"It was tough to follow the girls from home"

Sofia Hvenfelt is back in the national handball team after the knee injury that made her Olympic Games debut end after just 25 minutes. It was incredibly tough, of course. Terrible, she says about the memories from Paris last summer.

» Published:

"It was tough to follow the girls from home"
Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT

Share this article

In just a week, national team captain Tomas Axnér will select the squad for the European Championship in Hungary, Austria, and Switzerland, which starts on November 28.

Therefore, this week's two national team matches against Spain may be extra important for Sofia Hvenfelt. She needs to show that her knee is holding up and that she is ready for the European Championship games.

But I don't see it as do-or-die matches. I'm aware that the national team coaches are also keeping an eye on what I do in the club, and I've managed to play three matches. These national team matches will be important, but there are also more matches that will influence the decision, she says.

"Happy and sad at the same time"

Axnér included Hvenfelt in the squad when he realized that her knee was fully recovered and that she had started playing matches for her German club Ludwigsburg.

She'll get some good training sessions and will play in the matches, then we'll make an assessment of how much, what's best for her in terms of workload. She's a player who's relevant for the championship, he says.

Middle six Sofia Hvenfelt got to play in the Olympic Games premiere against Norway last summer. After 25 minutes, a Norwegian player fell over her knee, and that was the end of the Olympic Games.

It was incredibly tough, of course. Frightening. At the same time, I tried to find positive things – being proud and happy about getting my Olympic debut, playing the first match, and being part of the win over Norway. Injuries happen, and sometimes they come at bad times, she says about what she herself calls crisis management of the injury.

I was then quite grateful that it was "only" a ligament that was injured. So, there were many emotions – tough and grateful and sad and happy at the same time. It was tough to follow the girls from home, but I also thought they did a great job, which was uplifting.

Will resemble the Olympic team

The national handball team meets Spain in Eskilstuna tonight and in Gävle on Saturday. Already next week, Axnér will select the European Championship squad. This week's matches will thus be the only ones before the European Championship selection, but it's not something that has any greater significance for Axnér, since it wasn't so long ago that the national team played a championship – the Olympic Games in Paris, where they finished fourth.

Moreover, all players are motivated to continue in the national team. And the basics are in place, he says.

The European Championship squad will therefore likely be quite similar to the Olympic team.

Corrected: In an earlier version, Sofia Hvenfelt's last name was misspelled.

Born: April 23, 1996.

Position: Middle six.

Clubs: Nödinge SK –2012, Önnered 2012–2016, H65 Höör 2016–2020, Copenhagen 2020–2023, Ludwigsburg 2023–.

National team matches/goals: 30/36 (debut 2018).

Championships: World Championship 2023, Olympic Games 2024.

Tags

Author

TTT
By TTEnglish edition by Sweden Herald, adapted for local and international readers

More news

Armand Duplantis Pursues World Record in Tokyo Pole Vault Final

Armand Duplantis Pursues World Record in Tokyo Pole Vault Final

Mikko Kokkonen Suspended Two Games for Cross-Checking Incident

Mikko Kokkonen Suspended Two Games for Cross-Checking Incident

Duplantis Considered Changing Name to Mondo but Family Intervened

Duplantis Considered Changing Name to Mondo but Family Intervened

Andreas Almgren Aims for World Championship Medal in Tokyo

Andreas Almgren Aims for World Championship Medal in Tokyo

Rebecka Hallerth Narrowly Misses Hammer Throw Final at World Championships

Rebecka Hallerth Narrowly Misses Hammer Throw Final at World Championships

Samuel Pihlström Advances to Semifinals Amid Protest Drama at Tokyo Championship

Samuel Pihlström Advances to Semifinals Amid Protest Drama at Tokyo Championship

Luleå Dominates SHL Opener with Record Goal and Eriksson Hat-Trick

Luleå Dominates SHL Opener with Record Goal and Eriksson Hat-Trick

Swedish Talent Lucas Bergvall Shines with Goal and Assist in Premier League

Swedish Talent Lucas Bergvall Shines with Goal and Assist in Premier League

Norén Leads at PGA Championship as Åberg Slips to Sixth

Norén Leads at PGA Championship as Åberg Slips to Sixth

Nicklas Bäckström Reflects on Brynäs Return Despite 4-7 Loss to Växjö

Nicklas Bäckström Reflects on Brynäs Return Despite 4-7 Loss to Växjö

Gudmundsson's Last-Minute Own Goal Costs Leeds Against Fulham

Gudmundsson's Last-Minute Own Goal Costs Leeds Against Fulham

Örebro Ends 314-Day Winless Streak with Victory Over Östersund

Örebro Ends 314-Day Winless Streak with Victory Over Östersund

Djurgården's Quick Goals Secure SHL Comeback Win Over Skellefteå

Djurgården's Quick Goals Secure SHL Comeback Win Over Skellefteå

New Frölunda Coach Robert Ohlsson Wins Debut Against Linköping 2-1

New Frölunda Coach Robert Ohlsson Wins Debut Against Linköping 2-1

Nicklas Bäckström's Disappointing SHL Return: Brynäs Falls to Växjö

Nicklas Bäckström's Disappointing SHL Return: Brynäs Falls to Växjö

Mjällby Extends Lead Over Hammarby in Allsvenskan Title Race

Mjällby Extends Lead Over Hammarby in Allsvenskan Title Race

Cycling Drama at Vuelta as Protesters Disrupt Mountain Stage

Cycling Drama at Vuelta as Protesters Disrupt Mountain Stage

Hammarby's Smilla Holmberg Shines in 3-0 Victory Over Linköping

Hammarby's Smilla Holmberg Shines in 3-0 Victory Over Linköping

Belgium Nears Upset Against Australia in Davis Cup Tennis

Belgium Nears Upset Against Australia in Davis Cup Tennis

Jenny Rissveds Wins First World Championship Gold in Mountain Biking

Jenny Rissveds Wins First World Championship Gold in Mountain Biking