Norway vs ROC: Who wins the big rematch?

05 Aug. 2021

Norway vs ROC: Who wins the big rematch?

Three of the four teams that contested the last Olympic semi-finals are ready to do so again as the women’s penultimate stage takes place on Friday. One semi-final in the Tokyo 2020 women’s handball competition will see a rematch of the same stage at Rio 2016, Norway versus ROC, while the other will feature debutants in this stage taking on the current vice-champions in handball’s most powerful continent, as Sweden meet France. 

While France, Sweden and ROC had remarkably strong wins in their quarter-finals, it is something of a surprise that Norway – the only team at Tokyo 2020 to arrive in the knock-out round with a perfect record – faced the biggest challenge in theirs. Norway were served quite the fight from Hungary, who had secured their quarter-final berth on the final day of the preliminary round while the Scandinavian side earned the right to progress far earlier. After a close fight, the game was won with the entry of goalkeeper Katrine Lunde, whose critical saves stemmed the flow of Hungarian goals and pushed Norway to the win. 

For Lunde and specialist defender Marit Malm Frafjord, it is the fourth straight Olympic semi-final they have qualified for. For Norway overall, it is the eighth in eight Olympic campaigns. The record did appear perilously close to ending before Lunde stepped on court in the quarter-final, as Hungary had the edge many times in the second period and Norway usually flawless attack was certainly challenged. 

But in the end Norway clinched the win to progress and they will fight for the medals for the fourth consecutive time after taking gold at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and bronze at Rio 2016, where it was their semi-final opponents ROC who clinched an historic first gold medal. It was also ROC who Norway beat in the 2008 final. 

“It’s a defeat that we won’t forget about,” said Lunde about the Rio 2016 semi-final. “We always want to find a way to beat them. There’s quite a lot to play for and we really want to get to that final.”
 

Lunde


In earlier editions of the Games, Norway earned bronze in 2000 and silver in 1992 and 1988. Should Norway win the semi-final, it will be their 40th victory at the Olympics, after they already passed Republic of Korea in the all-time standings for wins at the Games during Tokyo 2020. 

Norway lost the chance to become three-time back-to-back gold-medal winners at Rio 2016 when they were defeated by none other than ROC by one goal in the semi-final. That campaign had seen ROC arrive at the semi-final with a perfect record of wins while Norway had lost their opener to Brazil before taking victories in the rest of their games. At Tokyo 2020, it is Norway who reach the semi-finals with the perfect record while ROC suffered a loss and a draw alongside four victories up to this point. 

Anna Vyakhireva highlighted several elements that have changed for the side since their rocky start at Tokyo 2020: “The energy, the spirit, the desire, I can see that in everyone’s eyes now. This is the most important thing – when you fight for every centimetre of the court.”
 

Vyakhireva


Since Rio 2016, both Norway and ROC have collected medals to add to their impressive collections. Norway took silver at the 2017 World Championship and won the EHF EUROs in 2016 and 2020. ROC were the silver medallists at the EHF EURO 2018 and bronze medallists at the 2019 World Championship — where they beat Norway to that third place. The finals lost by Norway and ROC at the 2017 World Championship and EURO 2018 were both to fellow Tokyo 2020 semi-finalists France. 

Will ROC progress to the final again or will Norway return to the Olympic gold-medal match? 

2016 finalists versus semi-final debutants

The third Rio 2016 medallists to reach the Tokyo 2020 semi-finalists, France, will meet debutants in this stage – and not only a nation that has reached the women’s Olympic semi-finals for the first time, but a team that features nine players in their first Games. 

Experience has not proven a factor for Sweden so far at Tokyo 2020, where they have lost only one game, against a determined Hungary who had quarter-final qualification on the line in their preliminary game against the Scandinavian side. It appears that the team are in an outstanding position both tactically and mentally, so perhaps the lesser experience in this stage of the competition will not be important when Sweden take the court against France. 

On their side, France have been one of the powerhouses in women’s handball since reaching the final at Rio 2016. They followed that medal with a bronze at the EHF EURO 2016, the world title in 2017, the European title in 2018 and then another EURO final appearance in 2020 where they lost to Norway. In 2019, France had a shock early exit from the World Championship in the preliminary round, but the squad have clearly bounced back from that experience and perhaps only grown from it. 

France have a very strong record against Sweden, having not lost against the Scandinavian side in World Championships or Olympic Games since 1990. However, their run of wins against Sweden – six spanning from 2001 to 2017 – came to an end at Tokyo 2020 when the teams drew in the preliminary round. 

“I know it's going to be a very tough and hard game. We could see that in the group phase. Sweden play fast and run a lot,” said France back Allison Pineau, while Sweden’s Johanna Westberg commented: 

“I'm honoured and very glad to write some history for the Swedish team [with the semi-final appearance]. Since this tournament started we've gone from strength to strength.” 

Full schedule for Friday 6 August 
All times local

17:00 France vs Sweden
21:00 Norway vs ROC