The emergence of French handball first came through the boys and the adventures of the "Bronzés" at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992 (3rd for their first participation) then of the "Barjots" champions at the 1995 World Cup in Iceland.
For the girls, the big debuts on the international scene come four years later.
At the 1999 World Cup, the players of Olivier Krumbholz, at the head of the selection since the previous year, arrive without pressure for their first major tournament in Denmark and Norway.
They reached the final by eliminating the Danish women, Olympic champions in 1996 in Atlanta, world title holders (1997) and strong nation of women's handball at the time.
The French are worn by Leila Lejeune-Duchemann, Isabelle Wendling, Véronique Pecqueux-Roland and Nodjialem Myaro.
In Lillehammer in the final, in a packed house of 11,000 spectators acquired from the Norwegians, the French cast doubt on the Scandinavian favorites, whom they dominate in the first period (10-8) and push in extra time.
The 23 stops by goalkeeper Valérie Nicolas will not prevent the Bleues from losing a goal 25 to 24 after two extra times.
But the history of the French women's handball team is launched with this duel that has become legendary.
A defensive model in 2017
Eighteen years later, the French found Norway in the final of a World Championship in Germany in December 2018. Meanwhile, in December 2011, they had the opportunity to take their revenge for the final in Lillehammer, but the final in Brazil was quickly cut short, with a severe loss of eight goals (32-24).
In Hamburg, Norway once again seems impregnable, but the French are surfing on a good dynamic: after snatching their place at the Rio Olympics during a qualifying tournament in the spring, they are on the second step of the podium carioca , beaten in the final by Russia.
In the process, they took bronze at Euro-2016, after losing to Norway in a semi-final where they were in contact.
In this third final, the Bleues offer a model of defense from the start, with Amandine Leynaud (10 saves out of 28 Norwegian attempts) and the impassable wall of Camille Ayglon and Allison Pineau.
In attack, Pineau also does prowess, especially at the end of the match, just like Manon Houette on the left wing (four goals each).
Les Bleues contain the title holders with 21 goals and score two more to afford the second world title in their history, after the one snatched in 2003.
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