Keystone-SDA | Freitag, 09. August 2024
Germany’s handball players celebrate reaching the final
After the dramatic victory over France in the quarter-finals (35:34 after extra time), Germany also narrowly won the semi-final against Spain with 25:24. In the final for gold, the Germans will face Denmark.
The Germans are unstoppable in this Olympic tournament. France led 29:28 in the quarterfinals with a throw-off at the center circle six seconds before the end – and still lost. The fairytale continued in the semifinals: Germany was almost constantly in the lead against the Spanish. It was only in the finish that Spain suddenly led 23:22 and 24:23. In front of over 20,000 spectators in the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille – where Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka won the Davis Cup ten years ago – the German goalkeeper Andreas Wolff once again exceeded himself in the finish.
In the last seven minutes, Wolff saved everything. The Spanish had chances to extend their lead. But Wolff made 22 saves to ensure that Germany won by one goal.
The Germans are also not the favorites going into the gold medal match against Denmark, which beat Slovenia 31:30. Denmark won the gold medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The Danes have also won the world championship three times in the last five years (2019, 2021, 2023). Germany is in the Olympic final for the third time. Germany’s only gold medal to date was in men’s handball in 1980 in Moscow.
