Per Ola Markus Lindgren (born 29 February 1964) is a Swedish former handball player and current coach. He is the head coach for IFK Kristianstad since 2012 and was head coach for Sweden from 2008 to 2016. As a player, he won two World Championships, four European Championships and participated in four Olympic Games. He also won four Swedish Championships with Drott.

Ola Lindgren
Personal information
Full name Per Ola Markus Lindgren
Born (1964-02-29) 29 February 1964 (age 60)
Halmstad, Sweden
Height 1.92 m (6 ft 3+12 in)
Playing position Left back
Senior clubs
Years Team
1981–1990
Sweden HK Drott
1990–1992
Germany TSV Dutenhofen
1992–1995
Sweden HK Drott
1995–1998
Germany HSG Düsseldorf
1998–2003
Germany HSG Nordhorn
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1986-2003
Sweden 376 (482)
Teams managed
1996–1998
Germany HSG Düsseldorf
2003–2009
Germany HSG Nordhorn
2008–2016
Sweden Sweden (with Staffan Olsson)
2009–2010
Germany Rhein Neckar-Löwen
2012–2019
Sweden IFK Kristianstad
2019–
Finland Finland
2019–2020
Egypt Al Ahly
Medal record
Men's Handball
Representing  Sweden
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1992 Barcelona Team Competition
Silver medal – second place 1996 Atlanta Team Competition
Silver medal – second place 2000 Sydney Team Competition
World Men's Handball Championship
Gold medal – first place 1990 Czechoslovakia Team
Gold medal – first place 1999 Egypt Team
Silver medal – second place 1997 Japan Team
Silver medal – second place 2001 France Team
Bronze medal – third place 1993 Sweden Team
Bronze medal – third place 1995 Iceland Team
European Men's Handball Championship
Gold medal – first place 1994 Portugal Team
Gold medal – first place 1998 Italy Team
Gold medal – first place 2000 Croatia Team
Gold medal – first place 2002 Sweden Team

Club career edit

Lindgren made his debut for Drott in 1981.[1] He won Swedish Championships with the club in 1984, 1988 and 1990.[2] In 1990 he joined German club TSV Dutenhofen but returned to Drott in 1992.[1] He won a fourth Swedish Championship with Drott in 1994.[2] He later played for German clubs HSG Düsseldorf from 1995 to 1998 and HSG Nordhorn from 1998 to 2003.[1]

International career edit

In 1988 he was a member of the Swedish handball team which finished fifth in the Olympic tournament. He played all six matches and scored ten goals.[3] Two years later he was part of the team that won the World Championship, playing all seven matches and scoring 13 goals.[4] He was part of the Swedish team which won the silver medal at the 1992 Olympics. He played all seven matches and scored twelve goals.[3] At the 1993 World Championship, he was a member of the Swedish team that captured a bronze medal. He played six matches in the tournament and scored 15 goals.[5] In 1994, he was part of the Swedish squad that won the inaugural European Championship.[6] In 1996 he won his second Olympic silver medal with the Swedish team. He played six matches and scored three goals.[3] He also won a silver medal at the 1997 World Championship. In 1998 he was part of the Swedish team that won their second European Championship. A year later, he won his second World Championship. In 2000, he was a member of the Swedish team that won their second consecutive European Championship.[6] He made his last Olympic appearance in the same year when he won his third consecutive silver medal with the Swedish team. He played all eight matches and scored four goals.[3] In 2001, he was part of the Swedish squad that won silver at the World Championship. He won his last international medal in 2002 as Sweden won their third consecutive European Championship.[6]

Coaching career edit

Lindgren started his coaching career as player-coach for HSG Düsseldorf between 1996 and 1998. He coached HSG Nordhorn from 2003 to 2009[1] and won the 2007–08 EHF Cup with the club.[7] He coached Rhein Neckar-Löwen from 2009 to 2010.[1] In addition to his club coaching career, he was assistant coach for Sweden from 2007 to 2008 and head coach from 2008 to 2016. During this time, Sweden reached the semi-finals of the 2011 World Championship and the final of the 2012 Summer Olympics. He became coach of Kristianstad in 2012[1] and won three consecutive Swedish Championships with the club from 2015 to 2017.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Ola Lindgren om vägen till SM-guldet". Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Lindgrens första pass blev försvarsinriktat". Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d "Ola Lindgren". Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Men Handball XII World Championship 1990 Czechoslovakia 28.02-10.03 Champion Sweden". Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  5. ^ "Men Handball XIII World Championship 1993 Sweden 10.03-20.03 - Champion Russia". Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b c ""Det vore mossigt att prata om Guld-eran"". Retrieved 22 September 2017.
  7. ^ ""Det här är riktigt stort i Nordhorn"". Retrieved 22 September 2017.