{{short description|Dutch handball player (born 1998)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox handball biography | name = Merel Freriks | image = | nationality = Dutch | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1998|1|6|df=y}} | birth_place = Hoofddorp, Netherlands | height = 1.75 m | position = Pivot | currentclub = CSM București | clubnumber = | youthclubs1 = HV Borger | years1 = {{0|0000}}–2017 | clubs1 = Emmen & Omstreken | years2 = 2017–2019 | clubs2 = HSG Bensheim/Auerbach | years3 = 2019–2022 | clubs3 = Borussia Dortmund | years4 = 2022–2024 | clubs4 = Brest Bretagne Handball | years5 = 2024–01/2025 | clubs5 = Vipers Kristiansand | years6 = 01/2025–06/2025 | clubs6 = Team Esbjerg | years7 = 07/2025– | clubs7 = CSM București | nationalyears1 = 2017– | nationalteam1 = Netherlands | nationalcaps1 = 97 | nationalgoals1 = 179 | ntupdate = | medaltemplates = {{MedalCompetition|World Championship}} {{MedalGold|2019 Japan|}} {{MedalCompetition|European Championship}} {{MedalBronze|2018 France|}} }}
'''Merel Freriks''' (born 6 January 1998) is a Dutch female handball player for CSM București and the Dutch national team.<ref>[https://www.eurohandball.com/en/player/AdMw55cvSx_sDzF2e6ItgA/merel-freriks/ EHF profile]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hbf-info.de/o.red.r/teams.php?sprache=1&gid=2&teamid=676&personid=6613&spieler=1|title=Merel Freriks Profile|publisher=hbf-info.de|accessdate=15 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.flames-handball.com/player/merel-freriks/ |title=Merel Freriks |access-date=17 November 2018 |archive-date=16 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616132735/http://www.flames-handball.com/player/merel-freriks/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
She was a part the Netherlands team that won the 2019 World Women's Handball Championship; the first title in the country's history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.handbal.nl/blog/2019/11/04/mayonnade-maakt-definitieve-wk-selectie-bekend/|title=Mayonnade maakt definitieve WK-selectie bekend|date=4 November 2019|website=handbal.nl|language=nl|access-date=5 November 2019|archive-date=5 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105061318/https://www.handbal.nl/blog/2019/11/04/mayonnade-maakt-definitieve-wk-selectie-bekend/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[https://www.ihf.info/sites/default/files/competitions/459525eb-a3b4-457d-94b9-ed7d6afd3491/pdf/NED.PDF 2019 World Women's Handball Championship roster]</ref>
==Career== Merel Freriks began playing handball at HV Borger. In 2010 she joined E&O.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.emmen.nu/sport/actueel/321818/e-o-talenten-naar-handbalacademie.html |publisher=emmen.nu|title=E&O talenten naar handbalacademie|accessdate=6 January 2019|language=nl}}</ref>
In 2017 she joined German Bundesliga side HSG Bensheim/Auerbach.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.handbalinside.nl/freriks-vertrekt-naar-koploper-tweede-bundesliga/ |publisher=handbalinside.nl|title=Freriks vertrekt naar koploper tweede Bundesliga|accessdate=6 January 2019|language=nl}}</ref> In October the same year, she debuted for the Dutch national team. At the 2018 European Championship she won a bronze medal.<ref>[http://www.eurohandball.com/ech/women/2018/player/562205/Merel+Freriks eurohandball.com: ''Merel Freriks (EM 2018)''], retrieved 6. January 2019 </ref> In 2019 she joined league rivals Borussia Dortmund<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-2-1-36425.html|publisher=handball-world.news|title=Borussia Dortmund bestätigt Neuverpflichtungen von Bensheim/Auerbach|accessdate=26 January 2019|language=de|archive-date=26 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226190112/https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-2-1-36425.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Here she won the 2021 German championship.
In 2022 she joined French team Brest Bretagne Handball.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-2-1-44525.html |publisher=handball-world.news|title="Eine Rebellin": Brest verpflichtet niederländische Nationalspielerin aus Dortmund|accessdate=18 January 2022|language=de}}</ref> In November 2023 she suffered a cruciate ligament injury, that made her miss the 2023 World Championship<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-2-23-49217.html |publisher=handball-world.news|title=Die Niederlande muss bei Handball-WM auf Ex-Bundesligaspielerin verzichten|date=22 November 2023|accessdate=22 November 2023|language=de}}</ref> In 2024 she joined Norwegian top club Vipers Kristiansand.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://vipers.no/2024/05/16/merel-freriks-er-vipers-spiller/ |publisher=Vipers Kristiansand|title=Merel Freriks er Vipers-spiller|accessdate=20 May 2024|language=no}}</ref>
In January 2025 she joined Danish Team Esbjerg, after her former club, Norwegian Vipers Kristiansand went bankrupt.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dr.dk/sporten/haandbold/norsk-storklub-gaar-konkurs-igen|title=Norsk storklub går konkurs - igen|publisher=Danmarks Radio |date=13 January 2025|accessdate=17 January 2025|language=DA|trans-title=Norwegian top club in bankrupt - again}}</ref>
==Achievements== ===Club=== *'''German league (Bundesliga)''': **'''Winner''': 2021 <small>(with Borussia Dortmund Handball)</small> **'''Runner up''': 2022 <small>(with Borussia Dortmund Handball)</small> *'''EHF Champions League''' **''Bronze Medalist'': 2024-25 *'''Danish League''': **''Silver Medalist'': 2025 ===International=== *'''World Championship''' **'''Gold''': 2019 *'''European Championship''' **'''Bronze''': 2018
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links|properties=-P9822}} * {{TeamNL|merel-freriks|old_id=6673-merel-freriks}}
{{Navboxes colour |title= Netherlands squads |bg = #F1771D |fg = #FFFFFF |list1= {{Netherlands squad 2018 European Women's Handball Championship}} {{Netherlands squad 2019 World Women's Handball Championship}} {{Netherlands squad 2020 European Women's Handball Championship}} {{Netherlands squad 2021 World Women's Handball Championship}} {{Netherlands squad 2022 European Women's Handball Championship}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freriks, Merel}} Category:1998 births Category:Living people Category:Dutch women's handball players Category:Sportspeople from Haarlemmermeer Category:21st-century Dutch sportswomen Category:Handball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic handball players for the Netherlands Category:Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Norway Category:Dutch expatriate handball players in France Category:Dutch expatriate handball players in Denmark Category:Dutch expatriate handball players in Germany Category:Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Romania Category:Expatriate handball players in Romania Category:Expatriate handball players in Norway Category:Brest Bretagne players Category:Team Esbjerg players Category:Handball World Champions