A new star is rising: Denmark's Thomas Arnoldsen enjoys fantastic debut at Paris 2024

Back in the summer of 2023, Thomas Sommer Arnoldsen, one of the hottest talents in Danish handball, moved from Skanderborg-Aarhus to Aalborg Handbold, where he was supposed to link up with several high-profile stars like Mikkel Hansen and Niklas Landin. But the 22-year-old centre back had an issue.

After some tough seasons, Sommer Arnoldsen starting to feel burnt out. Therefore, the talented back entered into an overload management programme, with Aalborg taking care of their hugely talented back, who returned to the court after more than four months. 

And he was back with a bang. Not only he was an influential player for Aalborg Handbold in the EHF Champions League Men, where the Danish side secured a place in the final, losing against Barcelona, but he also caught the eye of Denmark men’s national team coach, Nikolaj Jacobsen.

“I had some issues, of course, when I stopped playing for a few months, but I am really happy that I am back and playing here, at the Olympics,” says the All-Star centre back of the M20 EHF EURO 2022, only two summers ago, when he was playing at the junior level.

Just as Mathias Gidsel had limited experience before shining at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where he was named the MVP of the competition, Sommer Arnoldsen is making his debut at a major international competition at Paris 2024.

“I could not even begin to dream about being here, in the national team, because in the first half of the season, I was not even playing handball. And also because in Denmark there are so many good players. So I'm really proud of the 14 players on this team and playing at the Olympics now,” says the 22-year-old centre back.

With only seven matches for Denmark and 21 goals scored before the start of the competition, Sommer Arnoldsen was definitely the player with the least experience coming into Paris 2024, but Jacobsen’s confidence was unwavering, as he also did with Gidsel and left back Simon Pytlick in the last years.

In fact, for a team like Denmark, which won the last three editions of the IHF Men’s World Championship, the silver medal at the EHF EURO 2024 and at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, it has become normal to promote young and hugely talented players, who are cutting their teeth in high-stakes competitions.

But there is one common denominator. None of these players has actually disappointed, making it difficult for experienced stars, like Mikkel Hansen, to break into the starting seven. Indeed, Hansen started the opening match against France, but was replaced in the first half, while Arnoldsen was a starter in Denmark’s second win, against Egypt.

“My mindset is just going at the court and playing handball. I play with amazing teammates. It's made it a lot easier for me to play my kind of handball. So I think that is the key was why I can play at this level and deliver some good performances over the first matches at the Olympics so far,” says the centre back.

So far, that has worked like a charm. Denmark have scored 67 goals, with Gidsel putting 19 past the Scandinavian’s side opponents, while Pytlick has 18 goals. Surprisingly enough, Arnoldsen has 11 goals, making the trio score 48 of Denmark’s 67 goals, or 71% of the team’s total in their first two matches.

But apart from the numbers, it is the sheer mechanism of Denmark which really impresses. It looks like Arnoldsen has been playing forever alongside his teammates, despite him being 22 years old, Pytlick 23 and Gidsel only 25. Fast-paced, free-flowing, the Denmark attack has been unstoppable.

“I never felt pressure, it's not a pressure to play with such great teammates. It's just making things easier for me. Mathias [Gidsel] can make more space to me and Mikkel [Hansen] has the best shot in the whole world. So I just love playing with them and they have bigger experience and then they can tell me what I should do in some moments,” adds Arnoldsen.

With the three backs, Denmark look set for the next decade, at least in the back line, as both Gidsel and Pytlick have been already selected in the All-Star team at the IHF Men’s World Championship. With Arnoldsen just starting his journey at the senior level, what’s there to stop Denmark for the Olympic title first and then for their quadruple at the IHF Men’s World Championship?