With only five appearances at the IHF Women’s World Championship, Paraguay are one of the least experienced teams featuring in the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualification Tournaments. The South American team made their debut at France 2007, where they finished 23rd, and went on to finish 21st at Serbia 2013 and Germany 2017, and 29th at Spain 2021 and Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023.

Slovenia have never made it to the Olympic Games, but under the guidance of coach Dragan Adzic, they are in with a chance now, after consistent performances at the EHF EURO 2022 and the 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship, where they finished eighth and 11th respectively, some of their best performances in history.

ince its formation in 2006, after obtaining its independence, Montenegro have been present at three editions of the Olympic Games – London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. The European side’s best performance was the silver medal 12 years ago, when they lost the big final against Norway.

Germany have always been a perennial contender in women’s handball, but at the Olympic Games, their history is scarce, with only four appearances. Germany finished fourth at Los Angeles 1984 and Barcelona 1992, sixth at Atlanta 1996 and 11th at Beijing 2008.

Torrevieja and the Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament #2 represents the third time Spain have found themselves in the last-chance competition to grab a ticket to an Olympic Games – and the third time they will play it on home soil.

It also represents the third time they will face Argentina for a spot in an Olympics with the South Americans joined by Czechia and Netherlands, the quartet of teams battling for one of the two spots available in the southern Spanish town through to Paris 2024.

When the Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament groups were confirmed last December, everyone connected with handball in Argentina must have thought history was repeating.

In their two previous Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament appearances, Argentina travelled to Spain both times in pursuit of the golden ticket – first to Guadalajara for a place at London 2012 and then to Liria in 2021, for the delayed Tokyo 2020.