German handballers shine at the Olympic preliminaries
**German national coach Alfred Gislason travels with the German men's handball team to the Olympics in Paris with "great anticipation". They back up their medal aspirations with a 35:25 win against Japan. The women's team scores a 27:20 victory against Brazil.
Thousands of fans in Stuttgart bid farewell to their handball heroes with standing ovations, black-red-gold flags, and "Deutschland, Deutschland" chants as they head to the Olympics. The teams soaked up the electrifying atmosphere for minutes on end, with broad grins, before boarding the train to the season's peak in Paris.
The German handball teams have masterfully completed their preparations for the Olympics and have gained even more self-confidence for the tasks in Paris. The women's team secured their victory with a 27:20 (14:8) win over Brazil, and the men's team backed up their medal aspirations with a 35:25 (22:15) win against the overwhelmed round-robin opponent Japan. In front of 5641 spectators in Stuttgart, Justus Fischer and Tim Hornke each scored six goals, while Annika Lott added six more.
"This last game was important for us. We are satisfied with our performance and can build on it. The tough preparation has paid off, and we are ready for Paris. The anticipation is incredibly great. We don't want to just be there," said Captain Johannes Golla. National coach Alfred Gislason was "overall" satisfied with his team's performance. "We weren't as stable as against Hungary, but I learned a lot," the Icelander said at Sport1's microphone. He travels to Paris with "great anticipation". "The team has done very well so far. There's a great atmosphere in the team."
Fischer gets into his stride
The men start their Olympic tournament against the EM third-place finisher Sweden on Saturday. Other opponents in the race for the quarterfinals include Japan, Croatia, Spain, and Slovenia. The women's competition begins on Thursday with their mandatory match against South Korea. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Slovenia are their subsequent opponents.
Gislason's team was superior to the Japanese in all aspects. In one-on-one battles, the relatively small Asians had no chance against Germany's handball giants Golla and Julian Köster. After just 15 minutes, the German squad led by six goals (11:5). Although the host team allowed some easy ball losses and did not perfectly harmonize in defense, this did not significantly affect the result. The excitement on the Stuttgart benches began to wane only when goalkeeper Andreas Wolff went to the bench and pressed an ice pack on his recently bandaged thigh. Olympia reserve player Justus Fischer scored five goals in seven minutes from the sideline.
After the break, the German play became more error-prone. The white-clad national players were particularly unfocused in their counterattacks. Japan, which never posed a serious threat, could not take advantage of the German team's momentary weakness. On the contrary: The lead continued to grow, and it was first two-digit 15 minutes before the end (29:19).**
Led by goalkeeper Sarah Wachter, the DHB women also sent a clear message to the Olympic competition. In the first half alone, the last defender thwarted ten attacks from the Brazilians, who were once again hopeless after their victory in the preliminary round. The German defense was significantly more aggressive in defense. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of converting chances, according to Gaugisch, looking at the Scandinavian teams. "We need to make these simple goals. Sometimes we act too complicated," lamented the 50-year-old. Above all, to beat the Scandinavians, we need more effectiveness in finishing.
The German handball national coach Alfred Gislason expresses his excitement as he prepares to travel with the men's handball team to the Olympic Games in Paris, following their impressive win against Japan. The DBH (German Handball Federation) women's team also showcases their strength with a victory against Brazil, boosting their confidence for the upcoming Olympic competition.
