Award Nominees

Olivier Krumbholz

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Already IHF World Coach of the Year – Female team(s) in 2018, Olivier Krumbholz has enjoyed another superb year with France’s women’s national team in 2021. Having never won the Olympic Games gold medal in his career, Krumbholz led France to a flawless display in the knockout phase at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, despite losing two games in the group phase.

With their trademark defensive game, France played their best handball exactly when it mattered most, adding the Olympic gold medal to their collection. A few months later, ‘Les Bleues’ were close to seal an emphatic double at the IHF Women’s World Championship, but an unexpected letdown saw them clinch the silver medal after a loss against Norway in the final. Nevertheless, Krumbholz, who has led France in over 400 games in his two stints, improved his overall tally in major tournaments to 12 medals.