Captain Jamina Roberts thinks that Johanna Bundsen is the Olympic Games' best goalkeeper.
National team captain Tomas Axnér says that he has never seen the 33-year-old handball goalkeeper better.
Against Hungary, Johanna Bundsen showed that she can shine between the posts even when her vision isn't entirely perfect. Tyra Axnér accidentally poked Bundsen in the eye when the teams ran onto the pitch, and one of the goalkeeper's lenses fell out.
I said "screw it and let's go", says Bundsen, who didn't have a spare lens with her at the impressive quarterfinal arena in Lille.
And Bundsen went for it.
22 saves
When the extra time was over, and Sweden stood as winners with 36–32 after a nail-biter, she had been credited with 22 saves in the match.
I'm absolutely satisfied with my level so far. I feel very good physically and mentally. My body feels good, my head feels good, says Bundsen.
But it was incredibly close that Sweden's Olympic Games would end in the quarterfinals against the Hungarians. When 15 seconds remained, Sweden got a final attack to take the match to extra time.
Nina Koppang scored 29–29 in the final seconds, and then Johanna Bundsen started the extra time by saving for almost eight minutes.
The semifinal spot was secured, and the Swedish team could finally celebrate wildly in a big victory cluster.
We continue to believe in it and go for it. When Koppang scores the last goal, when there are only a few seconds left of regular time, I think we get a lot of energy into the extra time. I think it shows there, we get a good flow.
France next
And even though Bundsen downplayed the lens drama – petty compared to the drama of the match itself – it was a new experience to play with impaired vision in one eye.
The vision isn't super bad, I can see without lenses. But I have lenses 24/7 all the time, so it becomes a bit unusual, of course. But I saw very well with my right eye, she says with a laugh.
Now, a semifinal awaits on Thursday evening, in front of 27,000 spectators, most of whom will be rooting for the opponents.
Another semifinal against France. It's going to be tough to play against France in this arena, it's going to be high pressure. We thought it was high pressure already today.
