This Saturday afternoon, the French women’s handball team did not retain its Olympic title. The Blues were beaten by the stronger Norwegians (21-29). Olivier Krumbholz’s players won Olympic silver at the 2024 Olympics.
17:05 – Stronger Norwegian women, the summary
Olympic champions in Tokyo, the French handball players had the opportunity to secure a historic double. Facing their best Norwegian enemies, whose biggest stars were playing their last match, the Bleues got off to the best start, leading 3-0 then 11-9. Facing the tough Scandinavians, the French had difficulty widening the gap, coming up against the heroic 44-year-old Katrine Lunde. The Norwegian goalkeeper kept her team alive. On the other side of the field, the essential Stine Oftedal took things in hand and never let go. Accompanied by Reistad, the Norwegian centre-half allowed the team to take a two-goal lead at half-time (13-15) with a huge hip shot.
After the break, the scenario was the same. Les Bleues had enormous difficulty making a difference or finding solutions in attack. On the defensive side, Hatadou Sako tried to trigger a change, in vain… The gap widened as the minutes went by without Olivier Krumbholz’s players being able to stop the bad run. Despite attempts at 1-5 or 2-4 in defense, the Norwegians were never really destabilized. In the end, they won with an 8-goal lead and won the Olympic gold, a title they had not won since 2012. For its part, the French women’s handball team won silver and offered the 58th medal to the French delegation at the JO 2024.
17:00 – #Medal Alert
As usual since the start of the 2024 Olympics, Antoine Griezmann congratulated the French medalists.
16:55 – 58th medal
We will have to wait to see the French delegation win a 16th title at the 2024 Olympics. On the other hand, the Blues won the 58th French medal.
16:50 – A lack of efficiency
In this Olympic final, the lack of offensive efficiency was detrimental to the Blues. While they had 49% success on their shots, the Norwegians had 69%.
16:45 – Nze Minko: “Proud”
Estelle Nze Minko did not hide her disappointment at the end of this final, interviewed by France 2: “It’s a bit tough tonight. It’s infuriating because we’ve played better matches in this competition but they put us in difficulty. They were better than us today. When we get up in the morning, we imagine ourselves with gold around our necks, but we are extremely proud of the silver. Very happy with this journey.”
16:40 – Nocandy: “Not connected”
Speaking to France 2, Méline Nocandy returned to this lost final: “Sadness. I don’t forget our journey. We went to get the final. It would have been historic if we had won Olympic gold twice in a row. We missed passes, engagements. We weren’t connected. That’s how it is. Since 2022, we were undefeated because we had that little something extra, which we looked for tonight.”
16:38 – An ineffective second period
Despite a surge in the middle of the second period, the Blues conceded a 14-8 in the last thirty minutes of the match.
16:34 – Ten Fatal Minutes
Between the end of the first half and the start of the second, the Blues scored only one goal in ten minutes. A complicated period where the Norwegians’ lead widened.
16:28 – The Blues beaten!
Big disappointment for the French handball players! Dominated by the more efficient Norwegians in the final (21-29), the Blues won Olympic gold.
16:25 – Brattsen Festival (21-28)
The Norwegians already start celebrating on the bench as Orlane Kanor scores her fifth goal.
16:23 – Three minutes (20-26)
Victory seems compromised for our French handball players! They are trailing by six goals with three minutes left in the match.
16:22 – Imperial Moon (20-25)
Tenth save for Katrine Lunde on a shot by Pauletta Foppa.
16:21 – Last time-out (20-25)
On a French offensive, Olivier Krumbholz calls a time-out.
16:20 – Cruel (20-25)
While Lucie Granier was close to intercepting, the ball came back to Stine Oftedal. Alone, the Norwegian deceives Laura Glauser.
16:18 – Freaks at the end of the effort (20-24)
After a save by Laura Glauser, Laura Flippes gets a seven-meter throw after a zone defense by Stine Oftedal. Tamara Horacek converts it again.
16:17 – Time-out (19-24)
With less than seven minutes left in the game, Norway calls a timeout.
16:16 – Five lengths (19-24)
After a shot that went wide on her last attempt, Tamara Horacek converted her throw from seven meters.
16:15 – New seven-meter throw (18-24)
Superb work by Sarah Bouktit who gets a seven-meter throw.
16:14 – A chance for the Blues (17-24)
Whistled for walking, Henny Reistad shoots and receives a two-minute suspension for not letting go of the ball.
16:12 – Efficiency in decline (17-24)
Despite a surge, the Norwegians are precise in defense and the Blues cannot find a solution other than individual exploits.
16:10 – The Blues in great difficulty (17-24)
The Norwegians are flying away after three goals. Note that Laura Glauser is back in the French goal.
16:09 – Horacek off-target (17-21)
On a seven-meter throw obtained by Pauletta Foppa, Tamara Horacek does not find the frame.
16:08 – The Danish women are embarrassed (17-21)
Since the 2-4 defense was put in place, the Norwegians have been considerably hampered. They have just lost the ball twice.
16:07 – Valentini imprecise (16-21)
Well offset, Chloé Valentini crosses her shot too much at the first post. Still 16-21 while the spectators present make themselves heard.
16:06 – Oftedal scores (16-21)
First failure for Stine Oftedal who finds Hatadou Sako in his path.