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Linda Medalen

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Linda Medalen
Personal information
Full name Linda Medalen
Date of birth (1965-06-17)17 June 1965(age 59)
Place of birth Sandnes,Norway
Height 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Forward,midfielder,defender
Youth career
IL Brodd
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1981–1986 Viking FK
1987–1992 Asker
1992–1998 Nikko Securities
1994 →Klepp IL(loan)
1997 →Asker(loan)
1998–2001 Asker
2003 Asker
2006 Asker
International career‡
1987–1999 Norway 152 (64)
Medal record
Women'sfootball
RepresentingNorway
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1996 Atlanta Team
World Cup
Gold medal – first place Sweden 1995 Team
Silver medal – second place China 1991 Team
European Championship
Gold medal – first place Italy 1993 Team
Silver medal – second place Denmark 1991 Team
Silver medal – second place Germany 1989 Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:07, 29 January 2022 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 12:07, 29 January 2022 (UTC)

Linda Medalen(born 17 June 1965) is a formerNorwegianfootballer.She is one of Norway's most celebrated former footballers, finishing her international career with 152caps,scoring 64 goals.[1]She was on theNorway teamthat won the1995 FIFA Women's World Cup.

She played most of her career in Norway withAsker Fotball,and retired in 2006, at 41 years old. She also spent seven seasons in Japan withNikko.She started her career as astriker,but as her career progressed, she moved further back on the field, and was playing toward the end of her career in central defence.

Apart from playing football, Medalen worked as apoliceofficer. In 2007, she was elected to serve as a local politician inAskermunicipality council for theConservative Party.[2]Medalen is openlylesbian,coming out in aSe og Hørarticle in June 1999.[3]On 16 June 2012, Medalen married Trude Flan.[4]She stands at1.67 m (5 ft5+1⁄2in).

Club career

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In August 2000 Medalen revealed that she was considering an approach from theWomen's United Soccer Association(WUSA), following contact from the nascent American professional league's vice president of playing personnelLauren Gregg.[5]

Medalen wassent-offathalf-timein the 2001 Norwegian Women's Cup final, for slapping awayGøril Kringen's hand during a disagreement.[6]The disappointment from Asker's 3–2 defeat was compounded as the final was intended to be Medalen's farewell appearance before her retirement from football.[7]In the2003 ToppserienMedalen returned to Asker as a player-coach.[8]In 2006 41-year-old Medalen made another playing comeback and was selected for Asker's 3–2 Norwegian Women's Cup final defeat byRøa IL.[9]

International career

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Medalen made her debut for theNorway women's national football teamon 7 October 1987, in a 1–01989 European Competition for Women's Football qualifyingdefeat byDenmark women's national football teamat theUllevaal Stadion.[10]

At the1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament,Medalen scored her first two national team goals in her fourth appearance; Norway's opening 4–0 win overThailandinJiangmen.She scored again in a 3–0 win overAustralia,then scored the only goal in the final win overSwedenat theTianhe StadiuminGuangzhou.Medalen was named to the tournament All-Star team.[11]

Norway rebounded from their qualifying defeat by Denmark to qualify for the1989 European Competition for Women's Footballtournament. Medalen's first-minute goal in the 2–1 semi-final win over Sweden helped set up a final meeting with theWest German hostsinOsnabrück,but reigning European champions Norway were beaten 4–1.

AtUEFA Women's Euro 1991,Medalen's Norway reached the final again but were beaten by Germany, this time 3–1 afterextra-time.This placing secured qualification for the inaugural1991 FIFA Women's World Cupin China. Medalen scored six goals, including two in the semi-final win over Sweden and an equaliser in the 2–1finaldefeat by theUnited States.She was awarded FIFA's "Bronze Ball" as the tournament's third best player.

In Norway's openingUEFA Women's Euro 1993 qualifyingfixture, Medalen scored four times in a 10–0 win overSwitzerland.At theUEFA Women's Euro 1993final tournament Norway recaptured their European title, beating hostsItaly1–0 in the final. InUEFA Women's Euro 1995Norway missed out on a fifth successive final appearance, being eliminated in the semi-finals by Sweden, 7–5 onaggregate,despite Medalen's second-leg goal inJönköping.

Medalen was an important player in the Norway team which won the1995 FIFA Women's World Cupin Sweden.

At the1999 FIFA Women's World Cupin the United States, Medalen was Norway'scaptain.She also had a new role as a central defender, having struggled to adapt to incoming coachPer-Mathias Høgmo's possession-based tactics for his forwards.[12]

Medalen felt she had sufficiently recovered from a ligament injury to participate at the2000 Summer Olympics.She was disappointed when Høgmo disagreed and left her out.[13]She was also disappointed at the withdrawal of herNorwegian Football Federationcentral contract worth 3500kr per month: "it was like getting a knife in the back".[14]

Personal life

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Medalencame outas alesbianin an interview with theSe og Hørgossip magazinein 1999, declaring: "I love a girl, it's not worse".[15]She brought her partner Kristin Bitnes to that year's FIFA Women's World Cup in the United States, but the couple separated after eight years together in 2006.[16]Medalen was part of an exceptionally strong Norwegian women's football selection at the2002 Gay Gamesin Sydney.[17]Medalen met dance instructor Trude Flan in 2010 and the two weremarriedtwo years later. Medalen announced their separation in January 2022.[18]

In 1997 Medalen posed with a carefully-positionedfootballforsemi-nudephotographs inSe og Hør.It has been reported as evidence ofsexismthat Medalen earned 70000kr for the photographs but stood to earn only 27500kr if she had won that year's UEFA Women's Championship with Norway.[19][20]Her cousinRune Medalenplayed football forTippeligaenclubsBryne FKandViking FK.[21]

In 2020 Medalen participated in the "Mesternes mester" (English:master of masters)reality televisionprogramme, screened onNRK.[22]In 2011 she had appeared in another reality television series,71 Degrees North.TVNorgeapologised to Medalen after broadcasting images of hertoplesswithout her consent.[23]

During her football career, Medalen was relatively outspoken.[24]She enjoyed Norway's rivalry with the United States team, frequently exchanging "trash-talk"with her friendMichelle Akers.[25]While her habit of scoring important goals against neighbours Sweden saw Medalen ruefullynicknamed"Svenskdöderskan" (English:the Swede killer) in Sweden.[7]

Career statistics

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International goals

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No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 1 June 1988 Jiangmen,China Thailand ?–0 4–0 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament
2. ?–0
3. 6 June 1998 Australia ?–0 3–0
4. 12 June 1988 Guangzhou,China Sweden 1–0 1–0
5. 21 August 1988 Klepp,Norway England 1–0 2–0 1989 European Competition for Women's Football qualifying
6. 28 June 1989 Lüdenscheid,Germany Sweden 1–0 2–1 1989 European Competition for Women's Football
7. 27 May 1990 Klepp, Norway England 1–0 2–0 UEFA Women's Euro 1991 qualifying
8. 29 September 1991 Aarau,Switzerland Switzerland 1–0 10–0 UEFA Women's Euro 1993 qualifying
9. 4–0
10. 5–0
11. 9–0
12. 19 November 1991 Guangzhou, China New Zealand 2–0 4–0 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup
13. 3–0
14. 21 November 1991 Denmark 2–1 2–1
15. 27 November 1991 Sweden 2–1 4–1
16. 4–1
17. 30 November 1991 United States 1–1 1–2
18. 1 June 1993 Borås,Sweden Sweden 2–2 2–4 Friendly
19. 16 October 1993 Bergen,Norway Hungary 8–0 8–0 UEFA Women's Euro 1995 qualifying
20. 18 March 1994 Vila Real de Santo António,Portugal Denmark 3–1 6–1 1994 Algarve Cup
21. 4 September 1994 Oslo,Norway Finland 4–0 4–0 UEFA Women's Euro 1995 qualifying
22. 24 September 1994 Prague,Czech Republic Czech Republic 3–0 8–0
23. 5–0
24. 4 March 1995 Jönköping,Sweden Sweden 1–0 1–4 UEFA Women's Euro 1995
25. 16 March 1995 Quarteira,Portugal Italy ?–? 3–1 1995 Algarve Cup
26. 17 March 1995 Portimão,Portugal Sweden 1–0 2–0
27. 6 June 1995 Karlstad,Sweden Nigeria 5–0 8–0 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup
28. 13 June 1995 Denmark 2–0 3–1
29. 19 September 1995 Ulefoss,Norway Slovakia 1–0 17–0 UEFA Women's Euro 1997 qualifying
30. 8–0
31. 9–0
32. 2 May 1996 Jena,Germany Germany 3–1 3–1
33. 6 July 1996 Kolbotn,Norway Finland 2–0 7–0
34. 6–0
35. 7–0
36. 21 July 1996 Washington, D.C.,United States Brazil 1–0 2–2 1996 Summer Olympics
37. 23 July 1996 Germany 2–1 3–2
38. 25 July 1996 Japan 2–0 4–0
39. 28 July 1996 Athens,United States United States 1–0 1–2 (a.e.t.)
40. 21 March 1998 Loulé,Portugal Denmark 4–0 4–1 1998 Algarve Cup
41. 16 March 1999 Quarteira, Portugal Sweden 1–0 2–1 1999 Algarve Cup
42. 23 June 1999 Landover,United States Canada 5–1 7–1 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup

Honours

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[26]

Asker
Nikko
Norway

References

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  1. ^"FIFA".Archived fromthe originalon 29 July 2012.
  2. ^Brevik, Christian (11 September 2007)."Disse er klare for Asker kommunestyre".Asker og Bærums Budstikke(in Norwegian). Archived fromthe originalon 17 September 2007.Retrieved20 September2007.
  3. ^Langholm, Dag (30 June 1999)."Linda står frem som lesbisk".Verdens Gang(in Norwegian).Retrieved20 September2007.
  4. ^Hagen, Per Erik (16 June 2012)."Giftet seg borgerlig på kirketrappen".Budstikka(in Norwegian).Retrieved8 April2014.
  5. ^Johannesen, Henriette (25 August 2000)."700.000 i årslønn skal få fotballjenter til USA"(in Norwegian).Stavanger Aftenblad.Retrieved29 January2022.
  6. ^Thoresen, Arne (4 November 2001)."- Tragisk for meg og laget"(in Norwegian).Dagbladet.Retrieved29 January2022.
  7. ^ab"Linda Medalen utvisad i avskedsmatch"(in Swedish). Damfotboll.com. 8 November 2001.Retrieved29 January2022.
  8. ^"Medalen tilbake på banen"(in Norwegian).Verdens Gang.24 March 2003.Retrieved29 January2022.
  9. ^Sandven, Arild (10 November 2006)."2001: Utvist i pausen - la opp 2006: 41 år og finaleklar igjen"(in Norwegian).Aftenposten.Retrieved29 January2022.
  10. ^"Medalen Linda".FIFA.Archived fromthe originalon 6 October 2000.Retrieved29 January2022.
  11. ^Lewis, Tom (13 January 2011)."Women's FIFA Invitational Tournament 1988".RSSSF.Retrieved29 January2022.
  12. ^Springer, Shira (20 June 1999)."Norway's star does it her way".The Boston Globe.Retrieved29 January2022.
  13. ^Lien, Marius; Johnsen, Lars."08 Gullrekka"(in Norwegian). Josimar.Retrieved29 January2022.
  14. ^Thoresen, Arne (27 September 2000)."Linda fratatt lønna av NFF"(in Norwegian).Dagbladet.Retrieved29 January2022.
  15. ^Berntsen, Per Angell; Thoresen, Arne (1 July 1999).""Jeg orker ikke leve i skjul lenger""(in Norwegian).Dagbladet.Retrieved29 January2022.
  16. ^Haugtrø, Kjersti (4 April 2006)."Brudd med samboeren"(in Norwegian).Se og Hør.Retrieved29 January2022.
  17. ^"Lesbe-landslaget!"(in Norwegian).VG.3 May 2002.Archivedfrom the original on 3 October 2015.Retrieved23 September2014.
  18. ^Eriksson, Emma Cecilia (11 January 2022)."Avslører brudd"(in Norwegian).Dagbladet.Retrieved29 January2022.
  19. ^von der Lippe, Gerd (19 April 1999)."Det postmoderne kjønnssleppet"(in Norwegian).Dagbladet.Retrieved29 January2022.
  20. ^Hestad, Kari Mathilde (3 January 2007)."Kvinnelege idrettsutøvarar usynleggjorde i media"(in Norwegian). ABC Nyheter.Retrieved29 January2022.
  21. ^Sjem, Sturla (12 March 1994). "Effektive Viking".VG(in Norwegian). p. 41.
  22. ^Vinje, Marianne (10 August 2020)."Linda Medalen klar for" Mesternes mester ""(in Norwegian).Budstikka.Retrieved29 January2022.
  23. ^Ekker, Bjørn (5 April 2011)."- TVNorge-sjefen ringte og beklaget"(in Norwegian).Se og Hør.Retrieved29 January2022.
  24. ^Caparaz, Dean (22 June 1999)."Women's World Cup '99 Preview: Medalen aims at U.S."Soccer America.Retrieved29 January2022.
  25. ^Jones, Grahame L. (16 June 1999)."U.S. Takes Aim at Top of the World".Los Angeles Times.Retrieved29 January2022.
  26. ^"FIFA World Star Team".Women Soccer. Archived fromthe originalon 26 May 2008.Retrieved29 January2022.
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