Anja Byrial Hansen

{{short description|Danish handball player (born 1973)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}

{{Infobox handball biography

| name = Anja Byrial Hansen

| image =

| caption =

| nationality = Danish

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|11|01|df=y}}

| birth_place = Horsens, Denmark

| height =

| weight =

| position = Line Player

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Horsens Boldklub

| youthyears2 =

| youthclubs2 = Horsens Håndboldklub

| years1 = 1991

| clubs1 = Ikast fS

| years2 = 1992

| clubs2 = Horsens Håndboldklub

| years3 = 1993–1995

| clubs3 = Ikast fS

| years4 = 1995–1996

| clubs4 = DHG

| years5 = 1996

| clubs5 = GOG Håndbold

| nationalyears1 = 1992–1996

| nationalteam1 = Denmark

| nationalcaps1 = 88

| nationalgoals1 = 112

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport | Women's handball}}

{{MedalCountry | {{DEN}} }}

{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}

{{MedalGold | 1996 Atlanta | Team competition }}

{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}

{{MedalSilver |1993 Norway | }}

{{MedalBronze |1995 Austria and Hungary | }}

{{MedalCompetition|European Championship|Team}}

{{MedalGold| 1994 Germany|Team}}

{{MedalGold| 1996 Denmark|Team}}

}}

Anja Byrial Hansen (born {{Birth date|1973|11|01|df=yes}} in Horsens, Midtjylland) is a former Danish team handball player and Olympic champion. She won a gold medal with the Danish national team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.[http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=24&sp=HAN "1996 Summer Olympics – Atlanta, United States – Handball"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208105249/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=24&sp=HAN |date=2007-12-08 }} – databaseOlympics.com (Retrieved on 25 February 2008) She also won European Championship twice, in 1994 and 1996.

She ended her career prematurely at the age of 23 in order to move to Great Britain with her at the time partner, the football player, Per Pedersen. A decision she has later admitted to regret.{{cite web|url=https://hbold.dk/2023/07/30/anja-byrial-hansen-jeg-fortryder-bittert-at-jeg-stoppede/ |publisher=hbold.dk | access-date=12 January 2024|date=30 July 2023|title=Anja Byrial Hansen: Jeg fortryder bittert at jeg stoppede|language=da}}

After her playing career, she has been U-19 coach for Virum-Sorgenfri HK.{{cite web|url=https://hsfo.dk/sport/anja-byrial-jeg-gik-glip-af-to-ol-guldmedaljer-og-vm-guld|title=Anja Byrial: Jeg gik glip af to OL-guldmedaljer og VM-guld|publisher=Horsens Folkeblad|access-date=12 January 2024|date=16 May 2020|first=Tommy|last=Poulsen|language=DA}}

Anja has four kids; Oliver, Nikoline, Victoria, and Tobias and now lives in Copenhagen.