Big ask for the USA at Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025, with an eye for the LA 2028 Olympics
17 Jan. 2025

Last summer, Drew Donlin was basking in the sandy court at the ‘IHF Beach Handball Showcase’ which took place on the fringes of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, as one of the 64 athletes which played beach handball in Paris.
Four years later, he aims to be one of the veterans of the United States of America men’s senior team which will be the hosts at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, where the American side will return for the first time since hosting the competition at Atlanta 1996.
But until then, there are some intermediate objectives, such as competing at the IHF Men’s World Championship. The first chance? Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025, where Donlin, a serving member of both the US Air Force and US Space Force, has been donning the USA shirt.
“Of course, the LA 2028 Olympics are a big dream for every player involved here. It is something amazing and something we are preparing for and looking forward to, because it is a huge chance for the sport in the USA,” says Donlin.
Nicknamed “Captain America” by the Spanish media when he was playing for two seasons between 2019 and 2021 for Spanish outfit Abanca Ademar Leon, Donlin returned to the USA in 2021, featuring for the San Francisco CalHeat and the California Eagles at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship.
Aged 32, he will be one of the most experienced players in the USA side at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and is arguably one of the most experienced players in the roster at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, where USA lost in the first match against Portugal, 21:30.
“It is always a great experience and I think we did pretty well against Portugal, losing against a more experienced European team by single digits, nine goals. Of course, we want more, we want to be more competitive, but we are here and we are learning a lot,” said Donlin.
The USA are featuring for their second consecutive IHF Men’s World Championship edition, and Poland/Sweden 2023 has been nothing short of special for the American side, where they stopped a 25-match losing streak, to clinch their first win, against Morocco, 29:28, in a fantastic turn of events.
They made it to the main round, where they sealed another win, against Belgium, to end up on the 20th place, which was not their best finish in history, due to the number of teams taking part, but it was a huge step for Robert Hedin’s side.
“Our group in this edition is even more difficult, we have Portugal, Brazil and Norway, all very good and very experienced teams. But we are here to try our best and we will do that in all the matches we play,” says Donlin, as the USA will have their work cut out in the preliminary round.
The first match was a 21:30 loss against Portugal, but the USA arguably produced some good handball, especially in the second half, where they managed to limit the damage. Donlin himself scored one goal, while wings Samuel Hoddersen and Sean Corning added 10 goals between them to keep the gap in single digits.
This was partly because the USA have gained more experience and have featured in friendly matches against Sweden and France, two powerhouses of the sport, in the previous two years, learning to keep up with the stronger teams on a step-by-step basis.
For this edition and the next one, Germany 2027, of the IHF Men’s World Championship, the USA are sure to be in the 32-team line-up, receiving wild cards for a better preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. But in these past years, the American side proved they belong here, cutting the gap to the big dogs in the sport.
For Donlin, this experience is invaluable, as well as for his teammates, several who are based outsides of the States, in Europe. But the core of the team is still Los Angeles-based, Donlin included, therefore the next edition of the Olympics will hit close to heart.
But until 2028, Los Angeles is currently battling an outbreak of wild fires, which affected big chunks of the city, ripping through homes and taking at least 25 lives throughout the last weeks, leaving behind destruction and trauma.
For Donlin, a LA-based athlete, this hit hard, especially as he has been away for the last weeks, preparing and competing for the event in Croatia, Denmark and Norway, following the news on his phone.
“It has been devastating. Luckily for us, my home was not affected, but everybody knows somebody whose life has been turned upside down. It is devastating to see this and to follow the news, but I really hope everybody is going to be ok,” says Donlin.
“We are representing America and we are also representing the people who lost their houses and everything they owned, we are thinking about them. It is very hard for a lot of people now.”