The U.S. may have won the '96 Olympic gold medal in women's
soccer, but Norway still holds the World Cup and has a winning
record (11-9-1) against America's finest. With that in mind, we
looked for a voice of authority on the sport in Scandinavia. Who
better than the leading scorer in Atlanta and a former cop,
Norwegian captain Linda Medalen?
Q: Is women's soccer more popular in Norway than, say,
cross-country skiing or speed skating?
A: For women it's probably the second-most-important sport.
Q: What's the first?
A: Team handball. It's very big in Europe.
Q: People here say Mia Hamm is the best player in the world. Who
do you think is the best?
A: In 1991 there was no doubt that Michelle Akers was the best.
But now I can't say there is any player who is always the best.
We have a great forward on our team named Marianne Pettersen. Mia
Hamm is great, too, but I don't see her play every day.
Q: Can I call you the Mia Hamm of Norway?
A: (Long pause) I guess so.
Q: Do you do shampoo ads like she does?
A: I do commercials for potato chips.
Q: Potato chips aren't very healthy, Linda.
A: No, but they're a sponsor.
Issue date: August 3, 1998
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