Farewell to a legend

Bad defeat for the Germans in the handball final

Germany had no chance against Denmark in the final.(Bild: AFP/APA/Sameer Al-Doumy)

The conclusion of the Olympic Games in Paris did not go according to plan for the German men's handball team. In the final against Denmark, they never really got into the game and were without a chance from the very first minute. In the end, the Danes celebrated a clear 39:26 victory. 

The final was definitely a nice farewell for Mikkel Hansen, the Danes' long-time top star. He was able to experience some emotional farewell moments in the final minutes of the game, which had already been decided. It was the experienced team's second Olympic gold, having already triumphed in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Just like three years ago in Tokyo, Spain took bronze with a 23:22 (12:12) win over Slovenia.

Mikkel Hansen (left) celebrated a successful farewell.(Bild: AP/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The Germans, on the other hand, were clearly disappointed as they were caught cold by the power of the Danes. Their disappointment at the heavy defeat in the final was clearly evident at the final whistle. 

Historic victory for the Danes
In the Pierre Mauroy Stadium, the Danes clearly set the tone right from the start in front of almost 27,000 spectators. The Germans, who had eliminated hosts and defending champions France in the quarter-finals and Spain by a wafer-thin margin in the semi-finals, never got into the game. Coach Alfred Gislason's team had no chance in the face of the Scandinavians' offensive fireworks. World handball player Mathias Gidsel led his team with eleven goals. It was the highest victory ever in an Olympic final.

Denmark underlined its current dominance in men's handball. After the World Cup triumphs in 2019, 2021 and 2023 and the Olympic victory in 2016, this is the fifth major tournament victory in the past eight years. Three years ago in Tokyo, they narrowly lost to France in the final. Meanwhile, Hansen bid farewell as the 36-year-old ended his golden career.

Despite the bitter defeat in the final, it was the greatest success in recent history for the Germans. For the first time since 2004, they were back in an Olympic final and won silver, just like back then in Athens.