Team Handball at the Olympics
Handball was first introduced at the Olympic Games at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin (see Field Handball 1936), in a competition for men only, and was played outdoors on a grass surface. The sport was dropped from the program after this single appearance, and not played again until 1952, when field handball was again played, though this time as a demonstration sport (see Field Handball 1952).
handball competition at the 2000 Sydney OlympicsThe sport returned as an official sport for the 1972 Olympics, in its current format as an indoor sport. The women's handball competition was added to the program at the 1976 Summer Games.
Handball at the Paris 2024 Olympics
The format in Paris involves 12 teams for each of the men and women, competing in two groups in a round robin format, followed by knockout matches. This format has remained unchanged since 2000 for the men and since 2008 for the women.
Trivia
- The best all-time performing handball players at the Olympic Games are Michaël Guigou, Nikola Karabatic and Luc Abalo. They have each won three gold medals and a silver competing for France from 2008 to 2020. See more on the Greatest Handball Players at the Olympics.
Related Pages
- Field Handball is a discontinued Olympic event
- Field Handball as an Olympic demonstration sport
- Other Handball Major Events
- More about the sport of Handball
- List of Olympic Sports
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