Claes Hellgren
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Norrköping, Sweden
Sweden| Claes Hellgren | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Claes Hellgren in 1988. | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Claes Göran Vilhelm Hellgren | ||
| Born |
27 February 1955 Norrköping, Sweden | ||
| Nationality |
Sweden | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior clubs | |||
| Years | Team | ||
1972–1974 | Irsta HF | ||
1974–1978 | IF Guif | ||
1978–1983 | IK Heim | ||
1983–1985 | Coronas Tres de Mayo | ||
1985–1986 | HP Warta | ||
1987–1990 | Irsta HF | ||
1990–1991 | Stavanger IF | ||
1990–1991 | Sushi Masters | ||
| National team | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1976–1988 |
Sweden | 214 | (3) |
| Teams managed | |||
1986–1987 | United States (women) | ||
1987–1990 | Irsta HF | ||
1988–1989 | Sweden U21 | ||
1990–1992 | Stavanger IF | ||
1992–1994 | Irsta HF | ||
1994–1996 | United States (men and women) | ||
1996–1999 | Sweden (women) | ||
1999–2001 | IF Guif | ||
Claes Hellgren (born 27 February 1955) is a Swedish former handball player who played as goalkeeper, sports commentator and handball coach. In 1979 he was named Swedish Handballer of the Year.[1]
Hellgren started playing for the Irsta HF first team in the Division 3, the third tier in the 1972–73 season. After two seasons he moved to IF Guif, where in his first season was promoted to the Swedish top flight. In the four seasons Hellgren spent at the club they ended in the playoff once, where they lost in the semi-final to SoIK Hellas.
Afterwards, he moved to IK Heim, where he reached playoffs in four out of five seasons with the club, and became Swedish champions in 1982 and 1983.[2] They also reached the semi-final of the Cup Winners' Cup in 1978/80 where they lost to CB Calpisa Alicante.
In the 1983 summer, he, together with Björn Jilsén, became the two first Swedish players to join a foreign club, when they moved to Tenerife to join Coronas Tres de Mayo,[2] a relatively newly created club that was about to play its fist season in the top flight. They finished 6th and Hellgren was awarded with the player of the season award.
After two seasons in Spain, he returned to Sweden and joined the team HP Warta, with which he reached the semi-final of the 1986 championship playoffs. In the 1986–87 season, the active career was put on a burner, to go into coaching where he was coaching the USA women's team.
From 1987 to 1990 he became the player-coach og his former club Irsta HF. In his third season at the club, they managed to be promoted to the top league. In the first season in the top flight, they managed to finish 4th.
In the last years of his active career, he played as a player coach for Norwegian side Stavanger IF.
In both 1984 and in 1985 he won the award for world's best goalkeeper.[2]
International career
Hellgren debuted in a 19–16 win against Switzerland on 10 September 1976. He played for the national team for 12 years, where he competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics and in the 1988 Summer Olympics.[3] He also participated in the World Championship 3 times; in 1978, 1982 and 1986.
For a long time he held the record for most caps for the Swedish national team, but was eventually overtaken, and he was the first Swedish player to achieve 200 international matches.[2]
