Hansen ends international career with another gold as Denmark wins men’s handball at Paris Olympics

VILLENEUVE-D'ASCQ, France (AP) — Mikkel Hansen's international career ended with another Olympic gold medal as Denmark routed Germany 39-26 on Sunday to win the men's handball title at the Paris Games.

The three-time men’s world player of the year also won gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. He said a few months before the Paris Games that he would retire after these Olympics.

With his shoulder-length hair and trademark headband, the powerful left back has become one of the most familiar faces in Danish sports.

But Denmark hardly even needed the 36-year-old's shooting skills. He scored only two goals.

Mathias Gidsel of Denmark was the game’s top scorer, scoring 11 goals on only 13 shots at Pierre Mauroy Stadium. Juri Knorr netted six times for Germany, a bronze medalist in Rio.

It was much closer earlier on Sunday.

Aleix Gomez scored on all five of his shots as Spain edged Slovenia 23-22 for the bronze medal, matching its performance at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Jure Dolenec had six goals for Slovenia, which missed out on its first Olympic medal in men's or women's handball.

Norway won the women's gold on Saturday, beating France in the final, while Denmark took bronze with a victory against Sweden.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games