Record winners and two debutants highlight Women’s EHF EURO 2024

1 — for the first time ever, a final tournament of the Women’s EHF EURO will be played with 24 teams, while the men have been playing in this format since 2020.

1 of the three co-hosts of the Women’s EHF EURO 2024 is a former European champion: Hungary in 2000; Austria won bronze in 1996.

1 player, who will be on the court at the Women’s EHF EURO 2024, tops all in Europe: Norwegian goalkeeper Katrine Lunde is the only player — male and female — with six trophies at the European Championship.

1 player was a three-time top scorer at the Women’s EHF EURO final tournaments: Norwegian Nora Mørk, number one in 2016 in Sweden with 53 goals, in 2020 in Denmark with 52 strikes and in 2022 in Slovenia, Montenegro and North Macedonia with 50 goals. Besides, she is a five-time EHF EURO champion, the same as six other Norwegians.

1 player was elected MVP twice in the history of the Women’s EHF EURO: Gro Hammerseng (Norway) in 2006 and 2008. In 2012, her wife Anja Hammerseng-Edin became MVP.

1 time the EHF EURO top scorer was also awarded MVP — in 2014, Isabelle Gulldén from Sweden.

1 goalkeeper was elected MVP in the Women’s EHF EURO history: Karin Mortensen in 2002, when she won gold with Denmark at home.

1 non-Norwegian belongs to the group of three-time European champions: Danish goalkeeper Lena Rantala.

1 coach was an EHF EURO champion with the men's and women's national teams: Ulrik Wilbek, with the Danish women in 1994 and 1996 and the Danish men in 2008 and 2012.

1 IHF World Player of the Year will be on the court at the EHF EURO 2024: Henny Reistad (Norway/2023). Sandra Toft (Denmark/2021), Andrea Lekic (Serbia/2013), Cristina Neagu (Romania/2010, 2015, 2016, 2018) and Stine Oftedal (Norway/2019) are all missing, with Oftedal having retired from handball this summer and Neagu quitting the Romanian national team.

2 nations only were Women’s EHF EURO champions more than once: Norway with nine trophies and Denmark with three.

2 teams will have their debut at a Women’s EHF EURO final tournament: the Faroe Islands and Türkiye qualified for the first time.

2 nations — record champions Norway and 2018 winners France — have won the entire set of medals in the Women’s EHF EURO history.

2 EHF EURO finals lasted longer than 60 minutes: in 2000, Hungary won 32:30 against Ukraine after overtime, and in 2012 Montenegro needed 80 minutes against Norway until the 34:31 victory was sealed.

2 of the 24 head coaches have won gold medals at the EHF EURO: Thorir Hergeirsson (2010, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2022 with Norway) and Dragan Adžic (2012 with Montenegro). Olivier Krumbholz (2018 with France) resigned after the Olympic Games and Hergeirsson will resign after the EHF EURO 2024.

2 of the 15 Women’s EHF EURO finals were without Scandinavian teams: in 2000, Hungary against Ukraine (32:30) and in 2018 France against Russia (24:21).

3 teams qualify directly from the Women’s EHF EURO 2024 to the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship in Germany and the Netherlands, while 11 more will qualify through play-offs in April 2025. 

3 countries — Austria, Hungary and Switzerland — host a Women's EHF EURO for the second time, after the 2022 edition took place in Slovenia, Montenegro and North Macedonia. While Hungary has already hosted the Women’s EHF EURO 2004 and 2014 (with Croatia) and the Men’s EHF EURO in 2022 (with Slovakia), the other two co-hosts have previously only hosted Men’s EHF EURO tournaments — Switzerland (in 2006) and Austria (in 2010 and later in 2020 with Norway and Sweden). 

3 Women's EHF EURO hosts became European champions on their home ground: Denmark twice (1996 and 2002) and France in 2018. As a co-host, Norway won the trophy in 2010, but the final was played in Denmark (Herning).

4 cities host the Women’s EHF EURO 2024: Vienna (main round, final weekend), Debrecen (preliminary round, main round), Basel and Innsbruck (both preliminary round).

5 different countries have been Women's EHF EURO champions since 1994: Norway (9), Denmark (3), Hungary, Montenegro and France (once each). All of them will also be at the start of the 2024 event.

6 times a Norwegian player was awarded the MVP trophy at the Women's EHF EURO, including Henny Reistad in the previous event in 2022.

9 times (1996, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2022) Norway were Women's EHF EURO champions.

13 medals Norway won in total at Women's EHF EURO events. In addition to nine gold medals, the Scandinavians won three silver and one bronze medals. Norway are ahead of Denmark (6), France (5), followed by Hungary and Russia with four medals each.

13 goals was the biggest difference in a Women's EHF EURO final so far, when Norway beat Spain 34:21 in 2008.

14 countries have won medals at the Women’s European Championship since 1994 and the latest was Croatia in 2020 (bronze). The only one of those countries who is not competing now is Russia (excluded).

16 — the 2024 event in Austria, Hungary and Switzerland is the 16th Women's EHF EURO. Hungary, Denmark, Norway and Germany have been part of all tournaments since 1994.

17 goals scored in a single Women’s EHF EURO match is the current record, netted by Karolina Kudlacz-Gloc for Poland against North Macedonia and by Nathalie Hagman in 2018 for Sweden against Russia.

23 goals was the biggest difference in a Women’s EHF EURO match: Hungary beat Austria 35:12 in 2000, Norway beat Slovenia 41:18 in 2004 and then the same opponents 43:20 in 2006.

28 different countries (including 2024 debutants Faroe Islands and Türkiye) have participated in the Women’s EHF EURO tournaments since 1994.

24 players have won three or more gold medals in the history of the Women’s EHF EURO.

60 matches at the Women’s EHF EURO final tournaments have been played by Katrine Lunde to top this ranking.

72 goals were scored by Hungarian Bojana Radulovics (photographed above) at the EHF EURO 2004 in her home country — the highest number ever at a Women’s EHF EURO.

82 was the highest number of goals scored in a single match in the EHF EURO history, when Hungary beat Yugoslavia 43:39 in 2002.

114 Women’s EHF EURO games were played by Norway in 15 final tournaments (94 victories, six draws, 14 defeats), ahead of Denmark (106), Hungary (100) and Germany (95).

303 EHF EURO goals is the all-time record for male and female tournaments, scored by the Romanian star Cristina Neagu.

2,596 was the highest number of goals at a Women’s EHF EURO tournament and this mark was achieved in 2004 in Hungary. In 2022, 2,492 goals were scored.

14,000 spectators at the EHF EURO 2018 final between France and Russia in the Paris-Bercy arena is the Women’s EHF EURO attendance record.

237,980 fans in the arenas is the attendance record for a Women’s EHF EURO tournament, set in 2018 in France. Previously, the record was 215,752 in 2010 in Denmark and Norway.