DHB women stroll to best World Championship place in 16 years

They missed out on the World Championship medals, but the tournament is not over: Germany's handball players coped well with the setback against Sweden. Thanks to a convincing performance against the Czech Republic, the consolation prize is still in the bag.

Test of character passed, the consolation prize beckons: Germany's handball players have their sights firmly set on fifth place at the World Championships. Two days after the quarter-final knockout, national coach Markus Gaugisch's team easily defeated the Czech Republic 32:26 (14:12) and have already secured their best World Championship placing in 16 years ahead of the final clash with Montenegro or the Netherlands. "The first step has been taken. It wasn't so easy to get out of that after the negative experience against Sweden. That's why the win today was important - regardless of how it came about," said Gaugisch.

Shooting star Viola Leuchter scored six goals in the Jyske Bank Boxen to become the best scorer for the German Handball Federation (DHB), whose medal dream was shattered on Wednesday against the Swedes (20:27). The DHB team put in a mature performance against the Czech Republic, especially after the break. "I'm glad that we won the game like that. It was extremely important for us to get back on a certain high after the Sweden game," said Leuchter: "You could tell in the first period that we were missing something emotionally. I'm super happy that we did better in the second period."

The last time Germany finished in the top six at a World Championships was when they won the bronze medal in 2007. The final result at the World Championships in Scandinavia will decide whether the DHB women will fight for a ticket to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris next April in a supposedly easier qualifying tournament.

Full throttle from the start

Germany hardly needed any time to get going at the unusual kick-off time of 11.30 am. Unlike in the Sweden match, when Gaugisch's team had not scored for almost the entire opening quarter of an hour, the DHB women were immediately awake and built up a lead. The 0:1 (3rd) was the only deficit in what was ultimately a one-sided game.

Nonetheless, the Czech women, who had surprisingly advanced to the knockout round, kept up for a comparatively long time. The DHB team pulled five goals ahead in the first period at 7:2 (12'). However, too many missed shots in their own attack meant that the game remained open until the break.

However, Germany picked up the pace again after the break. With a 4:0 run, the DHB women gained a six-goal lead for the first time, which gave them a lot of security and significantly slowed down the Czech resistance. Nevertheless, Gaugisch only made a few changes. Leuchter, who is only 19 years old and from Leverkusen, got a lot of playing time, proving her qualities in offense and, unlike in previous tournaments, was also used in defense. In front of a dismal crowd of only around 200 spectators, there was no more excitement in the second half.

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Despite missing out on a World Championship medal, Germany's handball team aims to secure fifth place at the Handball World Cup, having already achieved their best placement in 16 years following their victory against the Czech Republic in the consolation match.

In the World Handball Championships, Germany displayed a strong performance, comfortably defeating the Czech Republic 32:26 to secure their top-six finish, which could potentially qualify them for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Source: www.ntv.de