The following headlines (translated from Norwegian) in chronological order tell something about how Mia improved her play during the championship. The extracts from newspapers, also in chronological order, tell something about the atmosphere at different moments.

Coach Marit Breivik forced Mia Hundvin to take penalty shots. Then Mia got her self-confidence back. After 50 miserable minutes, the famous Hundvin-smile was back.
(Dagbladet 2.12.99, translated from Norwegian)

Against Australia, which was considered to be an easy match for Norway, it was expected that Mia would show her potential. But she didn’t manage to live up to those expectations - until she made two technically beautiful moves at the end of the game. First she scored with a flyer, which she softly and with full control sent past the Australian goalkeeper. Afterwards she ran toward the Australian goal and instead for scoring she jumped and threw the ball backwards between her legs, directly to Kjersti Grini who then scored. Moves like this, are one of the reasons why the audience love her.
(Adresseavisen 11.12.99, translated from Norwegian)

Mia Hundvin is ready. Don’t have any doubts about that. The technical moves are in readiness. She is ready, ready indeed - to show some technical goodies.
(Adresseavisen 11.12.99, translated from Norwegian)

Hundvin was back, like the whole handball-loving Norway knew her. She was brash on the court, snatching balls and scoring spectacular goals.
(VG 12.12.99, translated from Norwegian)

Mia scored four spectacular goals in four attempts, the last goal making the audience ecstatic: Mia snatched a long, high ball from Trine Haltvik, with the magic fingers of her right hand and rushed against the goalkeeper. She then dropped the ball elegantly past the keeper’s helpless legs. - Few players have this one in their repertoire, smiled coach Marit Breivik.
(Nettavisen 11.12.99, translated from Norwegian)

- I was starting to think that my part in the world championship was over, but we managed to stop to being on the defensive and went on the attack. This was the game I wanted to play and I had nothing to lose. And Mia lost nothing; she won it all back. She won the love of the audience, and she won back her self-confidence. People who thought she wouldn’t make it could see with their own eyes, that she was good under pressure. (.) Mia Hundvin scored four goals in four attempts yesterday. The last one was fantastic. She had a difficult long pass but caught it with her right hand, then continued with a beautiful trick shot and with smallest possible margin, got it around the Romanian keeper’s legs. All of the 8200 people in Håkons Hall stood up, and Hundvin shouted with joy.
(Bergensavisen 12.12.99, translated from Norwegian)

Prime minister Kjell Magne Bondevik walked from girl to girl in order to congratulate them with the WC-gold. After he had given Hundvin a hug, the Tertnes player said, in a low voice, to VG and VG Nett: - I didn’t vote for him. Then she produced a smile, as only she can.
(VG 12.12.99, translated from Norwegian)

How is it possible to be a failure in one minute and then be nominated to best player of the finals in the next?
(Bergensavisen 13.12.99, translated from Norwegian)

- Now I’m so happy that it’s impossible to describe. This is better than very thing else. Absolutely everything!
(Bergensavisen 12.12.99, translated from Norwegian)

Mia Hundvin was named "best player" in the finals against France. That fact was totally unimportant to the Tertnes girl. When VG Nett asked her what the prize meant to her, she answered: - I hope it keeps me warm ??? - Because it was a rug!
(VG 12.12.99, translated from Norwegian)

- We won, it doesn’t matter that we played better games earlier in the championship, says Mia with a smile. None of the 11,200 people, which is a world record in women’s handball, would leave before the last player had left. They wanted to witness everything. And they got everything. "We are the champions" was heard over all in Håkons Hall, while the Norwegian handball team ran around the court several times while the audience applauded.
(Dagsavisen 13.12.99, translated from Norwegian)

In the middle of the chaos filled with flowers, microphones, hugs and thousand questions Mia suddenly realised: - Now I just lack an Olympic gold!
(Bergens Tidende 14.12.99, translated from Norwegian)