HOME COURT ADVANTAGE (2)

A year ago, Denmark got blown away by Spain in the final of the World handball Championships, suffering a humiliating defeat after looking good throughout the qualifying rounds. This year's European Championships, in reality the toughest championships of all, have just been played here over the past two weeks. Denmark were the defending champions, having won in Serbia two years ago; and with most of the 15,000 supporters in the Boxen in Herning firmly behind the home side, the odds on a repeat Danish victory were good.

For a long time, that optimism was justified. Denmark were the only country to go through the qualifying rounds undefeated; and in the semi-final, they got their revenge by beating Spain. That left only France, one of the giants of the sport, but also with an ageing team that had looked vulnerable at various points.

Unfortunately, in front of the Queen and the Prime Minister and a sea of fans dressed in red, the wheels fell off. France went 13-4 up in the first 15 minutes or so, and never looked back, eventually winning 41-32. My theory about home court advantage went up in smoke, along with all of those Danish hopes.

Walter Blotscher