Allison Pineau, one of the most accomplished and respected figures in women's handball, has announced her retirement at the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, marking the end of an illustrious career that has spanned over 20 years and has left an indelible mark on the sport.

Pineau, the 2009 IHF Female Player of the Year, has completed the hat-trick of gold medals with the France national team, securing the titles at the 2017 IHF Women’s World Championship, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as well as the EHF EURO 2018.

The All-Star centre back at the 2009 and 2011 IHF Women’s World Championship editions, Pineau has also sealed three silver medals at the IHF Women’s World Championship, at China 2009, Brazil 2011 and Spain 2021, as well as the silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the bronze at the EHF EURO 2016.

For the France women’s senior national team, Pineau has featured 273 times – the fourth largest number of caps – and scored 696 goals – the fifth largest number of goals.

"The end of an extraordinary chapter in my life.Almost twenty years of loving you, hating you, running away from you on certain days, clinging to you constantly,” said Pineau in a heartfelt message on Instagram, announcing her retirement.

Born in Chartres, Pineau moved with her family in Aubervilliers, a suburb of French capital Paris, when she was only one year old, and started playing handball at the age of 12 years old, after also playing football, basketball and table tennis.

She made her professional debut in 2006, when she signed for Issy-les-Moulineaux, having already represented the France national at the youth level. One year later, when she was only 18 years old, Pineau made her debut in the France national team, in February 2007, in a friendly match against Chile.

“Thanks to your presence, I have experienced all the emotions, the most beautiful as well as the darkest, which have deeply hurt me. You were the catalyst for my most cherished aspirations, making me an accomplished woman. The kid from Aubervilliers has grown up. What makes me most proud is the woman I've become thanks to all our shared experiences. Thank you handball,” added Pineau.

At club level, Pineau has played for Issy-les-Moulineaux, Metz Handball, Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea, ŽRK Vardar, RK Krim, before a short return to France, at HBC Nîmes. She also featured at HCM Baia Mare, Brest Bretagne Handball, Paris 92, Budućnost Podgorica and RK Krim, before her final stint at Metz Handball, where she will try to win the EHF Champions League Women for the first time in her career.

In an interview for ihf.info in 2021, Pineau was pondering retirement, after a slew of injuries, yet was still back at her best, being selected for France’s team which won the silver medal at the 2021 IHF Women’s World Championship.

“Sometimes when I look back, it helps me to realise what I have done, accomplished, achieved, but it's not about the medals. It's more about what I went through during my career; ups and downs, rebounds and still being here. It's not easy to remain. The young generation are coming in, they are powerful and handball is evolving a lot,” said Pineau.

“I changed my physical preparation. I started to work with new staff in a different way in the approach of physical preparation. It helped me a lot but not only physically, of course I have changed (there), but also the way I think about that strength and conditioning. When you're getting older in your career, you know that certain things have to change because first of all, handball, and also the athletes, are also changing. They are physically more ready, there are more athletes and so many things are coming. I did not especially become vegan, but I am more attached about the details and the food that can make a difference. I'm flexitarian,” added the centre back.