Mix of players try to bring back Sweden into the elite

Eight years ago, Sweden secured their most recent medal at the EHF EURO, bronze, after winning five games in the competition. They went on to win just five games in the next three editions combined, and their disappointing performance at the EHF EURO 2020 saw them finish 11th overall.

Some players from that squad are still active in the national team, like back Jamina Roberts, line player Linn Blohm and right wing Nathalie Hagman, and they will be trying to use their experience to bring the Scandinavian side back into the elite, with a supporting cast full of young and hungry players.

Main facts:

• the 11th place in 2020 was their worst finish in the tournament since a 14th-place finish in 2004
• Sweden’s top scorer at the EHF EURO, Isabelle Gulldén, who scored 200 goals in the tournament, retired from international handball at the end of the previous European Championship
• left back Jamina Roberts needs only 22 goals to become the eighth player in Sweden’s history to hit the 500-goal milestone
• Sweden need only 209 goals to become the eighth team in history to score 2,000 goals in the history of the EHF EURO
• the Scandinavian side’s next win will be their 30th in the history of the EHF EURO

Three questions ahead of the Women’s EHF EURO 2022: Will Sweden cope with the loss of Isabelle Gulldén?

In short, it seems so. They had an impressive 2021, finishing fifth at the 2021 IHF Women’s World Championship and fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. In Tokyo they missed a medal by a whisker, with little details and stronger opponents denying their challenge. More importantly, Sweden proved that their ability to regenerate is impressive, with new players consistently coming to the fore through an extensive pipeline of talent.       

Meanwhile the junior side finished fourth at the 2022 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship this summer. Some of that squad could also feature at the EHF EURO, such as back Tyra Axnér, coach Tomas Axnér’s daughter, who played superbly at the Junior World Championship and has a huge handball IQ.

Therefore, Sweden might have been handed a tough draw in a group with Denmark, hosts Slovenia, and Serbia, but they have both the pedigree and the means to progress to the main round and challenge for a medal, especially if they start with three wins in the preliminary round.

Can they improve from 11th place in 2020?

In one word, yes. Sweden disappointed two years ago, when they won a single game from the six they played. Their defence was porous and they conceded at a rate of 27 goals per game. That is not necessarily a very bad number unless it is put against a low attack of just 24.6 goals per game.

It was Sweden’s worst finish at the EHF EURO since 2004, when they ended up in 14th place – but it really looked like a change of generation was going to happen, with a clear distinction between the experienced players ready to end their international career and the young guns who were too raw for such a challenge.

Now, two years later, the chemistry looks better. There are some players that can hardly be left outside the first seven to start the game and the depth is enough to hand some well-deserved rest for the hardest-working players.

Can Jamina Roberts be the leader Sweden need in difficult times?

Sweden have a history of players really starring at the EHF EURO, with Linnea Torstenson being named the MVP in 2010 and Isabelle Gulldén following in her footsteps in 2014. Therefore, there is already a tradition for Sweden backs to have great performances at the EHF EURO and drive the side towards the medals.

Now 32 years old, Jamina Roberts is reaching the peak of her career, highlighted by her inclusion as All-star left back at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Roberts had her best outing in her career in the EHF Champions League Women last season, with 87 goals for IK Sävehof, and has been snatched up by reigning champions Vipers Kristiansand.

Roberts is entering her 12th year in yellow and navy blue, and Sweden’s Handball Player of the Year in 2022 will lead her side into this tournament, where she can tie Gulldén for the highest number of games played at the EHF EURO. She has played 41 games, only six fewer than Gulldén, and a main round berth would enable Roberts to tie her former teammate.

Under the spotlight: Nathalie Hagman

Hagman is the reigning top goal scorer at the IHF Women’s World Championship, having scored 71 goals last December in Spain, and will hope to build on that performance at the EHF EURO, where Sweden need her goals to erase the image delivered two years ago, when they finished 11th.

The right wing often scores high for both the national team and at club level, and she has a very steady hand at penalties, which can always be crucial in tight games, with the teams being quite balanced at the EHF EURO.

Hagman is the joint leader of the top performances in a single game at the EHF EURO, scoring 17 times against Russia in 2018, and can also become the fourth player in Sweden’s history to hit 700 goals, needing only 41 goals to secure this achievement in the next games.

She is also Sweden’s third best scorer at the EHF EURO, with 102 goals scored over five tournaments. Hagman has featured in 35 games already in the tournament, so her experience will likely be crucial for Sweden this time around.

Did you know?

In the all-time medal table, Sweden rank eighth, with a silver and a bronze, tied with the Netherlands. They are one of 14 teams that have won at least one medal at the EHF EURO.

What the numbers say:

2 – Sweden have missed the cut for only two of the EHF EURO editions played so far – in 1998 and 2000, now boasting 11 consecutive tournaments where they have featured prominently.

The heart of the team: Linn Blohm

Blohm’s ascension to stardom has been nothing short of impressive. The Györi Audi ETO KC stalwart was selected in the All-star Team of the EHF Champions League Women in the previous season and was also the Swedish Handball Player of the Year in 2020. Blohm, who is deaf in her left ear but says her performance is not hampered at all by this, is the heart and soul of Sweden, especially in defence, where she features prominently in the centre.

Past achievements:

EHF EURO participations (including 2022): 13
Silver medal (1): 2010
Bronze medal (1): 2014