Injury ends career of Grit Jurack

A serious shoulder injury forced one of the world´s most prominent female handball players, former German international Grit Jurack, to end her career with immediate effect.

At the end of last season, the 34 year-old right back from Viborg HK suddenly felt a serious pain in her left shoulder. The shoulder did not get any better over the summer and further examinations have shown a serious injury.

In order not to suffer from a permanent pain in the shoulder for the rest of her life Jurack decided, in agreement with her doctors and physiotherapists, to end her career although her contract with Viborg ends only in 2013.

“Considering the shoulder injury the doctors recommended not to go on playing, since this might cause a permanent pain. Obviously I don't want that and therefore I have to stop,” explained Grit Jurack.

“It feels like a kick in the face – without warning! I always said that I would like to choose when I wanted to stop playing but that is exactly what happened now.

"I am very sad because I thought Viborg has a really good team that can win titles this season. I still think they can but unfortunately it will be without me,” she added.

A big loss

Susanne Munk Wilbeck, sports director of Viborg HK, realised that Jurack´s career stop is a serious loss for the team which is trying to qualify for the Women's EHF Champions League and to take back the Danish championship in the upcoming season.

“Grit Jurack is one of the greatest players women’s handball has ever seen," she said.

"Over 20 years she has played at an absolute top level and that is something only few players have achieved. It is obvious that you cannot just replace a player like Grit Jurack. Fortunately we have signed Amanda Kurtovic in whom we have very high hopes." 

She continued: "We saw last year that Pernille Larsen and Johanna Ahlm do well at the right back position and we also have our own U20 international Anne Cecilie la Cour knocking on the door of the league team to get more match practice. So even though it is a huge challenge to play a season without Grit but we still have a lot of quality among our remaining players,” said Wilbek.

Grit Jurack won three EHF Champions League titles with Viborg (2006, 2009, 2010) and played 305 international matches for Germany, scoring 1579 goals.