Handball at the Summer Olympics

Handball at the Summer Olympics refers to two different sports. Field handball was introduced for men at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, but dropped after that. At the 1952 Olympics, field handball was a demonstration sport. (Indoor) handball was introduced for men at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Women's handball competition was introduced at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.^[1]

Handball at the Summer Olympics
IOC Code	HBL
Governing body	IHF
Events	2 (men: 1; women: 1)
Summer Olympics
1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 2028
Medalists men women

Men's tournaments

Summary

Year	Host		Gold medal match				Bronze medal match				Teams
			Gold medalists	Score	Silver medalists		Bronze medalists	Score	4th-place finishers
1936[2] Details	Berlin		Germany	Round robin	Austria		Switzerland	Round robin	Hungary		6
1972 Details	Munich		Yugoslavia	21–16	Czechoslovakia		Romania	19–16	East Germany		16
1976 Details	Montreal		Soviet Union	19–15	Romania		Poland	21–18	West Germany		12
1980 Details	Moscow		East Germany	23–22 (ET)	Soviet Union		Romania	20–18	Hungary		12
1984 Details	Los Angeles		Yugoslavia	18–17	West Germany		Romania	23–19	Denmark		12
1988 Details	Seoul		Soviet Union	32–25	South Korea		Yugoslavia	27–23	Hungary		12
1992 Details	Barcelona		Unified Team	22–20	Sweden		France	24–20	Iceland		12
1996 Details	Atlanta		Croatia	27–26	Sweden		Spain	27–25	France		12
2000 Details	Sydney		Russia	28–26	Sweden		Spain	26–22	Yugoslavia		12
2004 Details	Athens		Croatia	26–24	Germany		Russia	28–26	Hungary		12
2008 Details	Beijing		France	28–23	Iceland		Spain	35–29	Croatia		12
2012 Details	London		France	22–21	Sweden		Croatia	33–26	Hungary		12
2016 Details	Rio de Janeiro		Denmark	28–26	France		Germany	31–25	Poland		12
2020 Details	Tokyo		France	25–23	Denmark		Spain	33–31	Egypt		12
2024 Details	Paris		Denmark	39–26	Germany		Spain	23–22	Slovenia		12
2028 Details	Los Angeles										12
2032 Details	Brisbane										12

Medal table

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	France (FRA)	3	1	1	5
2	Denmark (DEN)	2	1	0	3
	Soviet Union (URS)	2	1	0	3
4	Croatia (CRO)	2	0	1	3
	Yugoslavia (YUG)	2	0	1	3
6	Germany (GER)	1	2	1	4
7	Russia (RUS)	1	0	1	2
8	East Germany (GDR)	1	0	0	1
	Unified Team (EUN)	1	0	0	1
10	Sweden (SWE)	0	4	0	4
11	Romania (ROU)	0	1	3	4
12	Austria (AUT)	0	1	0	1
	Czechoslovakia (TCH)	0	1	0	1
	Iceland (ISL)	0	1	0	1
	South Korea (KOR)	0	1	0	1
	West Germany (FRG)	0	1	0	1
17	Spain (ESP)	0	0	5	5
18	Poland (POL)	0	0	1	1
	Switzerland (SUI)	0	0	1	1
Totals (19 entries)		15	15	15	45

Participating nations

Legend

• 1st – Champions
• 2nd – Runners-up
• 3rd – Third place
• 4th – Fourth place
•  •  – Did not enter / Did not qualify
•    – Hosts
• = – More than one team tied for that rank
• Q – Qualified for forthcoming tournament

Nation	1936	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020	2024	2028	2032	Years
Algeria	•	•	•	10th	12th	10th	•	10th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			4
Argentina	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	10th	10th	12th	12th			4
Australia	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12th	•	•	•	•	•	•		Q	2
Austria	2nd	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			1
Bahrain	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	8th	•			1
Brazil	•	•	•	•	•	•	12th	11th	•	10th	11th	•	7th	10th	•			6
Canada	•	•	11th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			1
China	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12th	•	•	•	•			1
Croatia	Part of  Yugoslavia						•	1st	•	1st	4th	3rd	5th	•	9th			6
Cuba	•	•	•	11th	•	•	•	•	11th	•	•	•	•	•	•			2
Denmark	•	13th	8th	9th	4th	•	•	•	•	•	7th	6th	1st	2nd	1st			9
Egypt	•	•	•	•	•	•	11th	6th	7th	12th	10th	•	9th	4th	5th			8
France	•	•	•	•	•	•	3rd	4th	6th	5th	1st	1st	2nd	1st	8th			9
Germany	1st	See  GDR and  FRG					10th	7th	5th	2nd	9th	•	3rd	6th	2nd			9
Great Britain	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12th	•	•	•			1
Greece	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	6th	•	•	•	•	•			1
Hungary	4th	8th	6th	4th	•	4th	7th	•	•	4th	•	4th	•	•	10th			9
Iceland	•	12th	•	•	6th	8th	4th	•	•	9th	2nd	5th	•	•	•			7
Japan	•	11th	9th	•	10th	11th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	11th	11th			6
Kuwait	•	•	•	12th	•	•	•	12th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			2
Norway	•	9th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	7th	6th			3
Poland	•	10th	3rd	7th	•	•	•	•	•	•	5th	•	4th	•	•			5
Portugal	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	9th	•			1
Qatar	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	8th	•	•			1
Romania	5th	3rd	2nd	3rd	3rd	•	8th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			6
Russia	See  Soviet Union							5th	1st	3rd	6th	•	•	•	•			4
Serbia	See  Yugoslavia						See  Serbia and Montenegro				•	9th	•	•	•			1
Slovenia	Part of  Yugoslavia						•	•	8th	11th	•	•	6th	•	4th			4
South Korea	•	•	•	•	11th	2nd	6th	•	9th	8th	8th	11th	•	•	•			7
Spain	•	15th	•	5th	8th	9th	5th	3rd	3rd	7th	3rd	7th	•	3rd	3rd			12
Sweden	•	7th	•	•	5th	5th	2nd	2nd	2nd	•	•	2nd	11th	5th	7th			10
Switzerland	3rd	•	•	8th	7th	•	•	8th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			4
Tunisia	•	16th	WD	•	•	•	•	•	10th	•	•	8th	12th	•	•			5
United States	6th	14th	10th	•	9th	12th	•	9th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	Q		7
Discontinued nations
Czechoslovakia	•	2nd	7th	•	•	6th	9th	See  Czech Republic										4
East Germany	G	4th	•	1st	•	7th	See  Germany											3
Serbia and Montenegro	See  Yugoslavia						•	•	4th	•	See  Serbia							1[A]
Soviet Union	•	5th	1st	2nd	•	1st	1st	See  Russia										5[B]
West Germany	G	6th	4th	•	2nd	•	See  Germany											3
Yugoslavia	•	1st	5th	6th	1st	3rd	See  Serbia and Montenegro				See  Serbia							5
Total	6	16	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12	12

Women's tournaments

Summary

Year	Host		Gold medal match				Bronze medal match				Teams
			Gold medalists	Score	Silver medalists		Bronze medalists	Score	4th-place finishers
1976 Details	Montreal		Soviet Union	Round robin	East Germany		Hungary	Round robin	Romania		6
1980 Details	Moscow		Soviet Union	Round robin	Yugoslavia		East Germany	Round robin	Hungary		6
1984 Details	Los Angeles		Yugoslavia	Round robin	South Korea		China	Round robin	West Germany		6
1988 Details	Seoul		South Korea	Round robin	Norway		Soviet Union	Round robin	Yugoslavia		8
1992 Details	Barcelona		South Korea	28–21	Norway		Unified Team	24–20	Germany		8
1996 Details	Atlanta		Denmark	37–33 (ET)	South Korea		Hungary	20–18	Norway		8
2000 Details	Sydney		Denmark	31–27	Hungary		Norway	22–21	South Korea		10
2004 Details	Athens		Denmark	34–34 (ET, pen: 4–2)	South Korea		Ukraine	21–18	France		10
2008 Details	Beijing		Norway	34–27	Russia		South Korea	33–28	Hungary		12
2012 Details	London		Norway	26–23	Montenegro		Spain	31–29	South Korea		12
2016 Details	Rio de Janeiro		Russia	22–19	France		Norway	36–26	Netherlands		12
2020 Details	Tokyo		France	30–25	ROC		Norway	36–19	Sweden		12
2024 Details	Paris		Norway	29–21	France		Denmark	30–25	Sweden		12
2028 Details	Los Angeles										12
2032 Details	Brisbane										12

Medal table

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Norway (NOR)	3	2	3	8
2	Denmark (DEN)	3	0	1	4
3	South Korea (KOR)	2	3	1	6
4	Soviet Union (URS)	2	0	1	3
5	France (FRA)	1	2	0	3
6	Russia (RUS)	1	1	0	2
	Yugoslavia (YUG)	1	1	0	2
8	Hungary (HUN)	0	1	2	3
9	East Germany (GDR)	0	1	1	2
10	Montenegro (MNE)	0	1	0	1
	ROC (ROC)	0	1	0	1
12	China (CHN)	0	0	1	1
	Spain (ESP)	0	0	1	1
	Ukraine (UKR)	0	0	1	1
	Unified Team (EUN)	0	0	1	1
Totals (15 entries)		13	13	13	39

Participating nations

Legend

• 1st – Champions
• 2nd – Runners-up
• 3rd – Third place
• 4th – Fourth place
•  •  – Did not enter / Did not qualify
•    – Hosts
• = – More than one team tied for that rank
• Q – Qualified for forthcoming tournament

Nation	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020	2024	2028	2032	Years
Angola	•	•	•	•	•	7th	9th	9th	12th	10th	8th	10th	9th			8
Argentina	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12th	•	•			1
Australia	•	•	•	•	•	•	10th	•	•	•	•	•	•		Q	2
Austria	•	•	6th	•	5th	•	5th	•	•	•	•	•	•			3
Brazil	•	•	•	•	•	•	8th	7th	9th	6th	5th	11th	7th			7
Canada	6th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			1
China	•	•	3rd	6th	•	5th	•	8th	6th	•	•	•	•			5
Congo	•	6th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			1
Croatia	Part of  Yugoslavia				•	•	•	•	•	7th	•	•	•			1
Denmark	•	•	•	•	•	1st	1st	1st	•	9th	•	•	3rd			5
France	•	•	•	•	•	•	6th	4th	5th	5th	2nd	1st	2nd			7
Germany	See  GDR and  FRG				4th	6th	•	•	11th	•	•	•	8th			4
Great Britain	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12th	•	•	•			1
Greece	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	10th	•	•	•	•	•			1
Hungary	3rd	4th	•	•	•	3rd	2nd	5th	4th	•	•	7th	6th			8
Ivory Coast	•	•	•	8th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			1
Japan	5th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	12th	•			2
Kazakhstan	Part of  Soviet Union					•	•	•	10th	•	•	•	•			1
Montenegro	Part of  Yugoslavia				Part of  Serbia and Montenegro				•	2nd	11th	6th	•			3
Netherlands	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	4th	5th	5th			3
Nigeria	•	•	•	•	8th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•			1
Norway	•	•	•	2nd	2nd	4th	3rd	•	1st	1st	3rd	3rd	1st			9
Romania	4th	•	•	•	•	•	7th	•	7th	•	9th	•	•			4
Russia	See  Soviet Union					•	•	•	2nd	8th	1st	2nd	•			4[C]
Slovenia	Part of  Yugoslavia				•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	11th			1
South Korea	•	•	2nd	1st	1st	2nd	4th	2nd	3rd	4th	10th	8th	10th			11
Spain	•	•	•	•	7th	•	•	6th	•	3rd	6th	9th	12th			6
Sweden	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	8th	11th	7th	4th	4th			5
Ukraine	Part of  Soviet Union					•	•	3rd	•	•	•	•	•			1
United States	•	•	5th	7th	6th	8th	•	•	•	•	•	•	•	Q		5
Discontinued nations
Czechoslovakia	•	5th	•	5th	•	See  Czech Republic										2
East Germany	2nd	3rd	•	•	See  Germany											2
Soviet Union	1st	1st	•	3rd	3rd	See  Russia										4[B]
West Germany	•	•	4th	•	See  Germany											1
Yugoslavia	•	2nd	1st	4th	See  Serbia and Montenegro				See  Serbia							3
Total	6	6	6	8	8	8	10	10	12	12	12	12	12	12	12

Medal table

The table below include teams under the name they had at the time.^[3] When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991 they played one last tournament in 1992 as the Unified Team, which they won for the men and got a bronze medal for the women. Russia is a break-away from the Soviet Union and ROC is Russia under another name. Croatia is a break-away from Yugoslavia, which ceased to exist in 1992. German Democratic Republic and West Germany were created after World War II. They were united into Germany in 1990.

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Denmark (DEN)	5	1	1	7
2	France (FRA)	4	3	1	8
3	Soviet Union (URS)	4	1	1	6
4	Norway (NOR)	3	2	3	8
5	Yugoslavia (YUG)	3	1	1	5
6	South Korea (KOR)	2	4	1	7
7	Russia (RUS)	2	1	1	4
8	Croatia (CRO)	2	0	1	3
9	Germany (GER)	1	2	1	4
10	East Germany (GDR)	1	1	1	3
11	Unified Team (EUN)	1	0	1	2
12	Sweden (SWE)	0	4	0	4
13	Romania (ROU)	0	1	3	4
14	Hungary (HUN)	0	1	2	3
15	Austria (AUT)	0	1	0	1
	Czechoslovakia (TCH)	0	1	0	1
	Iceland (ISL)	0	1	0	1
	Montenegro (MNE)	0	1	0	1
	ROC (ROC)	0	1	0	1
	West Germany (FRG)	0	1	0	1
21	Spain (ESP)	0	0	6	6
22	China (CHN)	0	0	1	1
	Poland (POL)	0	0	1	1
	Switzerland (SUI)	0	0	1	1
	Ukraine (UKR)	0	0	1	1
Totals (25 entries)		28	28	28	84

See also

• List of Olympic venues in handball

Notes

1. Serbia and Montenegro's total includes one appearance as Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 2000.
2. Soviet Union's total includes one appearance as Unified Team in 1992.
3. Russia's total includes one appearance as Russian Olympic Committee in 2020.

References and notes

1. "Montreal Olympics photo flashback: More women competed thanks to three new events | Montreal Gazette". 24 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-05-24.
2. In 1936, it was played as Field handball.
3. "Olympic Analytics - Medals by Countries". olympanalyt.com. Retrieved 2022-01-31.

External links

• Men's results
• Women's results