Else-Marthe Sørlie Lybekk
Encyclopedia
Else-Marthe Sørlie Lybekk (née Sørlie, born 11 September 1978 in Gjøvik
) is a Norwegian
team handball
player, world champion
from 1999, gold medalist from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing
, and bronze medalist from the 2000 Olympics
. She is also a triple European champion
with the Norwegian national team, which she previously captained prior to the reign of fellow Gjøvik handballer Gro Hammerseng
. She is the only player on the Norwegian team that received all the first five gold medals that the national team won up to the 2008 Olympics. Currently playing for Nordstrand
in her second spell, she has previously played for Leipzig
, Nordstrand, Snertingdal and Toten.
, marking the beginning of a long career for the Norwergian side. She participated in consecutive international championships from her debut in the 1998 European Championships
until the 2008 Olympics, except for the 2004 European Championships
where she was dropped after having suffered injuries preventing her from a necessary build-up, and the World Championships the following year. At the 2004 European championship she was not included in the main team, but was listed as home reserve. When Isabel Blanco
injured her thumb during the championship, Sørlie Lybekk was called to join the team, and received a gold medal from the championship without playing. Before the 2000 Olympics
, she was named vice-captain for Kjersti Grini
, and when Grini withdrew from the 2000 European Championships
she captained her national team at the age of 22 at a difficult moment when many experienced players had recently retired. She remained in this position until the 2003 World Championship
where Gro Hammerseng took over the captaincy. The tournament was disappointing for both the squad and Sørlie Lybekk, as they finished 6th in the tournament keeping them out of the Olympic tournament the following year.
The first highpoint in her international career is the victory in the 1999 World Championships held on home turf (alongside Denmark
) where she was contributing to her nation's win mostly in the defensive side of the game. In the epic final against France
her unforgiving defensive work cost her three two-minute suspensions meaning a red card, meaning she had to see her compatriots win the extra time playoffs from the bench. It was the first World Championship won by her country, a natural highpoint, but since the Olympic tournaments carry higher status in the sport, the win from the 2008 Olympics was an even higher point. In the tournament Sørlie Lybekk, now 29, contributed with her international experience and calm, in both ends of the pitch. Norway went undefeated through the tournament, and scoring 7 goals in the final against Russia
as well as making a profound impression throughout the tournament, she was selected into the All Star Team of the tournament (as pivot/line player). The success sparked speculation that she would retire from international duty when she was on top of her long career.
Gjøvik
is a town and a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Gjøvik.In 1861, the village of Gjøvik in the municipality of Vardal was granted town status and was separated from Vardal to form a separate municipality...
) is a Norwegian
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...
team 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, world champion
World Women's Handball Championship
The World Championship in team handball for women has been organized by the International Handball Federation since 1957.- Championships :- Overall medal count :- Participation history :-Largest winning margin:Source: - External links :*...
from 1999, gold medalist from the 2008 Summer Olympics 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 bronze medalist from the 2000 Olympics
Handball at the 2000 Summer Olympics
-Medal summary:-References:*...
. She is also a triple European champion
European Women's Handball Championship
The European Women's Handball Championship is the official competition for senior women's national handball teams of Europe, and takes place every two years. In addition to crowning the European champions, the tournament also serves as a qualifying tournament for the World Championship...
with the Norwegian national team, which she previously captained prior to the reign of fellow Gjøvik handballer Gro Hammerseng
Gro Hammerseng
Gro Hammerseng is a Norwegian handballer playing for the Norwegian national team and Norwegian club Larvik HK. She has been the captain of the national team for several years, and in 2007 she was voted female World Handball Player of the Year.- Club career :Hammerseng started her handball career...
. She is the only player on the Norwegian team that received all the first five gold medals that the national team won up to the 2008 Olympics. Currently playing for Nordstrand
Nordstrand IF
Nordstrand Idrettsforening is a sports club in Oslo, Norway. It was founded in 1919 as a merge between Skiklubben Freidig and Sportsklubben Grane. Among the club's activities are orienteering, skiing and handball. In handball the club has won the National championships several times, both the...
in her second spell, she has previously played for Leipzig
HC Leipzig
HC Leipzig is a women's handball club based in Leipzig, Germany. They play in Handball-Bundesliga Frauen.- Honours :*Handball-Bundesliga Frauen:**Winners *German Cup:**Winners *German Supercup:...
, Nordstrand, Snertingdal and Toten.
International career
2 November 1997, Sørlie Lybekk debuted in a friendly against GermanyGermany women's national handball team
The Germany women's national handball team is the national team of Germany. It is governed by the Deutscher Handball-Bund and takes part in international handball competitions.-Results:- Performance in Olympic Games :* 1992: 4th place...
, marking the beginning of a long career for the Norwergian side. She participated in consecutive international championships from her debut in the 1998 European Championships
1998 European Women's Handball Championship
-Final ranking:Source: EuroHandball.com.Source: Dagbladet....
until the 2008 Olympics, except for the 2004 European Championships
2004 European Women's Handball Championship
The 2004 EHF European Women's Handball Championship was held in Hungary from 9–19 December, it was won by Norway after beating Denmark 27–25 in the final match.-Venues:The European Championships will be held in the following cities:...
where she was dropped after having suffered injuries preventing her from a necessary build-up, and the World Championships the following year. At the 2004 European championship she was not included in the main team, but was listed as home reserve. When Isabel Blanco
Isabel Blanco
Isabel Blanco is a Norwegian handball player. She is currently a line player for the Norwegian club Larvik HK and the Norwegian National Team.- National team :...
injured her thumb during the championship, Sørlie Lybekk was called to join the team, and received a gold medal from the championship without playing. Before the 2000 Olympics
Handball at the 2000 Summer Olympics
-Medal summary:-References:*...
, she was named vice-captain for Kjersti Grini
Kjersti Grini
Kjersti Elizabeth Grini is a Norwegian former handball player.She played in the clubs Jaren, Lunner, Bækkelaget, Toten and Ikast. She has played in 201 games for the Norwegian National team, scoring 1003 goals.-References:...
, and when Grini withdrew from the 2000 European Championships
2000 European Women's Handball Championship
-Final ranking:...
she captained her national team at the age of 22 at a difficult moment when many experienced players had recently retired. She remained in this position until the 2003 World Championship
World Women's Handball Championship
The World Championship in team handball for women has been organized by the International Handball Federation since 1957.- Championships :- Overall medal count :- Participation history :-Largest winning margin:Source: - External links :*...
where Gro Hammerseng took over the captaincy. The tournament was disappointing for both the squad and Sørlie Lybekk, as they finished 6th in the tournament keeping them out of the Olympic tournament the following year.
The first highpoint in her international career is the victory in the 1999 World Championships held on home turf (alongside Denmark
Denmark 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....
) where she was contributing to her nation's win mostly in the defensive side of the game. In the epic final against France
France women's national handball team
The France women's national handball team is the national team of France. It is governed by the Fédération Française de Handball and takes part in international team handball competitions.- Olympic games :* 2000 : 6th* 2004 : 4th* 2008 : 5th...
her unforgiving defensive work cost her three two-minute suspensions meaning a red card, meaning she had to see her compatriots win the extra time playoffs from the bench. It was the first World Championship won by her country, a natural highpoint, but since the Olympic tournaments carry higher status in the sport, the win from the 2008 Olympics was an even higher point. In the tournament Sørlie Lybekk, now 29, contributed with her international experience and calm, in both ends of the pitch. Norway went undefeated through the tournament, and scoring 7 goals in the final against Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
as well as making a profound impression throughout the tournament, she was selected into the All Star Team of the tournament (as pivot/line player). The success sparked speculation that she would retire from international duty when she was on top of her long career.