As a junior, Hattestad made her international debut at the European Junior Championships in 1981 with a fifth place. The follow year she also competed in the European Championships for seniors. At the beginning of the 1990s, Hattestad could measure with the world top. In 1993, she won her first major international title, the World Championships in Stuttgart as well as the IAAF Golden Four. To that, she added the 1994 European title. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, she won the bronze medal. The following year, she regained the World Championships. At the 1999 World Championships, she lost the title again (finishing 3rd), but in 2000, she won the only title missing in her career as she won the Olympic championship in Sydney.
During her career, Hattestad has broken the World Record three times. In her youth, she was also a top handball player in her country.
Trine Solberg-Hattestad is married with Anders Hattestad and has two children, Joachim (1990) and Robin (1995).