Denmark secured their first bronze medal in history and the fourth overall in thw women’s handball competition at the Olympic Games, with a 30:25 win over Sweden in the bronze medal match at Paris 2024, their fourth medal in the last three years in major international competitions.

PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES
BRONZE MEDAL MATCH
Denmark vs Sweden 30:25 (15:13)

The current iteration of Denmark women’s senior national team had plenty of experience in bronze medal matches and knew what it took to secure a podium finish, after finishing third at the 2021 and 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship editions. 

The last time around, they beat Sweden, 28:27, and now they needed to do it again to secure their first medal in 20 years at the Olympics, after they had taken part only once in the competition since Athens 2004.

But Sweden were no pushovers and were just a goal away to reach the final instead of the bronze medal match, conceding a devastating 28:31 loss in extra-time against France in the semi-finals, a loss which surely has affected the Scandinavian side mentally.

Yet there was nothing to separate the two teams in the first 10 minutes of the match, when Sweden’s defence stood tall, despite their issues in the goalkeeping department, taking a 5:4 early lead, courtesy of two goals from centre back Jamina Roberts. For Denmark, it could have been even worse, but goalkeeper Sandra Toft, starting in Althea Reinhardt’s place, delivered a fantastic start of the match.

Toft, who saved six of the first 11 shots she faced, for a 55% saving efficiency, was at the crux of a 4:0 unanswered run for Denmark, which prevented Sweden to score for exactly five minutes, as the match was turned on its head, with Jesper Jensen’s side taking a 8:5 lead in the middle of the first half.

From that moment on, Denmark started to control the match and manage the score, with Toft continuing to make fantastic saves, but the score was still balanced at half-time, where Denmark boasted a two-goal lead, 15:13, making it an even more interesting second half, with a bronze medal on the line.

40 minutes in, after Nathalie Hagman’s fourth goal in the match, which helped her become the first player to score 40 times in the women’s handball competition at Paris 2024, Sweden were also two goals down, 19:17, despite Denmark previously holding a four-goal lead, as the match was always going to be on a knife’s edge.

The lead yo-yoed throughout the second half, with Sweden once again coming as close as two goals, 23:21, with nine minutes to go, but then Denmark were once again impressive in attack, with Jensen deploying the seven-on-six at times, just enough to finally put a final dent into Sweden’s chances, taking a five-goal lead for the first time in the 55th minute, 28:23.

With 10 outfield players scoring at least one goal, Toft finishing the match with a 40% saving efficiency and 16 saves and the attack being as efficient as ever in these Olympics edition, Denmark eventually sealed a 30:25 win, ending the competition on a high and beating Sweden for the second time in 10 days, after their previous 25:23 win in the preliminary round.

Finishing the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with a win brought Denmark their maiden bronze medal in the history of the competition, and their fourth of their overall tally in the women’s handball competition, after the gold three-peat at Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.

This is also their fourth medal in the last four years, after the bronze medals secured at the 2021 and 2023 editions of the IHF Women’s World Championship, as well as the silver medal at the EHF EURO 2022, making them one of the most consistent teams in women’s handball.

On the other hand, Sweden conceded another painful loss in a bronze medal match, just like at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, when the Scandinavian side lost against another rival, Norway.