Germany won a hard-fought 34-31 victory against Austria in Men's handball Olympic qualifying tournament The competition will be held in Hannover on Sunday (March 17) in a bid to qualify for the 2024 Paris Games.
The neighboring countries were engaged in an epic battle, with the latter narrowly winning by three points and securing a spot at the quadrennial trade fair.
The match was a repeat of the 1936 Olympic final, with the result once again going in favor of Germany. Since this final, Austria has not qualified for an Olympic handball tournament.
Germany entered the half-time break with just a three-point lead and maintained that advantage in the second half to win. The hosts twice held a five-goal lead in this match, but the brave Austrians chased them back and turned the game around, resulting in a close game.
The Austrians went into the game with a glimmer of hope after a 22-22 draw with Germany at the European Championship two months ago.
Germany has played in all but one of the 14 Olympic handball tournaments since winning the first gold medal in 1936.
Norway and Croatia had one game each on Saturday to secure their place in Paris 2024, with three more teams confirmed on Sunday.
*National Olympic Committees have the exclusive authority to represent their countries at the Olympic Games, and athletes and teams' participation in the Paris Games depends on their selection by the NOCs to their delegations to the Paris 2024 Games. I am.
More to come…
