Gro Hammerseng-Edin

Gro Hammerseng-Edin (born 10 April 1980 in Gjøvik as Gro Hammerseng) is a Norwegian former handballer who last played for the club Larvik HK. She was captain of the Norwegian national team for several years, and in 2007 she was voted female World Handball Player of the Year.

Gro Hammerseng-Edin
1st Chairperson of IHF Athletes' Commission
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 August 2016
President	Hassan Moustafa
Vice President	Miguel Roca Mas Joël Delplanque
Preceded by	Position established

Personal information
Born	(1980-04-10) 10 April 1980 (age 44) Gjøvik, Norway
Nationality	Norwegian
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Playing position	Center back
Youth career
Years	Team
1990–1995	Gjøvik HK
1995–1996	Raufoss IL
1996–1997	Vardal IF
Senior clubs
Years	Team
1997–2003	Gjøvik og Vardal HK
2003–2010	FC Midtjylland Håndbold
2010–2017	Larvik HK
National team
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000–2010	Norway	167	(631)
Medal record Women's handball Representing  Norway Olympic Games 2008 Beijing Team World Championship 2001 Italy Team 2007 France Team European Championship 2004 Hungary Team 2006 Sweden Team 2010 Denmark/Norway Team 2002 Denmark Team

Club career

Hammerseng started her handball career in 1990 at Gjøvik HK (1990–1995). She later played one year for Raufoss IL (1995–1996) and one year for Vardal IF (1996–1997) before starting her senior career in 1997 for Gjøvik og Vardal HK (1997–2003). Hammerseng was Gjøvik og Vardal's captain during her six seasons with the club. In 2003, after serious economic problems at her hometown club, Hammerseng signed with Danish top club Ikast-Bording, since November 2008 called FC Midtjylland Håndbold.^[2][3] Gro stayed 7 years in Denmark playing for the Danish club FC Midtjylland Håndbold, but on 17 February 2010 she signed under a 2-year contract with the Norwegian handball club Larvik HK. Gro has played for Larvik since the 2010/11 season and ended her career after the 2016/2017 season.^[4]

Hammerseng-Edin retired from the sport of handball on 21 May 2017, after winning the Grundigligaen finals with Larvik that day.^[4][5]

National team

Hammerseng made her debut with the Norwegian national team on 29 November 2000 against Poland in Bergen, Norway. Her first major tournament was the 2000 European Championship in Romania, where Norway finished sixth. She received a silver medal at the 2001 World Championship and at the 2002 European Championship.

In December 2003, coach Marit Breivik made Hammerseng captain of the team, replacing fellow Gjøvik native Else-Marthe Sørlie Lybekk.^[6] The 2003 World Championship was her first competition as captain, but Norway was not successful and finished the championship in sixth place, thus missing the opportunity to participate in the 2004 Summer Olympics. The 2004 European Championship brought her first gold medal with the team.^[7] Hammerseng saw her performance recognized as she was voted MVP and member of the All-Star Team of the tournament.

After a serious knee injury kept her out of the court in the 2005/06 season, Gro Hammerseng repeated her 2004 success at the 2006 European Championship in Sweden. She received her second gold medal and was again named MVP and member of the All-Star Team of the tournament.^[8] At the 2007 World Championship, Norway was defeated by Russia in the final match, marking the third silver medal for Hammerseng. She was voted into the All-Star Team as best left back.

The 2008 Summer Olympics gave the Norwegians an opportunity for revenge, as they met Russia in the final match. After a comfortable 34–27 win, Hammerseng received her first Olympic gold medal.^[9][10]

As of 22 December 2010, she has played 167 games for Norway, scoring 631 goals.^[11]

Awards and recognition

2004

• MVP - European Championship 2004 (Awarded in December 2004)
• All-Star Team: European Championship 2004 - Best Playmaker - (Awarded in December 2004)

2005

• All-Star Team: Danish League 2004/05 - Best Playmaker - (Awarded in May 2005)

2006

• MVP - European Championship 2006 (Awarded in December 2006)
• All-Star Team: European Championship 2006 - Best Playmaker - (Awarded in December 2006)
• 'Role model' of the year, Norwegian Sports Gala (Awarded in January 2007)
• 'Team Player' of the year, Norwegian Sports Gala (Awarded in January 2007)

2007

• 'Snill Pike Statuetten' - Norwegian media photographers (Awarded in March 2007)
• World Handball Player of the Year - Readers of World Handball Magazine and the International Handball Federation web site visitors.^[12] (Awarded in September 2008)
• All-Star Team: World Championship 2007 - Best Left Back - (Awarded in December 2007)

2008

• Casparprisen - Gjøvik City (Awarded in August 2008)

2009

• 'Player of the Year' voted by the Ikast-fans (Awarded in May 2009)

2010

• All-Star Team: European Championship 2010 - Best Playmaker - (Awarded in December 2010)
• 'Team Player' of the year, Norwegian Sports Gala (Awarded in January 2011)

Personal life

Hammerseng was in a long-term cohabiting relationship with fellow Larvik HK and Norwegian national team player Katja Nyberg.^[13][14] In August 2010, they announced that they had split up even though they would continue to play together for Larvik.^[15]

Gro Hammerseng began a new relationship with Larvik teammate Anja Edin in the summer of 2010. They married in 2013.^[16] Hammerseng gave birth to their first son, Mio in 2012 and their second son, Leo in 2018. In 2014, Hammerseng and her wife published their book, Anja + Gro = Mio, which is about having a child as a lesbian couple.^[17]

In the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Hammerseng joined other Norwegian athletes in an Amnesty International campaign for human rights in the People's Republic of China.^[18]

Results

Norway

Olympic Games

• Gold: 2008

World Championship

• Silver: 2001, 2007

European Championship

• Gold: 2004, 2006, 2010
• Silver: 2002

FC Midtjylland Håndbold

Danish Championship^[19]

• Silver: 2007/08
• Bronze: 2003/04, 2004/05

Danish Cup (DM)^[20]

• Silver: 2003, 2004

Cup Winners' Cup

• Gold: 2003/04

EHF Cup

• Silver: 2006/07

Larvik HK

Norwegian League

• Gold: 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17

Norwegian Cup (NM)

• Gold: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

Norwegian Play-off

• Gold: 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17

Champions League

• Gold: 2010/11
• Silver: 2012/13, 2014/15

References

1. "- Athlete Biography: Hammerseng, Gro". Beijing 2008. Archived from the original on 10 August 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
2. Peter Bruun (7 November 2008). "Changes in Ikast". European Handball Federation. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
3. "Official: FCM buys Ikast-Brande" (in Danish). TV 2 SPORT. 5 November 2008. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
4. Hoel, Yasmin Sunde; Mueller, Hanne Skjellum (21 May 2017). "Eneren som trodde hun ikke var god nok" (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
5. Høiby, Ine-Elise (21 May 2017). "Larvik slo tilbake: Mestere nok en gang". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Retrieved 22 May 2017.
6. "Gro leder håndballdamene" (in Norwegian). NRK. 2 December 2003. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
7. Berglund, Nina (20 December 2004). "'Handball girls' party all night". Aftenposten. Archived from the original on 27 August 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
8. "Athletes: Gro Hammerseng". NBC. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
9. "- Olympic Gold for Norway - crushed Russia 34-27". Norway Post. 23 August 2008. Archived from the original on 12 February 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
10. "- Women's Gold Medal Match - Match 42 / Norway vs Russian Fed". Beijing 2008. 23 August 2008. Archived from the original on 26 August 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
11. Handball.no: Gro Hammerseng (in Norwegian)
12. "2007 World Handball Players Of The Year: Gro Hammerseng (NOR) + Nikola Karabatic (FRA)". IHF. 7 August 2008. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
13. Stilson, Tina (19 August 2008). "Hammerseng drømmer om barn" (in Norwegian). Nettavisen.no. Archived from the original on 2 November 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
14. Strømsheim, Gro; Sigve Kvamme (23 October 2005). "- Ja, vi er kjærester". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). Retrieved 13 February 2008.
15. Slutt mellom Gro Hammerseng og Katja Nyberg.
16. Her kommer Gro Hammerseng og Anja Edin syklende til sitt eget bryllup Archived 2013-08-06 at the Wayback Machine
17. Hammerseng og Edin vil skrive bok sammen
18. Norwegian athletes get legal advice on protest rights Archived 2008-04-24 at the Wayback Machine, Aftenposten, 17 April 2008
19. "Previous DC winners – Women" (in Danish). Danish Handball Association. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
20. "Cup winners history" (in Danish). Danish Handball Association. Archived from the original on 25 April 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2008.

Awards
Preceded by Nadine Krause	IHF World Player of the Year – Women 2007	Succeeded by Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth