{{short description|Danish handball player (born 1971)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Infobox handball biography | name = Gitte Sunesen | fullname = Gitte Jensby Sunesen Vilhelmsen | nationality = Danish | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|12|11|df=y}} | birth_place = Hammel, Denmark | height = 1.80 m | position = Goalkeeper | years1 = 1989–2004 | clubs1 = GOG Svendborg TGI | nationalyears1 = 1991–2000 | nationalteam1 = Denmark | nationalcaps1 = 135 | nationalgoals1 = 1 | manageryears1 = 2015–2016 | managerclubs1 = Odense Håndbold (goalkeeping coach) | manageryears2 = 2017–2019 | managerclubs2 = Odense Håndbold (goalkeeping coach) | manageryears3 = 2021– | managerclubs3 = Odense Håndbold (goalkeeping coach) | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport| Women's handball}} {{MedalCountry| {{DEN}} }} {{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}} {{MedalGold| 1996 Atlanta| Team }} {{MedalCompetition|World championships}} {{MedalGold|1997 Germany| Team }} {{MedalBronze|1995 Austria/Hungary| Team }} {{MedalCompetition|European Championship}} {{MedalGold| 1994 Germany| Team }} {{MedalGold| 1996 Denmark| Team }} {{MedalSilver| 1998 Netherlands| Team }} }} '''Gitte Jensby Sunesen Vilhelmsen''' (born 11 December 1971) is a Danish former team handball player, Olympic champion and World champion. She received a gold medal with the Danish national team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.<ref name=db-ol1996-handball>[http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=24&sp=HAN "1996 Summer Olympics – Atlanta, United States – Handball"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208105249/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=24&sp=HAN|date=8 December 2007 }} ''databaseOlympics.com'' (Retrieved on 12 February 2008)</ref> Additionally, She is a two times European Champion; from 1994 and 1996 and World champion from 1997.
==Club career== Sunesen played her entire career at Danish club GOG Håndbold. During her career she won the Danish league three times and the Danish Women's Handball Cup two times.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Guldbæk Welch|first=Nadia|date=11 December 2021|title='Jernhård lady' fylder 50: 'Det var fantastisk – jeg ser tilbage med stolthed'|url=https://www.bt.dk/haandbold/bts-julekalender-11-december-jernhaard-lady-fylder-50-det-var-fantastisk-jeg-ser|access-date=2024-08-29|website=BT|language=da}}</ref> She debuted for the Danish national team in 1991 at the age of 21.<ref>[https://danskhaandbold.dk/statistik/spillere/284785 Dansk Håndbold profile]</ref>
She missed the 2000 Olympics due to a knee injury suffered a month prior to the tournament in a friendly match against Norway.<ref>{{Cite web|date=18 August 2000|title=Håndbold: Gitte Sunesen må opgive OL|url=https://jyllands-posten.dk/sport/ECE5079700/H%C3%A5ndbold-Gitte-Sunesen-m%C3%A5-opgive-OL/|access-date=2024-08-29|website=Jyllands-Posten|language=da}}</ref> She retired from playing handball in 2003 due to knee injuries.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Skjødt Østergaard Pedersen|first=Jan|date=12 August 2023|title=Hvor er de nu? – med Gitte Sunesen|url=https://europamester.dk/hvor-er-de-nu-med-gitte-sunesen|access-date=2024-08-29|website=Håndbold nyheder om dansk og udenlandsk håndbold, VM og EM|language=da}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Weirsøe|first=Frank|date=3 February 2004|title=Endnu en GOG-profil er væk|url=https://www.tv2fyn.dk/fyn/endnu-en-gog-profil-er-vaek|access-date=2024-08-29|website=TV 2 Fyn|language=da}}</ref> In 2015 she was hired as goalkeeping coach at Odense Håndbold.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Andersen|first=Julie Kjær|date=10 September 2015|title=Gitte Sunesen skal træne målmænd i HC Odense|url=https://fyens.dk/sport/gitte-sunesen-skal-traene-maalmaend-i-hc-odense|access-date=2024-08-29|publisher=Fyens Stiftstidende|website=fyens.dk|language=da}}</ref>
==Private life== During the last few years of her playing career as well as after her retirement she has worked as a primary school teacher.<ref name=":0" /> She is married to fellow handball player Keld Vilhelmsen. Her child Lasse Vilhelmsen is also a handball player.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Peter|first=Krogh Frausing|date=10 May 2023|title=Håndboldstjerners søn får lang kontrakt i GOG|url=https://www.tv2fyn.dk/svendborg/haandboldstjerners-soen-faar-lang-kontrakt-i-gog|access-date=2024-08-29|website=TV 2 Fyn|language=da}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}} {{Navboxes |title=Denmark squads | bg = #e11b22 | fg = white | bordercolor= white |list1= {{Denmark squad 1994 European Women's Handball Championship}} {{Denmark squad 1996 Summer Olympics}} {{Denmark squad 1996 European Women's Handball Championship}} {{Denmark squad 1997 World Women's Handball Championship}} {{Denmark squad 1998 European Women's Handball Championship}} {{Denmark squad 1999 World Women's Handball Championship}} }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Sunesen, Gitte}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Danish women's handball players Category:Danish handball coaches Category:Olympic gold medalists for Denmark Category:Handball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic medalists in handball Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:People from Favrskov Municipality Category:Handball players from the Central Denmark Region Category:GOG players Category:Female handball coaches Category:Handball World Champions