HistoryData
sports2021

Handball at the 2020 Summer Olympics — handball played during the 2020 Olympic Summer Games

January 1, 2021

France won both handball gold medals at Tokyo 2020, the first nation to achieve this double since Yugoslavia in 1984.

Quick Facts

Year
2021
Category
sports

Key Facts

Tournament dates
24 July – 8 August 2021
Venue
Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo
Men's MVP
Mathias Gidsel (Denmark)
Women's MVP
Anna Vyakhireva (ROC)
Hansen tournament goals record
61 goals in one tournament
Hansen all-time Olympic goals
154 goals

By the Numbers

24
Tournament dates
61
Hansen tournament goals record
154
Hansen all-time Olympic goals

Location

Map of Tokyo, JapanMap of Tokyo, JapanTokyo, Japan

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

The 2020 Summer Olympics were originally scheduled for 2020 but were postponed to 2021 on 24 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic also required all events, including handball, to be held without spectators in attendance.

Event

The handball tournaments ran from 24 July to 8 August 2021 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Twelve teams per gender competed in round-robin group stages followed by knockout rounds. France won both the men's and women's gold medals, defeating Denmark and ROC respectively in finals that mirrored the 2016 matchups.

Consequence

France became the first country to claim both handball gold medals since Yugoslavia in Los Angeles 1984. Mikkel Hansen set new Olympic records for most goals in a single tournament (61) and most career Olympic goals (154). Egypt achieved their best-ever men's result, and Spain and Norway claimed bronze medals.

Result

France (men and women)
Gold: France in both finals
Denmark (men), ROC (women)

at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo

Mikkel Hansen: 61 goals in one tournament and 154 career Olympic goals (both men's records)

Timeline Context

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