set up a final meeting with the West German hosts in Osnabrück, but reigning European champions Norway were beaten 4–1. At UEFA Women's Euro 1991, Medalen's Norway reached the final again but were beaten by Germany, this time 3–1 after extra-time. This placing secured qualification for the inaugural 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup in China. Medalen scored six goals, including two in the semi-final win over Sweden and an equaliser in the 2–1 final defeat by the United States. She was awarded FIFA's "Bronze Ball" as the tournament's third best player. In Norway's opening UEFA Women's Euro 1993 qualifying fixture, Medalen scored four times in a 10–0 win over Switzerland. At the UEFA Women's Euro 1993 final tournament Norway recaptured their European title, beating hosts Italy 1–0 in the final. In UEFA Women's Euro 1995 Norway missed out on a fifth successive final appearance, being eliminated in the semi-finals by Sweden, 7–5 on aggregate, despite Medalen's second-leg goal in Jönköping. Medalen was an important player in the Norway team which won the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup in Sweden. At the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup in the United States, Medalen was Norway's captain. She also had a new role as a central defender, having struggled to adapt to incoming coach Per-Mathias Høgmo's possession-based tactics for his forwards. Medalen felt she had sufficiently recovered from a ligament injury to participate at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She was disappointed when Høgmo disagreed and left her out. She was also disappointed at the withdrawal of her Norwegian Football Federation central contract worth 3500kr per month: "it was like getting a knife in the back". International goals Personal life Medalen came out as a lesbian in an interview with the Se og Hør gossip magazine in 1999, declaring: "I love a girl, it's not worse". She brought her partner Kristin Bitnes to that year's FIFA Women's World Cup in the United States, but the couple separated after eight years together in 2006. Medalen was part of an exceptionally strong Norwegian women's football selection at the 2002 Gay Games in Sydney. Medalen met dance instructor Trude Flan in 2010 and the two were married two years later. Medalen announced their separation in January 2022. In 1997 Medalen posed with a carefully-positioned football for semi-nude photographs in Se og Hør. It has been reported as evidence of sexism that Medalen earned 70000kr for the photographs