“It gives me goosebumps straight away”
World champion mother lives out the dream of handball players
November 30, 2023, 8:05 a.m
The handball players have two goals at this world championship: to get as far as possible – and above all to keep their chance at the Olympic Games. This was achieved gloriously 30 years ago. The mother of today’s captain, Emily Bölk, is a world champion and has been to the Olympics twice.
The magical gold night in Oslo, the final drama against Denmark: In the Bölk house they are reminiscing these days. The greatest triumph in German women’s handball history “has actually been a topic at home in the last few weeks,” says Emily Bölk. And smiles. “It would of course be a dream if something were to happen again.”
Shortly before the start of her own World Cup mission, Bölk chats even more than usual with her mom and mentor Andrea, who led the German team to their only major title to date at the World Cup exactly 30 years ago. Now daughter Emily is hoping for similar heights as captain of the current team.
Like Mother like daughter.
(Photo: imago sports photo service)
“The main goal is definitely to qualify for one of the Olympic qualifying tournaments. That means the quarter-finals,” says Bölk, adding “at least”. You can feel: Germany’s most famous handball player finally wants more with the national team after years of maturation. The last time a DHB team took part in the semi-finals was 15 years ago, when they finished fourth at the 2008 European Championships.
“Put your heart on the record”
“We have more quality and more variability in the squad,” says Bölk. The constantly growing international experience of the German team should help. Four players are now earning their money at top foreign clubs, Bölk himself made it to the final with the Hungarian heavyweight Ferencvaros Budapest in the Champions League in the summer.
The 25-year-old is bursting with energy ahead of her eighth tournament with the national team. At the last World and European Championships we finished seventh three times. There is more, Bölk knows. “We will put our hearts on the record,” she promises before the start of the World Cup on Thursday (6 p.m./Sportdeutschland.TV) against Japan.
Bölk’s drive is (also) fed by the stories from home. In addition to the World Cup memories, the Bölks are also rehashing the old Olympic stories these days. Mother Andrea qualified for the summer games with the national team twice (1992 and 1996) – Emily Bölk now wants to achieve this too.
“It gives me goosebumps,” says the backfield player with the hard boom in her right throwing arm. The Olympic Games, for which a German women’s handball team last qualified in 2008, are “simply the greatest thing an athlete can experience.” Now she and her team have it in their own hands to achieve a placement that can make it possible for us. I will do everything I can to make the dream come true.”