– You believed in gold, didn’t you? – VG
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LJUBLJANA (VG) (Denmark – Norway 25–27) Nora Mørk (31) had no faith in Norwegian gold before the championship. When it was in the box, she shone at the victory party.
– It is a discharge. Very fun when it’s on, but it’s nice to let go of the pressure and stress that has been going on for four weeks, says a beamingly satisfied Nora Mørk to VG at the victory banquet after the EC gold in Slovenia.
Pondering, thinking and how to do something better, according to Mørk, took a lot of energy in recent weeks. Just as she mustered the strength to become Norway’s top scorer in the final with eight goals.
– It’s nice to get out of the hotel we’ve been staying in for several weeks, and then I think I really need to let loose a bit and really just enjoy ourselves, she says when asked about what expectations there are for the evening.
Tore Tang was not sung at the golden banquet. Coach Thorir Hergeirsson was mildly impressed by what was sung instead:
But did she really believe in EC gold before it all started?
– No, I didn’t have that, she replied to Viaplay.
In front of VG, the star player, who scored a goal in the EC final against Denmark, elaborates:
– With seven debutants, did you believe in gold? ask Mørk back to VG’s question.
– It is not a given that it will work, even though we knew it could happen. But it is an insane task to take on. It’s really nice that we can do it, she adds.
Mørk was named the final’s best player. She also has a free throw rate of a whopping 96.6 percent (28 goals on 29 attempts) after one game.
She is deeply impressed by how the championship debutants performed during the EC in Slovenia. Marie Davidsen, Thale Rushfeldt Deila, Ragnhild Valle Dahl, Kristina Sirum Novak, Anne Cecilie Høgseth, Sunniva Næs Andersen and Anniken Wollik were all there for the first time in Ljubljana.
– Fantastic. We have some ones there. Today was a tiring battle, but it was a deserved victory in the end.
Norway did not take the lead in the final until 53 minutes had been wasted in the match, and delivered a powerful turnaround against the Danes. The Norwegian girls were mostly down by five goals against the Danes.
– I guess she gained faith (in EC gold) eventually, national team manager Thorir Hergeirsson smiles to VG.
Captain Stine Bredal Oftedal says that she was fully aware that Mørk did not have faith in the gold, which was Norway’s ninth in the EC.
– This does not mean that you do not enter the championship and do not try to win, says Norway’s captain to VG.
– There have been many substitutions, and many factors come into play. We stand up as just that, and the new ones have come in in a great way. Then it is all the more impressive that we take it, Oftedal grins.