Korea exit Olympic handball tournament after 28-20 loss to Denmark

Korea crashed out of the women’s handball tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday, losing 28-20 in their final group stage game at South Paris Arena in Paris.

Korea's Song Ji-young attempts to score past Denmark players during a women's handball match in Paris on Saturday. [AP/YONHAP]

Korea crashed out of the women’s handball tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Saturday, losing 28-20 in their final group stage game at South Paris Arena in Paris.

Korea went into Saturday’s game knowing that they needed either a win, draw or improbably high score line to overtake Germany for the coveted fourth place in Group A and a ticket to the quarterfinals. Doing so against Denmark, who already had three wins to Korea’s one, was always going to be a tall order.

Korea took a 2-0 lead early in the first half, but quickly fell behind and remained that way, arriving at halftime down 12-8. Attempts to rally in the second half did not pay off, and Korea ended the game down 28-20 and an early exit from the tournament.

Korea started the tournament confidently, beating Germany 23-22 in the opening game. A 30-23 loss to Slovenia, arguably the weakest team in the group, in the second game knocked Korea on the backfoot, before faced the northern European heavyweights: Norway, Sweden and Denmark.

Saturday’s loss also spells an end to team sports for Korea in Paris — following a series of upsets, Korea ended up qualifying for no other team sport at the Olympics, leaving the women’s handball squad as the only ones flying the flag in a team competition.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]