Þórir Hergeirsson

Þórir Hergeirsson
Þórir Hergeirsson
	Þórir in 2015
Personal information
Born	27 April 1964 (age 60); Selfoss, Iceland
Nationality	Icelandic
Senior clubs
Years	Team
–1986	Selfoss
Teams managed
1989–1994	Elverum
1995–1997	Gjerpen
1999–2001	Nærbø
2001–2009	Norway (women) [assistant]
2009–2024	Norway (women)
Medal record
Women's handball
Representing Norway
Olympic Games
World Championship
European Championship

Þórir Hergeirsson (Norwegian: Thorir Hergeirsson) (born 27 April 1964) is an Icelandic handball coach and former player. He is one of the most decorated national team coaches in handball history and won seventeen championship medals with the Norwegian women's national team during a fifteen-year reign, including two Olympic gold medals, three World Championships titles and six European Championships titles.^[1] Þórir coached clubs Elverum, Gjerpen and Nærbø, before becoming the assistant coach of the Norwegian national team in 2001 and succeeding Marit Breivik as head coach in 2009. He stepped down from the national team in December 2024.

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Born on 27 April 1964,^[2] Þórir was born and raised in Selfoss.^[3]^[4]

Þórir played for Selfoss handball team until 1986, when he moved to Norway to study at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. He continued playing for a short while in Norway before fully focusing on his coaching career.^[5]

Þórir's first coaching experience was with Selfoss junior teams. Shortly after moving to Oslo in 1986 to further his education he was hired as the head coach of Elverum men's team.^[5] He later coached at Gjerpen Håndball and Nærbø IL.^[6]^[7]

Þórir has been part of the Norway national coaching team since 2001,^[5] and took over as head coach in April 2009,^[8]^[9] succeeding former head coach Marit Breivik.^[10]

He led the Norwegian team to bronze medals at the 2009 World Women's Handball Championship, gold medals at the 2010 European Women's Handball Championship, gold medals at the 2011 World Women's Handball Championship, and gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics.^[2]

In August 2016, he won Bronze with Norway at the 2016 Summer Olympics.^[11] In December 2016, he guided the team to gold at the 2016 European Women's Handball Championship despite losing his mother the day before the tournament started.^[12]

Þórir has been awarded the title Norwegian Sports Coach of the Year at Idrettsgallaen twice. His first win in 2007 was shared with Marit Breivik. In 2023, he won the award again.^[2]

In September 2024, Þórir announced that the current season would be his last as head coach of the national team.^[13]

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Olympic Games

2012 – 1st
2016 – 3rd
2020 – 3rd
2024 – 1st

World Championship

2009 – 3rd
2011 – 1st
2013 – 5th
2015 – 1st
2017 – 2nd
2019 – 4th
2021 – 1st
2023 – 2nd

European Championship

2010 – 1st
2012 – 2nd
2014 – 1st
2016 – 1st
2018 – 5th
2020 – 1st
2022 – 1st
2024 – 1st

Þórir's daughter Maria Thorisdottir is a Norwegian international footballer.^[14] Þórir's brother is Grímur Hergeirsson, himself a handball coach and former player.^[15]^[16]

He is the uncle of the Icelandic national team player Janus Daði Smárason.^[17]

On 21 March 2017, Þórir was made a Knight 1st Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit.^[18]

[1]
"Thorir Hergeirsson – Profile" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Handball Federation. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
[2]
Askheim, Svein; Bryhn, Rolf; Aune, Thomas (26 March 2024). "Thorir Hergeirsson". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
[3]
Sigurður Elvar Þórólfsson (6 December 2011). "Þórir Hergeirsson: Mun syngja báða þjóðsöngvana". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 8 August 2021.
[4]
Ívar Benediktsson (22 December 2014). "Eitt stórt ævintýri frá fyrsta degi framt il þess síðasta". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 8 August 2021.
[5]
"Sigurinn á EM toppurinn á ferlinum". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). 26 March 2005. p. 34. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
[6]
Andresen, Svein (16 April 2009). "Thorir Hergeirsson ny sjef for Håndballjentene" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Handball Federation. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
[7]
Larsen, Jan-Erik (16 April 2009). "Hergeirsson overtar etter Breivik". Stavanger Aftenblad (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
[8]
Sigurður Elvar Þórólfsson (17 April 2009). "Ég er stoltur og þakklátur". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). p. 1C. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
[9]
Valur Páll Eiríksson (8 August 2021). "Þórir hlaut tólftu verðlaunin sem þjálfari Noregs". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 8 August 2021.
[10]
"Ny sjef, gammel oppskrift". Stavanger Aftenblad (in Norwegian). NTB. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
[11]
Sindri Sverrisson (22 August 2016). "Sveitamennska af Suðurlandi". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). p. 2. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
[12]
"Missti móður sína degi fyrir mótið". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 19 December 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
[13]
Bryne, Lars (9 September 2024). "Hergeirsson ferdig som landslagssjef – hylles av Herrem". nrk.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 9 September 2024.
[14]
Opsal, Signe; Fossum, Øystein (6 March 2015). "Islandske Maria Thorisdottir (22) debuterte mot Island" (in Norwegian Bokmål). NRK. Norwegian News Agency. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
[15]
Ívar Benediktsson (22 August 2021). "Molakaffi: Þórir í nýju hlutverki á Selfossi, Grímur með ÍBV, Bjarki, Aron, de Vargas". Handbolti.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 August 2021.
[16]
"Lögreglustjórinn er kominn á bekkinn". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 23 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
[17]
"Verður heima í desember í fyrsta sinn síðan 2000 - RÚV.is". 3 November 2022.
[18]
Otterdal, Øystein; Kalstad, Lise Marit (22 March 2017). "Nå kan Thorir Hergeirsson kalle seg "ridder"" (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 2 June 2017.

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Þórir Hergeirsson at Olympics.com

Þórir Hergeirsson at Olympedia

[nhf-profile-1] [1]
"Thorir Hergeirsson – Profile" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Handball Federation. Retrieved 17 April 2009.

[snl-2] [2]
Askheim, Svein; Bryhn, Rolf; Aune, Thomas (26 March 2024). "Thorir Hergeirsson". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 25 May 2024.

[3] [3]
Sigurður Elvar Þórólfsson (6 December 2011). "Þórir Hergeirsson: Mun syngja báða þjóðsöngvana". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 8 August 2021.

[4] [4]
Ívar Benediktsson (22 December 2014). "Eitt stórt ævintýri frá fyrsta degi framt il þess síðasta". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 8 August 2021.

[fb-2005-5] [5]
"Sigurinn á EM toppurinn á ferlinum". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). 26 March 2005. p. 34. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

[nhf-6] [6]
Andresen, Svein (16 April 2009). "Thorir Hergeirsson ny sjef for Håndballjentene" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Handball Federation. Retrieved 17 April 2009.

[sa-16-4-2009-7] [7]
Larsen, Jan-Erik (16 April 2009). "Hergeirsson overtar etter Breivik". Stavanger Aftenblad (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 21 April 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2009.

[8] [8]
Sigurður Elvar Þórólfsson (17 April 2009). "Ég er stoltur og þakklátur". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). p. 1C. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

[9] [9]
Valur Páll Eiríksson (8 August 2021). "Þórir hlaut tólftu verðlaunin sem þjálfari Noregs". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 8 August 2021.

[sa-17-4-2009-10] [10]
"Ny sjef, gammel oppskrift". Stavanger Aftenblad (in Norwegian). NTB. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 20 April 2009. Retrieved 17 April 2009.

[11] [11]
Sindri Sverrisson (22 August 2016). "Sveitamennska af Suðurlandi". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). p. 2. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

[12] [12]
"Missti móður sína degi fyrir mótið". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 19 December 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

[13] [13]
Bryne, Lars (9 September 2024). "Hergeirsson ferdig som landslagssjef – hylles av Herrem". nrk.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 9 September 2024.

[14] [14]
Opsal, Signe; Fossum, Øystein (6 March 2015). "Islandske Maria Thorisdottir (22) debuterte mot Island" (in Norwegian Bokmål). NRK. Norwegian News Agency. Retrieved 7 March 2015.

[15] [15]
Ívar Benediktsson (22 August 2021). "Molakaffi: Þórir í nýju hlutverki á Selfossi, Grímur með ÍBV, Bjarki, Aron, de Vargas". Handbolti.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 23 August 2021.

[16] [16]
"Lögreglustjórinn er kominn á bekkinn". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 23 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.

[17] [17]
"Verður heima í desember í fyrsta sinn síðan 2000 - RÚV.is". 3 November 2022.

[18] [18]
Otterdal, Øystein; Kalstad, Lise Marit (22 March 2017). "Nå kan Thorir Hergeirsson kalle seg "ridder"" (in Norwegian). NRK. Retrieved 2 June 2017.

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Þórir Hergeirsson

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Early life

Playing career

Coaching career

Achievements

Personal life

References

External links