Ólafur Stefánsson

Ólafur Stefánsson

Personal information
Full name	Ólafur Stefánsson
Date of birth	3 July 1973 (1973-07-03) (age 38)
Place of birth	Reykjavík, Iceland
Height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Playing position	Right Back
Club information
Current club	Rhein-Neckar Löwen
Number	11
Youth career
1990-1992	Valur
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1992–1996	Valur	-	(-)
1996–1998	LTV Wuppertal	-	(-)
1998–2003	SC Magdeburg	-	(-)
2003–2009	BM Ciudad Real	-	(-)
2009–	Rhein-Neckar Löwen	50	(193)
National team
1990-	Iceland	313	(1488)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:37, 17 January 2010 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals).

Medal record
Competitor for  Iceland
Men's Handball
Summer Olympics
Silver	2008 Beijing	Team competition
European Championship
Bronze	2010 Austria	Team competition

This is an Icelandic name. The last name is a patronymic or matronymic, not a family name; this person is properly referred to by the given name Ólafur.

Ólafur Stefánsson

Ólafur Indriði Stefánsson (born July 3, 1973 in Reykjavík, Iceland) is an Icelandic handball player who currently plays for Rhein-Neckar Löwen of the German handball championship. He is the current captain for the Iceland national handball team. His demarcation is right back. He is considered to be one of the best handball players in the world.

As a player for his national team, he currently holds the record for the number of goals scored with a national handball team (over 1400 goals) ever. He is also one of the most enduring handball players of all times, being a field player since 1990.

He was voted Sports Personality of the Year in Iceland in 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2009.

Career in clubs

Stefánsson started in the Reykjavík sports club Valur and became champion of Iceland with that team 5 times. After Valur, he migrated to Germany, playing with LTV Wuppertal, then SC Magdeburg. In 2003, he played for the renowned handball team BM Ciudad Real in Spain, until 2009 where he went back to Germany to play with Rhein-Neckar Löwen.

Career on the national team

In 1995, he was selected to play on the Iceland national handball team to take part in the world championships, which were held in Iceland.

He was captain for the national handball team on the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing (ending with the silver medal), and again on the 2010 European Championship where Iceland finished third.

Family

He is the brother of Icelandic basketball player Jón Arnór Stefánsson, formerly of NBA's Dallas Mavericks.^{[citation needed]}

Honours

Valur Reykjavík

• Icelandic champion: 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
• Icelandic cup: 1993

SC Magdeburg

• Bundesliga: 2001
• DHB-Supercup: 2001
• Champions League: 2002
• EHF Cup: 1999, 2001
• EHF Men’s Champions Trophy: 2001, 2002

BM Ciudad Real

• Liga ASOBAL : 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009
• Copa ASOBAL: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
• Supercopa ASOBAL: 2005, 2008
• EHF Champions League: 2006, 2008, 2009
• EHF Men’s Champions Trophy: 2005, 2006

International

• 5th place at 1997 World Championship
• 4th place at 2002 European Championship
• 2nd at 2008 Olympic Games
• 3rd place at 2010 European Championship

Individual

• Icelandic Sports Personality of the Year: 2002, 2003, 2008, 2009
• Top Scorer at 2002 European Championship
• Top Scorer in Magdeburg's history
• Top Scorer in 2007-08 EHF Champions League
• Top Scorer at BM Ciudad Real in 2002-03 season
• Selected in 2002 European Championship All Star Team
• Selected in 2004 Olympic Games All Star Team
• Selected in 2008 Olympic Games All Star Team
• Selected in 2010 European Championship All Star Team

Orders and special awards

• Order of the Falcon - Knight Grand Cross in 2008

Links

• Ólafur Stefánssons profile at rhein-neckar-loewen.de

Persondata
Name	Olafur Stefansson
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	3 July 1973
Place of birth	Reykjavík, Iceland
Date of death
Place of death