View source for Lene Rantala

{{short description|Danish handball player (born 1968)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox handball biography
| name                = Lene Rantala
| image               = Lene Rentala 20141115.jpg
| nationality         = Danish
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1968|8|10|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Gladsaxe]], Denmark
| height              = {{height|m=1.80|precision=0}}
| position            = [[Goalkeeper (handball)|Goalkeeper]]
| currentclub         = Retired
| clubnumber          = 
| years1              = 1900–1993
| clubs1              = [[Frederiksberg IF|FIF]]
| years2              = 1993–1994
| clubs2              = Brabrand
| years3              = 1994–1996
| clubs3              = Toten HK
| years4              = 1996–1997
| clubs4              = [[IK Junkeren]]
| years5              = 1997–2014
| clubs5              = [[Larvik HK]]
| nationalyears1      = 1991–2007
| nationalteam1       = [[Denmark women's national handball team|Denmark]]
| nationalcaps1       = 226
| nationalgoals1      = 0
| manageryears1       = 2014–2019
| managerclubs1       = [[Larvik HK]] (Team manager)
| manageryears2       = 2018–2019
| managerclubs2       = [[Netherlands women's national handball team|Netherlands]] (GK coach)
| manageryears3       = 2019
| managerclubs3       = [[Larvik HK]] (Head coach)
| manageryears4       = 2019–2023
| managerclubs4       = [[Vipers Kristiansand]] (GK coach)
| manageryears5       = 2023–01/2025
| managerclubs5       = [[Vipers Kristiansand]] (Assistant coach)
| medaltemplates      = 
{{MedalSport | Women's [[Team handball|handball]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{DEN}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996 Atlanta]] | [[Handball at the 1996 Summer Olympics|Team]] }}
{{MedalGold | [[2000 Summer Olympics|2000 Sydney]] | [[Handball at the 2000 Summer Olympics|Team]] }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[World Women's Handball Championship|World Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1997 World Women's Handball Championship|1997 Germany]] | Team}}
{{MedalSilver | [[1993 World Women's Handball Championship|1993 Norway]] | Team}}
{{MedalBronze | [[1995 World Women's Handball Championship|1995 Austria/Hungary]] | Team}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Women's Handball Championship|European Championship]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[1994 European Women's Handball Championship|1994 Germany]] | Team}}
{{MedalGold | [[1996 European Women's Handball Championship|1996 Denmark]] | Team}}
{{MedalGold | [[2002 European Women's Handball Championship|2002 Denmark]] | Team}}
{{MedalSilver | [[1998 European Women's Handball Championship|1998 Netherlands]] | Team}}
}}
'''Lene Rantala''' (born 10 August 1968 in Copenhagen, Denmark) is a former Danish [[team handball|handball]] player and handball coach, two times Olympic champion and a World champion. Rantala was assistant coach for [[Vipers Kristiansand]] in the Norwegian [[REMA 1000-ligaen (women's handball)|REMA 1000-ligaen]] until the [[bankruptcy]] of the club<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>

==Career==
During her career she played for [[Frederiksberg IF]] and Brabrand in Denmark, before moving to Norway in 1994 to join [[Toten HK]]. In 1996 she joined IK Junkeren, where she played for a single season before joining [[Larvik HK]]. Here so won 40 titles with the club over a 17-year period.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.op.no/larvikhk/article7329333.ece |publisher=op.no|date=2 May 2014|language=no |title=Lene Rantala ferdig i Larvik HK }}</ref> In 2014 she retired at the age of 45 to become a goalkeeping coach at the club.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sport.tv2.dk/2014-05-01-nu-siger-45-%C3%A5rige-lene-rantala-stop |publisher=[[TV2 Danmark]]|website=sport.tv2.dk|title=Nu siger 45-årige Lene Rantala stop|accessdate=22 February 2018|date=1 May 2024|language=DA|trans-title=Now the 45 year old Rantala ends it}}</ref> In December 2024 she made a short comeback due to the injury of Larvik goalkeeper [[Alma Hasanić]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tv2.no/a/6398464 |publisher=tv2.no|title=Lene (46) klar for sin 16. NM-finale|date=30 December 2014 |accessdate=1 January 2015}}</ref>

===National team===
She debuted on the [[Denmark women's national handball team|Danish national team]] on 14 February 1991, and has since played 226 matches for Denmark. This makes her the 3rd most tenured player on the Danish Women's national team ever behind fellow goalkeeper [[Karin Mortensen]] and [[Janne Kolling]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.haslund.info/haandbold/20_dame/30_diverse_ranglister/rangliste_kampe.asp| title=KVINDE A-LANDSKAMPE RANGLISTE 1947 - 2023|language=da| publisher =Håndbold Info}}</ref> She also has the record for the oldest player on the Danish national team ever with 42 years and 307 days.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.haslund.info/haandbold/20_dame/30_diverse_ranglister/%C3%A6ldst.asp| title=KVINDE A-LANDSHOLDSPILLERE ÆLDST PÅ LANDSHOLDET|language=da| publisher =Håndbold Info}}</ref> She has won numerous medals with the team, notably including two Olympic gold medals at the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] in Atlanta<ref name=db-ol1992-handball>[http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=24&sp=HAN "1996 Summer Olympics &ndash; Atlanta, United States &ndash; Handball"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071208105249/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=24&sp=HAN |date=2007-12-08 }} ''databaseOlympics.com'' (Retrieved on 12 February 2008)</ref> and at the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in Sydney.<ref name=db-ol2000-handball>[http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=25&sp=HAN "2000 Summer Olympics &ndash; Sydney, Australia &ndash; Handball"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407003620/http://www.databaseolympics.com/games/gamessport.htm?g=25&sp=HAN |date=2008-04-07 }} ''databaseOlympics.com'' (Retrieved on 12 February 2008)</ref>

==Personal life==
Rantala is of [[Finns|Finnish]] descent through her paternal grandmother.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hs.fi/urheilu/art-2000003916069.html |title=Rantala torjui Tanskalle kultaa |date=2 October 2000 |website=[[Helsingin Sanomat]] |language=fi |access-date=26 August 2020 |quote=suomalaistaustainen (isän äiti oli suomalainen) maalivahti Lene Rantala}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{sports links}}

{{Larvik HK head coaches}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Denmark squads
| bg        = #e11b22
| fg        = white
| bordercolor= white
|list1=
{{Denmark squad 1993 World Women's Handball Championship}}
{{Denmark squad 1994 European Women's Handball Championship}}
{{Denmark squad 1995 World 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}}
{{Denmark squad 2000 European Women's Handball Championship}}
{{Denmark squad 2000 Summer Olympics}}
{{Denmark squad 2001 World Women's Handball Championship}}
{{Denmark squad 2002 European Women's Handball Championship}}
{{Denmark squad 2003 World Women's Handball Championship}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rantala, Lene}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Danish female handball players]]
[[Category:Danish handball coaches]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Denmark]]
[[Category:Handball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Handball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Handball players from Copenhagen]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in handball]]
[[Category:Danish people of Finnish descent]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Danish expatriate handball players in Norway]]
[[Category:Expatriate handball coaches]]
[[Category:Female handball coaches]]