Paris 2024 Olympics: terrible scenario for the French handball team, defeated in extra time by Germany

Les Bleus de Dika Mem sont éliminés du tournoi olympique. MAXPPP – ALEX PLAVEVSKI

While still leading with four seconds left in the match, the French team scuttled itself against Germany (35-34), letting its hopes of an Olympic medal slip away in the quarter-finals of its own Games, Wednesday at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

This sequence will remain one of the nightmares of French fans in these Olympics: France was leading (29-28) and had possession of the ball in midfield, a few moments before what should have been a liberating whistle, when Dika Mem inexplicably sent the ball into the German arms, allowing them to equalize.

Instead of a great sigh of relief, the 27,000 or so spectators at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, who had been in meltdown until then, fell silent, seized by a cold stupor. As they feared, the trend was then reversed, and the Germans dominated the French in extra time, winning a match they should have lost, thanks to a magnificent mental strength.

Conversely, that of the French handball players, reigning Olympic champions, failed at the worst moment, because of an individual foul by one of their best players.

The exit is also cruel for Nikola Karabatic, considered the best player in the world, certainly the best Frenchman at the height of his extraordinary record punctuated by four world titles, four European titles, and three Olympic gold medals.

He had only continued his career for the fourth, it will never happen. “There must be a 1% chance that they come back and win and it happens. It's terrible to have a stroke of fate like that”, he declared. The 40-year-old centre-half was applauded at length by the entire stadium and both teams at the end of the match, in a tribute worthy of his career.

A failed Olympic tournament

This premature exit concludes the chaotic Olympic tournament for Guillaume Gille's players, who never found the right formula. The two worrying defeats against Denmark (37-29) then against Norway (27-22) foreshadowed the worst.

Even if the Blues dismissed these bad signs at the cost of a miraculous draw in front of Egypt (26-26), then victories bringing a little hope against Argentina (28-21), then against Hungary (24-20), they were not wrong: the blue-white-red machine did not never launched during these Games.

Even the move of the Arena Paris Sud (7,900 seats) to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy and its some 27,000 spectators did not allow it to get going.

Everything started well for the Blues in this match: solid in defense, in line with their last matches, and even exciting in attack, they led by three goals at half-time (17- 14). Dika Mem (ten goals) and Elohim Prandi (four) were then the spearheads of the French offensive game, well surrounded by pivots Ludovic Fabregas and Nicolas Tournat.

But this attack gradually stalled, unlike the German machine, led by Renars Uscins (fourteen goals). Goalkeeper Vincent Gérard (42% of attempts rejected, 24/57) slowed down the Germans' comeback for a long time, putting in a dazzling performance to the cheers of the public.

But that wasn't enough. Because of a cursed end to the match.