Paris 2024: the French handball teams, reigning Olympic champions, know their opponents
With the Olympic flame now lit, the Paris Olympic Games are fast approaching. This perspective became more concrete on Tuesday April 16 for the French handball teams. Title holders, the French know their opponents, after their coaches were able to choose in which group their team would be placed, a privilege of the host country. The draw divided the 12 qualified teams into two groups of six, the first four of which will participate in the quarter-finals.
The women’s Olympic tournament placed Norway, Germany, Slovenia, Denmark, South Korea and Sweden in Group A. A very tough group compared to that of France, made up of Hungary, the Netherlands, Spain, Brazil and Angola. After a few minutes of reflection, French coach Olivier Krumbholz chose to avoid Norway, the reigning European champion, and Denmark, vice-European champion.
“We have the ambition to finish first, and if we were in group A, with Norway and Denmark, there would have been a very big imbalance. We want to finish first to play the team ranked fourth in group A in the quarter-finalsexplained the coach. If we are good, we will also be able to rotate and arrive full of freshness, while in group A, they will perhaps leave a little energy to avoid us, because playing France in the quarter-finals at the Pierre stadium -Mauroy, it’s not an easy task.”
On the men’s side, the draw also placed Denmark and Norway in the same group, B, with Hungary, Egypt and Argentina. Group A will be made up of Spain, Croatia, Germany, Sweden, Slovenia and Japan. And unlike Olivier Krumbholz, the coach of the Blues, Guillaume Gille, chose to place his team in group B, where the Blues will meet the Danes, whom they beat in the Euro final in January. “This competition certainly gives us the toughest field of all the Olympic campaigns, so we were faced with a somewhat difficult choicehe explained. The choice was made with regard to, certainly two opponents who have a lot of references, with Norway and Denmark, but behind them, the rest of the group is more balanced, more approachable. Whereas in group A, we have a very, very high density.”
The Blues will begin the competition with a shock against Denmark, a match similar to those of the last finals of the world championships, European championships, and the Olympic Games. “To start the adventure, it’s not badcommented Guillaume Gille. Over the last three years, the recurrence and nature of the fights between us and Denmark make this match special.”.
The Olympic handball tournaments will be held from July 25 to August 11, in Paris for the preliminary round, and in Villeneuve-d’Ascq (North) from the quarter-finals.
