A fifth final for a record-setting performance: Mikkel Hansen is ready for France at Poland/Sweden 2023

28 Jan. 2023

A fifth final for a record-setting performance: Mikkel Hansen is ready for France at Poland/Sweden 2023

Take a look through Mikkel Hansen's resume with two titles at the IHF Men's World Championship, one title each at the Olympic Games and the EHF EURO, a plethora of MVP trophies and an appearance in the All-Star team at eight major international competitions, and the question comes quite easily.

How does a stalwart like Hansen, one of the best-ever handball players in history, keep the bar so high? Why is he still motivated after winning every competition he played in with Denmark? What makes him tick to give everything repeatedly, as he has done in 251 international matches for the Scandinavian side?

Well, the answer is simple enough. Nothing too complicated, just like one of Hansen's trademark piercing shots that leaves the opponents shocked and goalkeepers picking the ball out of the net.

"Obviously, I think it's the joy of playing handball. Now we also have some young guys who are performing at a very high level, very impressive, I would say, young players who understand the game of handball," says Hansen.

The 35-year-old left back has dazzled time and time again since making his debut at the IHF Men's World Championship in 2009, Poland/Sweden 2023 being the eighth consecutive edition he takes part in.

He made it to the All-Star team two times, at Sweden 2011 and Egypt 2021, was the MVP of the competition three times, in 2013, 2019 and 2021 and the top goal scorer of the IHF Men's World Championship in 2011 and 2019. Incredible numbers for a player, even if he is Mikkel Hansen and plays for one of the teams that have dominated the world handball flagship competition in emphatic fashion.

With over 300 goals scored at the IHF Men's World Championship, the Danish left back is also the all-time top scorer of the competition, the only player in history to have reached this milestone.

But now Hansen can also become one of the players that win the competition three times in a row, alongside his teammates who have been there for the whole journey. At Poland/Sweden 2023, Denmark broke the record for the longest streak of unbeaten matches at the World Championship, currently sitting at 27 matches, with 25 wins and two draws.

The last time Denmark lost a match was in the Round of 16 at France 2017. Since then, the Scandinavian powerhouse have totally dominated their opponents and now they can be the first team in history to three-peat and win three titles in a row at the IHF Men's World Championship.

"This situation we find ourselves in is something that you can only dream about when you are a kid. You run around in the garden. You play with your dad, mom and siblings. This is what you are dreaming about," says Hansen.

"You dream about representing your country at the major tournaments. Now we are going to enjoy this. It will be a huge experience. For the third time in a final, we will do whatever we can to win it."

While the gold medal here in this championship is definitely the dream for Hansen and Denmark, the Scandinavian side has also checked one box at Poland/Sweden 2023, which was qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The winner at Poland/Sweden 2023 is automatically qualified for Paris 2024. Still, with France making it to the final and being awarded a place in the 12-team tournament as the host country, the other finalists are surely going to the Olympic Games.

Therefore, Denmark will have another shot at the Olympic gold medal which evaded them at Tokyo 2020 after losing the final against France, which sets up the final at Poland/Sweden 2023 for a showdown, an angle where Denmark can avenge that painful loss.

"For now, the goal is to win here. Of course it is a nice bonus after winning the semi-final here against Spain, but we are only focused on the task at hand, which is to lift the trophy and win the final," adds Hansen.

The 35-year-old left back, who returned to Denmark last summer, featuring at club level for Aalborg Håndbold, will be instrumental in the Scandinavian's side eventual success in the last act of the competition.

The final of the IHF Men's World Championship is the place where Hansen thrives, where the spotlight is on him. The one at Poland/Sweden 2023 will be the fifth in his career, losing the first two – at Sweden 2011 and Spain 2013 – and winning the last two, at Denmark/Germany 2019 and Egypt 2021.

Except for the one in 2013, where Denmark were clearly dominated by Spain, losing by six goals, Hansen has truly shone in the others, being his team's top goal scorer with 10 goals scored in 2011 and seven goals each in 2019 and 2021.

"It is really a good group on and off the court and everybody is happy, doing their best. It is intense to be away for one month, playing a match every two days, but this is why we are here, to win," concludes Hansen.