“MY DAD WAS A GOALIE, AND HE WANTED ME TO TRY IT, AND EVER SINCE THEN, I WAS IN LOVE AND JUST KEPT PLAYING.” — E L I NA L I N N E R
ELINA LINNER
GLOBAL HANDBALL PRODIGY AGE: 19
Handball—a sport that contains two teams that throw a ball from outside a goal zone, hoping to get the ball past the goalkeeper. Hailing from Sweden, Elina Linner has brought her love for the sport to the United States. With hopes of joining the US Olympic team, Linner puts everything she has in the game and credits her coach, Juliano de Oliveira, who is always there to support her as she makes her dreams come true.
Q: When did you fall in love with handball? Elina Linner: When I was eight years old, I started playing. My dad was a goalie, and he wanted me to try it, and ever since then, I was in love and just kept playing. Q: What do you do to shake any nerves before a big match? EL: I usually start talking to my dad to help me get motivated. I also put headphones in and listen to music to just forget about it. Q: Which handball players do you admire and look up to? EL: Elizabeth Hartnett who plays for the US National Team; she’s one of my closest friends. Q: What do you feel is your biggest achievement in handball?
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EL: That would probably be when I played in the national team in Auburn, and when I played in Brazil against other national teams. Q: What do you hope to do with handball? EL: For the USA Olympic team, beach handball will be in 2024, and I’m training for that. It has been one of my biggest dreams since I was little. I told my mom she’d one day see me play handball on TV. Q: What’s next for you and handball? EL: Next year is the Pan American Championship for beach handball. If my team places high enough, we will be in the World Championships. Then, we will try to qualify for the Olympics!