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Marit Breivik
Marit Breivik
	Marit Breivik as reading ambassador for Nord-Trøndelag county library; Credit: Inga Frøseth Rossing / Nord-Trøndelag fylkesbibliotek, 2013
Personal information
Born	10 April 1955 (age 69); Levanger, Norway
Nationality	Norwegian
Senior clubs
Years	Team
	SK Nessegutten
–	Nordstrand IF
	Skogn IL
National team
Years	Team
1975–1983	Norway
Teams managed
	SK Nessegutten
1988–1992	Byåsen IL
1992–1994	Larvik HK
1994–2009	Norway
Medal record
Women's handball
Representing Norway
Olympic Games
World Championship
European Championship

Marit Breivik (born 10 April 1955) is a Norwegian former handball player and coach. She is one of the most decorated national team coaches in handball history and won thirteen championship medals with the Norwegian women's national handball team during a fifteen-year reign, including the gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, the World Championship in 1999, and the European Championship in 1998, 2004, 2006 and 2008.^[1]^[2] Breivik won three Norwegian national championships and two league titles during her career as a player.^[3] She was capped 140 times and scored 286 goals for the Norwegian national team from 1975 to 1983.^[4]^[5]

Breivik is known for her calm, controlled coaching style, knowledge of the sport and tactical innovations.^[6] She is noted for her philosophy of including the players in the tactical decision-making and considered a pioneer of the tactical move of swapping the goalkeeper for an extra outfield player during attacks.^[6]^[7]

Club career

Breivik began her playing career for local team SK Nessegutten and later played for Nordstrand IF.^[3] During the 1970s and 1980s, she played for Skogn IL, where she won three Norwegian national championships and two league titles.^[3]

International career

Breivik made her debut for the Norwegian national team in 1975, after representing Norway at youth and junior level.^[5] She made 140 appearances and scored 286 goals before retiring from the national team in 1983.^[5]

Coaching career

Breivik began her coaching career for SK Nessegutten, before becoming the coach of Byåsen IL in 1988.^[3] She moved to Larvik HK in 1992 and won the league title in her second year with the club.^[8] Breivik became the head coach for the Norwegian women's national team in 1994.^[1] Over the course of the next fifteen years, she won one Olympic gold and one bronze medal, one World Championship title and two silver medals, four European Championship titles, two silver medals and one bronze medal with the national team.^[9]

In January 2009, Breivik announced her decision to step down as national coach.^[10] Following her departure from the national team, Breivik was appointed at the Olympiatoppen, first as head coach for team sports and later as Deputy Director of Elite Sport and Head of Summer Sports, until her retirement in 2022.^[11]^[12]

Achievements

Olympic Games

1996: 4th
2000: 3rd
2008: 1st

World Championships

1995: 4th
1997: 2nd
1999: 1st
2001: 2nd
2003: 6th
2005: 9th
2007: 2nd

European Championships

1994: 3rd
1996: 2nd
1998: 1st
2000: 6th
2002: 2nd
2004: 1st
2006: 1st
2008: 1st

Awards and recognitions

On 16 March 2009, King Harald V of Norway appointed Breivik Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav for her efforts as a role model in Norwegian sports.^[13]

Personal life

Breivik was born in Levanger. She was married to Niels Hertzberg, the former secretary general of the Norwegian Handball Federation, until his death during a holiday in Brazil on 2 March 2013. The couple had no children, although her husband had a child from a previous marriage.^[4]^[14] Breivik studied at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences and worked as a high school teacher during her playing and early coaching career.^[15]^[8]

Breivik represented the Socialist Left Party in Levanger municipal council from 1987 to 1991, but has stated that she votes Labour in national elections.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b "Expert Column: Marit Breivik on the CL final – part 3". 2006/2007 EHF Women's Champions League. Retrieved 16 December 2007.
^ Norwegian News Agency (30 November 2007). "Fakta om Marit Breivik" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 16 December 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hasselberg, Per Kristian Johansen (29 October 2007). "Marit Breivik". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 12 September 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Lorentzen, Ludvig (6 December 2003). "Storesøster med baller". Bergens Tidende (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 19 December 2003. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Zander, Ines Margot (26 June 2021). "Marits Metode". Dagsavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 12 September 2024.
^ ^a ^b Hoel, Yasmin Sunde; Rismyhr, Kim Peder; Murtnes, Sindre (2 October 2013). "Slik ble Breivik suksesstrener". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 21 September 2024.
^ Hole, Arne (5 August 2016). "Presidentene mener Norden frykter nyvinninger". www.aftenposten.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 11 September 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Suksessrik lagbygger". LederNytt (in Norwegian). 29 March 2009. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
^ "Håndballjentenes plasseringer i mesterskap" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Handball Federation. Retrieved 16 December 2007.
^ "Handball coach Breivik steps down". The Norway Post. Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation & Aftenposten. 27 January 2009. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
^ Nygård, Stig (21 November 2014). "Breivik i ny lederrolle i Olympiatoppen". TV 2 (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 21 September 2024.
^ Gamlemoen, Pål Strande (3 January 2023). "Et glødende engasjement". Aftenposten (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 21 September 2024.
^ "Utnevnelse til St. Olavs Orden" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 6 June 2010.
^ "Niels Hertzberg er død". NRK (in Norwegian). Norwegian News Agency. 2 March 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
^ Bugge, Mette (5 September 2008). "40 år og fortsatt full fart". Aftenposten (in Norwegian). p. 20.