Nora Mørk is one of the greatest talents in international handball. Aged only 20 and she is already one of the key players at Larvik HK. In 2010 she led the Norwegian team to Gold at the Juniors World Championship and became member of the All Star Team, four months later she celebrated Gold with Norway at the Women’s EHF EURO.
In her second EHF Champions League season she’s aiming high with Larvik, after she scored the impressive amount of 58 goals in the last season. Currently the personal record of left-handed Mørk is 39 goals, including nine each in the victories against Vâlcea and the 26:24 in Leipzig in their Main Round opener last weekend.
Before their second Main Round match against Dinamo Volgograd, Mørk talked to ehfCL.com about her ambitions and her role in this outstanding team.
ehfCL.com: What does it mean to you to play in the EHF Champions League?
Nora Mørk: It has always been my dream to be a part of the EHF Champions League. It is a great experience for me to play in so many countries, even when the travelling sometimes becomes exhausting. Last season we played excellently and reached the semi-final, but there we had to face the toughest possible opponent – Viborg HK.
This season we have won all of our matches, except the one in Vâlcea, so we have done really well. But we have to be alert to all the skilled opponents left in the competition. Last Saturday in Leipzig we did not perform on our highest level, we can really play better – which is what we want to prove against Dinamo this weekend.
ehfCL.com: Dinamo are known for their strong defence – will it be a tough fight in Larvik?
Nora Mørk: We need those two points and therefore absolutely hope to get them. It is never easy to play in the EHF Champions League and Dinamo is a great team, who lost with only two goals difference against Győr. But we are still unbeaten on home ground this season, and we are planning on continuing this series.
ehfCL.com: This season Larvik are one of the big favourites for the EHF Champions League title. Does this put you under particular pressure?
Nora Mørk: I have been playing for Larvik since two years and every match – both in the Norwegian league and in European competitions – means pressure for us. But we have a great team, and frankly, it sounds great when a lot of people expect a lot from our team. I like to play under pressure. And I also believe that we play better in EHF Champions League than in the Norwegian league, as we improve when the opponents are stronger.
ehfCL.com: What is your role in this team of super stars?
Nora Mørk: I try to be me and do my thing on the court, as I do not stand under as much pressure as the more experienced players in our team. So far I have played a great season and really like to be a part of this great team. As people expect more from other players I have space to develop. So I am excited but still relaxed and enjoy every minute on the court.
ehfCL.com: How important for your development is it to have team-mates like Gro Hammerseng or Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth?
Nora Mørk: That is great. Especially Gro takes care of everyone in the team, it is so great to be in her team, as she is natural and a friend of everyone. And what is absolutely important: she shares her experience with everybody. I have learned a lot from her, the same as from Linka Riegelhuth, one of the best players in the world, she also looks after the younger players.
ehfCL.com: This season you already won Gold at the Juniors World Championship and the EHF EURO, and you took the Norwegian cup title. So only two titles – the Norwegian championship and the EHF Champions League – are left to win for Larvik. What trophies do you think that you will raise?
Nora Mørk: We are an ambitious team and we want to win them all. Everybody expects us to win the Norwegian title, but winning the EHF Champion League is not that easy. It is a long way to raise the trophy, but we want to go the whole way. Teams like Vâlcea, Győr and Budućnost have the same ambitions, and this season it is really open. But we do have the potential to win the EHF Champion League title. If we play at our best, it is not easy for any other team to beat us.
The Round 2 match between last season’s EHF Champions League semi-finalists Larvik and Dinamo will be broadcast as a free-of-charge live web stream on ehfTV.com.
EHF Women’s Champions League, Main Round Group 2, Round 2
Saturday, 12 February 2011, 17:45 hrs (local time)
Larvik HK (NOR) vs. Dinamo Volgograd (RUS)
ehfTV.com is the official Internet TV platform of the European Handball Federation and offers free live streaming as well as a video on demand service.