First Sweden, then Norway: Both bronze medals of the Youth Olympic Games handball tournaments were awarded to teams from Scandinavia in Nanjing. The boys from Norway continued this series by beating Qatar in the bronze final, after the Swedish girls before had left Brazil behind.

In the duel of YOG debutants, Norway paved the winners’ way by an extra-ordinary attack performance in the first half (19:13) and finally took a never endangered 33:25 win against the Asian champions, who missed their medal dream in Nanjing on Monday (25 August).

 

Boys’ bronze final:

Qatar – Norway 25:33 (13:19)

Numbers don’t lie – and as Norway scored from 90 percents of their attacks until the break, the half-time result of 19:13 was no surprise. Boosted by the saves of goalkeeper Kristian Saeveras (10 in the first 30 minutes, 12 in total, before replaced by Tobias Hansen) the Scandinavians dominated the match in style. After their close and unlucky semi defeat against Slovenia the day before, Norway had more power and grains compared to the Qataris, who were equal only in the initial stages and the score of 3:3.

Then the Scandinavians – runners-ups of the 2013 European Youth Olympic Festival – started their engines, were ahead by six goals for the first time at 14:8 in minute 21 and kept this distance until the break. Qatar could not stop Norwegian wing Aksel Horgen scoring an overall of six goals and mainly tall right back Magnus Rod, top scorer of the match by eleven goals, seven of them before the break.

In the second half Norwegian coach Geir Erlandsen rotated his team, knowing that the medal deal was sealed. Qatar managed to let the distance not increase to a double-figured result, but were left behind chanceless against the taller and physical stronger Norwegians, who finished the Youth Olympic Games with medals around their necks and with two victories and two defeats only against those teams, who face in the final later – Slovenia and Egypt.

Best Qatari scorer was Faruk Colo by six goals.