After a good start, he led by four goals at halftime. Norway closed from behind and far behind was a very good Silje Solberg who frustrated the French girls.

In the second half, that was exactly the deciding factor, because then the handball girls struggled with counting in attack. In the first quarter, only two Norwegian goals were scored. For a long time it seemed to be heading for total collapse. With ten minutes to go, France tied and the finale was a thriller.

– This is absolutely fantastic. It is very special when we have lived together for four weeks and we have been in this bubble. Then there is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm at the same time. That we have it now makes me incredibly happy, says Oftedal, who says she will travel directly to Germany with her boyfriend and Kiel player Rune Dahmke to celebrate the gold.

The teams followed one another and Mørk gave Norway new confidence with a long shot to the crossbar. With two minutes to go, Sanna Solberg sent Norway to a two-goal lead, and then Norway managed to keep France behind them. In the end, she finished 22-20, and Silje Solberg was rewarded with ten on the VG stock exchange.

– It was incredible. I enjoyed the good help from the defense. Four weeks ago, I hadn’t imagined it, says Solberg, who arrived late to Denmark after being infected with the coronavirus.

– Silje will be absolutely crucial for us and that impresses me a lot, says Oftedal.

Norway played their 11th final in just 14 European Championship finals since the beginning in 1994. Before this year’s final, handball girls were listed with seven European Championship titles, but two years ago, Norway only it was number five during the European Championship in France.