Paris 2024 | Reigning champions France deliver winning start against plucky Hungary

Hosts and reigning Olympic champions France delivered a winning start to their Paris 2024 campaign, coming back after they were down early, to clinch a morale-infusing win against Hungary, 31:28.

PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES – PRELIMINARY ROUND
GROUP B
Hungary vs France 28:31 (12:15)

Pressure can get to even the most experienced players. This France team are the reigning Olympic champions, have basically won everything there is to win in women’s handball, but the nerves still hit as they made their debut at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the South Paris Arena 6.

For 10 minutes, Hungary looked to have a strong position, as left back Csenge Kuczora totally outplayed the normally sturdy France defence, scoring three times, and leading her side to a 6:2 lead, to add even more pressure on the hosts, which were looking for their sixth consecutive win to start an edition of the Olympic Games.

But then again, France are used to come from behind, impose their defence-minded game and start dominating their opponent. And why would that be different now, exactly when the reigning Olympic champions were aiming to showcase their talents and create history with back-to-back Olympic titles on their home court?

Backed by a fantastic performance from Meline Nocandy, who scored three times and delivered three assists in the first half, France started to eat into Hungary’s lead. First, they cut the gap to a single goal, then used a 4:0 unanswered run for the first lead change of the match, 10:8, with 11 minutes to go in the first half.

For five minutes and 20 seconds, Hungary failed to score, while Laura Glauser recorded two of her three saves in the first half to apply even more pressure on their opponents, as France finally took a 15:12 lead at the break, which seemed to flummox the young Hungary side.

As Hatadou Sako replaced Glauser between the posts in the start of the second half, the goalkeeper saved two of the first three shots she faced, with France’s opponents left with too many questions to answer in attack, as Olivier Krumbholz’s side finally displayed the type of defence which made them so great over the past years.

Yet Hungary, well-known for being relentless, did their utmost to record a winning start at Paris 2024. Never backing down from a challenge, with Kuczora and right wing Viktoria Gyori-Lukacs firing from all cylinders and combining for 11 goals, Hungary cut the gap the one goal and exerted some serious pressure on France.

But each time, France had an answer. Distributing their attacks incredibly well – nine of their 12 outfield players scored at least one goal – the reigning Olympic champions defended well, scored when they needed to, and created another three-goal lead, 29:26, with three minutes to go.

It was the point of no return for Hungary, as Estelle Nze Minko took over and scored two crucial goals in crunch time, to give France their sixth consecutive winning start at the Olympic Games, 31:28, a win which will surely galvanise their spirit and try to deliver the base for another medal-challenging campaign.

On the other hand, Hungary got probably the most difficult start possible at Paris 2024, but the European side proved they belong here and can be a tough challenger for any opponent in Group B.