Gitte Sunesen

{{Infobox handball biography

| name = Gitte Sunesen

| fullname = Gitte Jensby Sunesen Vilhelmsen

| nationality = Danish

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|12|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Hammel, Denmark

| height = 1.80 m

| position = Goalkeeper

| years1 = 1989–2004

| clubs1 = GOG Svendborg TGI

| nationalyears1 = 1991–2000

| nationalteam1 = Denmark

| nationalcaps1 = 135

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| manageryears1 = 2015–2016

| managerclubs1 = Odense Håndbold (goalkeeping coach)

| manageryears2 = 2017–2019

| managerclubs2 = Odense Håndbold (goalkeeping coach)

| manageryears3 = 2021–

| managerclubs3 = Odense Håndbold (goalkeeping coach)

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry| {{DEN}} }}

}}

Gitte Jensby Sunesen Vilhelmsen (born 11 December 1971) is a former Danish team handball player, Olympic champion and World champion. She received 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=8 December 2007 }} databaseOlympics.com (Retrieved on 12 February 2008) Additionally, She is a two times European Champion; from 1994 and 1996 and World champion from 1997.

Club career

Sunesen played her entire career at Danish club GOG Håndbold. During her career she won the Danish league three times and the Danish Women's Handball Cup two times.{{Cite web|last=Guldbæk Welch|first=Nadia|date=11 December 2021|title='Jernhård lady' fylder 50: 'Det var fantastisk – jeg ser tilbage med stolthed'|url=https://www.bt.dk/haandbold/bts-julekalender-11-december-jernhaard-lady-fylder-50-det-var-fantastisk-jeg-ser|access-date=2024-08-29|website=BT|language=da}} She debuted for the Danish national team in 1991 at the age of 21.

She missed the 2000 Olympics due to a knee injury suffered a month prior to the tournament in a friendly match against Norway.{{Cite web|date=18 August 2000|title=Håndbold: Gitte Sunesen må opgive OL|url=https://jyllands-posten.dk/sport/ECE5079700/H%C3%A5ndbold-Gitte-Sunesen-m%C3%A5-opgive-OL/|access-date=2024-08-29|website=Jyllands-Posten|language=da}} She retired from playing handball in 2003 due to knee injuries.{{Cite web|last=Skjødt Østergaard Pedersen|first=Jan|date=12 August 2023|title=Hvor er de nu? – med Gitte Sunesen|url=https://europamester.dk/hvor-er-de-nu-med-gitte-sunesen|access-date=2024-08-29|website=Håndbold nyheder om dansk og udenlandsk håndbold, VM og EM|language=da}}{{Cite web|last=Weirsøe|first=Frank|date=3 February 2004|title=Endnu en GOG-profil er væk|url=https://www.tv2fyn.dk/fyn/endnu-en-gog-profil-er-vaek|access-date=2024-08-29|website=TV 2 Fyn|language=da}} In 2015 she was hired as goalkeeping coach at Odense Håndbold.{{Cite news|last=Andersen|first=Julie Kjær|date=10 September 2015|title=Gitte Sunesen skal træne målmænd i HC Odense|url=https://fyens.dk/sport/gitte-sunesen-skal-traene-maalmaend-i-hc-odense|access-date=2024-08-29|publisher=Fyens Stiftstidende|website=fyens.dk|language=da}}

Private life

During the last few years of her playing career as well as after her retirement she has worked as a primary school teacher. She is married to fellow handball player Keld Vilhelmsen. Her child Lasse Vilhelmsen is also a handball player.{{Cite web|last=Peter|first=Krogh Frausing|date=10 May 2023|title=Håndboldstjerners søn får lang kontrakt i GOG|url=https://www.tv2fyn.dk/svendborg/haandboldstjerners-soen-faar-lang-kontrakt-i-gog|access-date=2024-08-29|website=TV 2 Fyn|language=da}}