Olympic expert hopes to break the silver curse

Four times has Sweden been in the OS final in handball. Just as many times has it ended with silver. Maybe it's time to break the silver curse in Paris? It's absolutely not impossible, says Kim Andersson, one of Max's handball experts during the OS.

» Updated: August 09 2024

» Published: July 22 2024

Olympic expert hopes to break the silver curse
Photo: MAJA SUSLIN / TT

Four times has Sweden been in the Olympic handball final. Just as many times has it ended with silver. Maybe it's time to break the silver curse in Paris?

It's absolutely not impossible, says Kim Andersson, one of Max's handball experts during the Olympics.

Kim Andersson was one of the big stars when Sweden took Olympic silver in London 2012 – the Swedish men's handball team's first Olympic medal since the "Bengan Boys", when Sweden with Bengt "Bengan" Johansson as national team captain played three consecutive Olympic finals 1992–2000.

When Andersson is now preparing for the Olympics in Paris, it's in a new role – as a TV expert.

This is a new chapter in my life, to sit on the side and try to talk to the people about handball. If I'm not just as nervous, almost, for this task. But it's going to be incredibly fun.

"An exciting cocktail"

He believes that both the Swedish women and men have a chance to fight for Olympic medals in Paris.

Looking at the latest championships, I don't see why you can't call Sweden a favorite or candidate to take an Olympic medal, on both the women's and men's sides. There are many young players who are coming up now who have taken their place in European handball, who are in good teams and have gotten routine, and together with those who have been around a bit longer, it becomes an exciting cocktail we have there.

The silver curse, will it be broken this year?

It's absolutely not impossible. It's not much that separates the teams at the top. Every time it hasn't gone Sweden's way, it's been small margins, so I sincerely hope it's this year, it would have been fantastically fun if Sweden gets to take that long-awaited Olympic gold.

Warning for Norway

However, there are several strong gold candidates. On the women's side, Andersson lifts up neighboring countries Norway and Denmark – and on the men's side, the reigning Olympic champions will be tough.

Looking at the women's side, Norway is incredibly strong. Denmark has sailed up, and Sweden is one of the candidates. The three, along with Hungary, who did well in the qualifiers, says Andersson and continues:

On the men's side, there's Denmark, and France with a home championship. It's clear that they're heavy, plus they're on home turf with the fans behind them. But I mean, Sweden, and Norway shouldn't be counted out either, there will absolutely be chances for Sweden.

Josefin Ulriksson/TT

Facts: Men's Handball Tournament in the Olympics

TT

Group A: Spain, Croatia, Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Japan.

Group B: Denmark, Norway, Hungary, France, Egypt, Argentina.

The four top teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals.

Sweden's matches (in Paris):

July 27: Germany (7:00 PM)

July 29: Spain (4:00 PM)

July 31: Slovenia (4:00 PM)

August 2: Croatia (2:00 PM)

August 4: Japan (9:00 AM)

Quarterfinals, semifinals, and medal matches will be played in Lille on August 7, 9, and 11, respectively.

Group A: Norway, Germany, Slovenia, Sweden, Denmark, South Korea.

Group B: Hungary, Netherlands, Spain, France, Brazil, Angola.

The four top teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals.

Sweden's matches (in Paris):

July 25: Norway (9:00 PM)

July 28: Germany (2:00 PM)

July 30: Denmark (9:00 PM)

August 1: South Korea (11:00 AM)

August 3: Slovenia (4:00 PM)

Quarterfinals, semifinals, and medal matches will be played in Lille on August 6, 8, and 10, respectively.

Tags

TTT
By TT - Translated and adapted by Sweden Herald

More news

Swedes Shine in Toronto's 6-2
1 MIN READ

Swedes Shine in Toronto's 6-2 Rout of Ottawa

Lindblad claims LPGA title in
2 MIN READ

Lindblad claims LPGA title in LA, wins $5.4 million prize

Piastri Takes Jeddah Win Ahead
2 MIN READ

Piastri Takes Jeddah Win Ahead of Verstappen

Barcelona Crushes Chelsea 4-1 in
2 MIN READ

Barcelona Crushes Chelsea 4-1 in Champions League Semifinal

Billborn Fumes: "Even in Division
3 MIN READ

Billborn Fumes: "Even in Division 7, That's Unacceptable"

Arsenal Delays Liverpool's Title Celebration
2 MIN READ

Arsenal Delays Liverpool's Title Celebration

Celina's Classy Goal Secures AIK's
2 MIN READ

Celina's Classy Goal Secures AIK's Top Spot in Allsvenskan

Djurgården's Fallenius Out for Spring
1 MIN READ

Djurgården's Fallenius Out for Spring Season with Fracture

Lewandowski Faces Three-Week Layoff, May
1 MIN READ

Lewandowski Faces Three-Week Layoff, May Miss CL Semifinal

Fleury Praises Gustavsson's Cool Composure
3 MIN READ

Fleury Praises Gustavsson's Cool Composure as Minnesota's Top Goalie

Ingrid Lindblad Tied for First
2 MIN READ

Ingrid Lindblad Tied for First in Thrilling LPGA Tournament Battle

Swedish Players Shine in Stanley
1 MIN READ

Swedish Players Shine in Stanley Cup Opener Despite St Louis Loss

Verstappen Secures Pole in Jeddah
1 MIN READ

Verstappen Secures Pole in Jeddah After Norris Crash

Isak Struggles as Newcastle Falls
1 MIN READ

Isak Struggles as Newcastle Falls 4-1 to Aston Villa

Brynäs Edges Luleå in Overtime
2 MIN READ

Brynäs Edges Luleå in Overtime Thriller to Lead Championship Series

Rangers and Anaheim Dismiss Head
1 MIN READ

Rangers and Anaheim Dismiss Head Coaches After Missing Playoffs

Norrköping's Quickfire Goals Secure Crucial
2 MIN READ

Norrköping's Quickfire Goals Secure Crucial Win Over Halmstad

Felicia Schröder Shines as Häcken
2 MIN READ

Felicia Schröder Shines as Häcken Secures Second Consecutive Victory

Lyon Edges Arsenal 2-1, Eyes
2 MIN READ

Lyon Edges Arsenal 2-1, Eyes 12th Champions League Final

Tuva Skoog Shines with Two
1 MIN READ

Tuva Skoog Shines with Two Goals in Malmö FF's 4-1 Victory Over AIK

Sweden Takes Sixth in Ice
1 MIN READ

Sweden Takes Sixth in Ice Hockey World Championship After Close Loss

Marcus Kinhult's Birdie Blitz Propels
1 MIN READ

Marcus Kinhult's Birdie Blitz Propels Him Up 39 Spots in Shanghai

AIK's Christoffer Björk Likely Out
1 MIN READ

AIK's Christoffer Björk Likely Out for Season After Knee Injury

Andreas Johansson Named Head Coach
1 MIN READ

Andreas Johansson Named Head Coach of Södertälje Sports Club

Robots Struggle in First Human
1 MIN READ

Robots Struggle in First Human vs. Machine Half-Marathon in Beijing

Casper Ruud Applauds Victor Hedman's
2 MIN READ

Casper Ruud Applauds Victor Hedman's Leadership in Tampa Bay

Miami Secures Playoff Spot with
1 MIN READ

Miami Secures Playoff Spot with Overtime Win Over Atlanta

Ingrid Lindblad Shines with Career-Best
2 MIN READ

Ingrid Lindblad Shines with Career-Best Round at LPGA in Los Angeles

Gyökeres Hat-Trick Secures Sporting Lisbon's
1 MIN READ

Gyökeres Hat-Trick Secures Sporting Lisbon's Lead Over Moreirense

Elias Pettersson Urged to Improve
2 MIN READ

Elias Pettersson Urged to Improve Training by Canucks Coach Tocchet

Swedish Beach Volleyball Duo Exits
1 MIN READ

Swedish Beach Volleyball Duo Exits World Championship in Brazil

Dallas Stars Face Playoffs Without
1 MIN READ

Dallas Stars Face Playoffs Without Top Scorer Jason Robertson

Ludvig Åberg Struggles to Find
1 MIN READ

Ludvig Åberg Struggles to Find Form at RBC Heritage

Djurgården's Grewe Criticizes AIK Forward
2 MIN READ

Djurgården's Grewe Criticizes AIK Forward for Alleged Spearing Incident

NHL's Forsberg Eager for World
2 MIN READ

NHL's Forsberg Eager for World Championship, But Confirmation Pending

Thoresen's Pep Talk Fuels Djurgården's
3 MIN READ

Thoresen's Pep Talk Fuels Djurgården's Stunning Comeback Victory