Spain finished the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on a high, delivering a hard-fought win against Slovenia, 23:22, to seal their fifth bronze medal in history – a record number for the men’s handball competition at the Olympic Games.

PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES
BRONZE MEDAL MATCH
Spain vs Slovenia 23:22 (12:12)

No team had previously won more bronze medals at the Olympics than Spain, with “Los Hispanos” having the largest experience in this situation in the men’s handball competition. 

In fact, Spain had a 100% record in the bronze medal matches, winning four times out of four tries. Add the fact that they had previously beaten Slovenia twice in 2024, 32:22 at the Paris 2024 Men’s Olympic Qualification Tournament they hosted in March, and 25:22 in the preliminary round at Paris, and they looked like favourites in the next-to-last match at Paris 2024.

But Slovenia made their intentions clear. “If we finish fourth or eleventh, it is more or less the same thing, there is no medal,” said captain Jure Dolenec before the match. In their maiden bronze medal match, Slovenia were aiming high and trying to write another chapter of history for their country.

This time around, the match was even more balanced than the one in the preliminary round. Understandably so, with a medal on the line, Slovenia gave it their all, with players like Miha Zarabec, Jure Dolenec or Dean Bombac, hugely experienced backs, probably featuring for the last time at the Olympics.

Once again, the top goal scorer of the competition before the last day, back Aleks Vlah, was rested in the first 10 minutes by coach Uros Zorman, but Slovenia threw off their bronze medal match, a nerve wrecking contest in its own respect, in good shape, taking the lead several times, including a two-goal lead, 6:4, after 15 minutes.

But Spain had the experience on their side and despite another uneventful outing for their usual free-flowing attack, bounced back and claimed the lead with a 4:1 run, spurred by two goals from right back Jorge Maqueda, and one goal from right wing Aleix Gomez.

Backed by some fantastic saves from goalkeeper Klemen Ferlin, who had previously stopped seven of the first 11 shots he faced, Slovenia bounced back and the score was tied at the break, 12:12, with a close encounter emerging, even if the top goal scorer of the competition, Vlah, who had 53 goals before the start of the bronze medal match, failed to score at least once in the first half.

He quickly entered in shape in the second part, putting two goals past goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez de Vargas, but Spain established their first two-goal lead, 16:14, as Slovenia looked to be lagging. Yet just like in the semi-final against Denmark, Uros Zorman’s side never backed down.

From there on, it was a nip-and-tuck battle. Each time Spain scored, Slovenia replied. But then, in the final minutes of the match, Spain’s experience in these types of situations showed. 

Usually, “Los Hispanos” won their matches with some excellent attacking plays. This time around, it was their defence which stood tall. As Slovenia faltered and their attack could simply not deliver, Spain pulled some excellent defensive stops, limiting their opponents to only two goals in the last nine minutes.

And while Slovenia did have the chance to make it into extra-time, their last attack had no plan, not even with a seven-on-six display by coach Uros Zorman, as Borut Mackovsek’s last shot was stopped by Gonzalo Perez de Vargas, with his ninth save of the match.

Spain will surely be satisfied with another bronze medal, their fifth, at the Olympics, while Slovenia players are due to lament their missed chances, as they could not deliver in the crucial moments of the business end of the competition, finishing with two losses, both by a single goal, against Denmark and Spain.