Spain will miss the men's Olympic handball event for the first time since the 1976 Games in Montreal despite beating hosts Sweden 25-23 in a qualifying tournament on Sunday.
Spain's Valero Rivera scores during the men's handball Olympic
Qualification Tournament match between Sweden and Spain at Malmo Arena
in Malmo, Sweden, April 10, 2016. REUTERS/Emil Langvad/TT News Agency
Spain's Julen Aguinagalde scores against Sweden's Kim Andersson (L) and
Niclas Ekberg (R) during the men's handball Olympic Qualification
Tournament group 2 match at Malmo Arena in Malmo, Sweden, April 10,
2016. REUTERS/Emil Langvad/TT News Agency
Sweden's Niclas Ekberg celebrates after scoring a penalty during the
men's handball Olympic Qualification Tournament group 2 match against
Spain at Malmo Arena in Malmo, April 10, 2016. REUTERS/Emil Langvad/TT
News Agency
Spain's Jorge Maqueda attacks Sweden's defence line during their men's
handball Olympic Qualification Tournament group 2 match at Malmo Arena
in Malmo, Sweden, April 10, 2016. REUTERS/Emil Langvad/TT News Agency
Spain's goalkeeper makes a save during the men's handball Olympic
Qualification Tournament match between Sweden and Spain at Malmo Arena
in Malmo, Sweden, April 10, 2016. REUTERS/Emil Langvad/TT News Agency
Sweden's Jim Gottfridsson is stopped by Spain's defense line during
Sunday April 10, 2016 men's handball Olympic Qualification Tournament
group 2 between Sweden and Spain in Malmo. REUTERS/Emil Langvad/TT News
Agency
Spain's Victor Tomas scores during Saturday April 9, 2016 men's
handball Olympic Qualification Tournament group 2 between Spain and
Islamic Republic of Iran in Malmo. REUTERS/Emil Langvad/TT News Agency
REUTERS: Spain will miss the men's Olympic handball event
for the first time since the 1976 Games in Montreal despite beating
hosts Sweden 25-23 in a qualifying tournament on Sunday.
The Spaniards, twice former world champions and triple
Olympic bronze medallists, finished behind Slovenia and Sweden due to an
inferior head-to-head record after all three teams claimed four points
from three games.
Roared on by their fans in the Malmo Arena, Sweden clinched
their berth and knocked out the Spaniards in the most dramatic fashion,
scoring a penalty with five seconds left.
Slovenia, who stunned Spain 24-21 in the opening game, sealed qualification with a 33-17 rout of Iran.
Poland, Tunisia, Denmark and Croatia advanced to the Aug.
5-21 Games in Rio de Janeiro from the other two groups, joining Olympic
champions France, Argentina, Qatar, Germany, Egypt and host nation
Brazil.
(Writing by Zoran Milosavljevic; Editing by Tony Jimenez)
- Reuters
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