The runner-up in the handball tournament in Rio 2016 France qualified without problems for the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics, after easily winning against the world champion the Netherlands with 32:22 (19:11) in the last match of the quarter-finals.
Thus, France will play in the semifinals against the team of Sweden, which defeated the Republic of Korea with 39:30 and qualified for the first time in such a phase of the Olympics. The semifinal is on Friday (August 6). Before that is the first semifinal match between the champions of Rio 2016 from the Russian Olympic Committee, who defeated Montenegro with 32:26, and the European champions from Norway, who defeated Hungary with 26:22.
France beat the world champions from the Netherlands after scoring 7 unanswered goals in the first half for 12:3, which ended at 19:11. In the end, the French players, who are Olympic runners-up, won by 10 goals – 32:22, with the most productive being Laura Flippes with 6 goals. For the Netherlands, Angela Malestein finished with 5 goals.
“I do not realize at all, I am so happy to have won, with the manner in addition. We needed to meet again and after this match, we can say that the France team is back. We prepared for the match very, very well, very seriously”, said Laura Flippes after the match. “It was necessary to regain confidence all together, to find pleasure in playing. We were waiting for this click to advance in the competition”, added she.
