National women's handball team chalk up first Olympic win
Paris, 28 July - The Slovenian women's handball team have scored their first victory in their debut Olympic appearance, defeating South Korea 30:23 (14:12) in their second match of the preliminary round of Group A on Sunday.
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Paris, France
The Slovenian women's handball team defeat South Korea in the preliminary round of the Olympic tournament.
Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA
Norveška, Trondheim.
Svetovno prvenstvo v rokometu za ženske. Tekma med Slovenijo in Avstrijo.
Foto: IHF/kolektiff
After a poor opening, allowing a 0:2 deficit, the Slovenian team closed their ranks to score their first goal through Elizabeth Omoregie at the end of the 4th minute and by the 10th minute they had a 6:3 lead.
After a time-out demanded by Korea's Swedish coach Kurt Henrik Signell, Slovenia briefly could not find their bearings, falling 6:7 behind.
What followed until the end of the first half was an even battle, with the two teams exchanging the lead, but in the 27th minute Slovenia took a 12:10 lead after goals by Tjaša Stanko and Ane Gros.
In the second half, Slovenia put up an excellent, playful performance. They were brilliant in defence, leading by up to ten goals at one time (30:20).
Slovenia's most efficient player of the match, Tamara Mavsar scored seven goals with team captain Ana Gros and Tjaša Stanko contributing five each. Goalkeeper Maja Vojnovič made 13 saves.
The win comes as a major relief after a 19:27 loss at the hands of Denmark in Slovenia's Olympic opener on Thursday. It is a bonus too as South Korea defeated Germany 23:22.
Slovenian players and their Montenegrin head coach Dragan Adžić were overwhelmed and proud at their historic first Olympic victory.
"I'm exceptionally proud of the team. When we play as a team we win, we showed that today," Stanko said. "Excellent energy, patience must remain our assets in the future," she added.
"It's indescribable. We haven't properly taken it in that we really did win the first game at the Olympics, the first in the history of women's handball in our country," the goalkeeper Vojnovič said.
"We have captured a historic moment, but we want more than that. This success is important for our confidence, but we are staying completely on realistic ground. It's not over yet," captain Gros added.
Adžić praised the team for coming back after the tough defeat against Denmark. "Another defeat would have certainly put us further away from Lille, but this time the energy and the breadth in their play showed something great ahead for the next important match against Germany," he said.
Next, Slovenia will face Germany on Tuesday, Norway on Thursday and wrap up the preliminary round with a match against Sweden on Saturday.
The top four teams will advance to the knock-out stage to face the best four teams of Group B in Lille between 6 and 10 August.