Rikke Skov

Rikke Skov

File:Rikke Erhardsen Skov.jpg
Personal information
Full name	Rikke Erhardsen Skov
Born	(1980-09-07) 7 September 1980 Viborg, Denmark
Nationality	Danish
Height
Playing position	Left back
Club information
Current club	Viborg HK
Number	2
Senior clubs
1994–	Viborg HK
National team 1
2000–	Denmark	140 (379)
Medal record Olympic Games 2004 Athens Team European Championship 2004 Hungary
1 National team caps and goals correct as of 5 November 2015

Rikke Erhardsen Skov (born 7 September 1980) is a Danish handball player and Olympic champion. She received a gold medal with the Danish national team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. A loyal player of Viborg HK, Skov joined the club yet as a teenager and it remained her lone team up to date.

In 2011 she was one of the five handballers, and the only woman who received The EHF Handball Award. The prize was handed out in the 20th anniversary of the European Handball Federation for the players who achieved the biggest successes both in club and international level.

Club career

Skov started her handball career in 1992, aged 12. She played for Overlund GF until she joined Viborg HK in 1994. With Viborg, Skov has won numerous titles, both domestic and European. Her achievements include winning the Champions League in 2006, 2009 and 2010, the EHF Cup in 1999 and 2004, four Danish Cups and seven Danish Championships.

National team

Rikke Skov made her debut with the national team on 28 July 2000, and was appointed team captain in 2007. She received an Olympic gold medal in Athens 2004 and a silver medal at the 2004 European Championship. Skov first retired from international handball in April 2009, until when she played 107 matches and scored 296 goals. However, Skov later changed her mind and participated on the 2010 European Women's Handball Championship, where she reached the fourth place. In 2011 she continued to play for the national team and participated among others on the GF World Cup '11, but before the squad selection for the 2011 World Championship she withdrew from the team to focus fully on her club duties.

Results

• Champions League

Winner: 2006, 2009, 2010

Finalist: 2001

• EHF Cup

Winner: 1999 and 2004

• Danish Championship

Gold: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010

Silver: 2007

Bronze: 2005

• Danish Cup

Winner: 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008

Awards

• Danish national team player of the year (Danish: Årets Landsholdsspiller) in 2006/07 and 2007/08
• Member of the All Star Team of the Møbelringen Cup 2008
• The EHF Handball Award winner (2011)

Personal life

Skove met fellow handballer Lotte Kiærskou as teammates for Viborg HK, and "never had any thought to keep their relationship secret." The two have been together since, and are in a registered partnership as allowed by Danish law. Kiærskou, now retired, gave birth to the couple’s two daughters.