Reigning Olympic champions Norway reasserted their domination in women’s handball, after sweeping their opponents with nine wins in nine matches, to secure the 10th European title, the first team in history to reach double digits in the number of gold medals in any major international women’s handball competition.

In Thorir Hergeirsson’s swansong, as the coach who has been leading Norway since 2009 announced he will be leaving his position after the EHF EURO 2024, the Scandinavian side secured nine wins in nine matches, clinching their third consecutive European title.

24 teams were lined up at the start of the competition, for the first time in history at the European Championship, with six groups of four teams each making up the preliminary round. There, Norway dominated Slovenia (33:26), Austria (38:24) and Slovakia (38:15), to start the main round with the maximum number of points.

Their march towards another title continued with a strong, albeit difficult win against Denmark (27:24), another clear win against the Netherlands (31:21), a 32:27 win against Germany and a convincing 40:24 win over Switzerland.

Denmark, the bronze medallists at the 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship and at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, were the second team qualified into the semi-finals from Group II of the main round, after beating Germany (30:22), Slovenia (33:26) and the Netherlands (30:26).

In Group I, France had the maximum number of points, 10, with seven wins in the first seven matches, as the reigning world champions clinched a crucial win against co-hosts Hungary, 30:27, as Vladimir Golovin’s side finished second in the group, making it to the semi-finals of the EHF EURO for the first time in 12 years.

But Hungary had no chance against another fantastic display from Norway, who, led by the 2023 IHF Female Player of the Year, Henny Reistad, with seven goals, took a 13:11 lead at the break and dominated the match in the second half, to clinch their spot in the final with a 30:22 win.

The second semi-final, between France and Denmark, was yet another crunch clash, with the Scandinavian side delivering a fantastic performance, spearheaded by the surprising MVP of the competition, goalkeeper Anna Opstrup Kristensen, who had 16 saves, for a 43.2% saving efficiency.

As France battled their own attacking issues, in Sebastian Gardillou’s first major international competition as the new head coach, Denmark took advantage and clinched a 24:22 win, making the final of the EHF EURO for the second edition in a row.

Led once again by the top goal scorer of the competition, Katrin Klujber, who scored nine goals, Hungary delivered the biggest surprise of the EHF EURO 2024, taking a 25:24 win over France in the bronze medal match, securing their first medal since 2012 and their fifth in total, capping off a fantastic competition for a very young team.

In the final, the question about the winner was there for only 20 minutes, after Norway had a slow start, scoring only four times in 15 minutes. But then, Reistad took over, scored eight goals, as the lead ballooned in the second half, with Denmark unable to match the attacking pace.

Eventually, Norway clinched their record 10th European title, with a 31:23 win, the most lopsided final of the European top competition since 2008, when Norway beat Spain by a 13-goal margin.

Norway secured their 14th medal in 16 editions of the EHF EURO, while goalkeeper Katrine Lunde sealed her seventh European title and her 20th medal in major international competitions in her star-studded career. Left wing Camilla Herrem also clinched her sixth European title before retiring from international handball.

Norway, Denmark and Hungary also secured their places at the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship, joining the reigning world champions France, plus the two co-hosts Germany and the Netherlands.