SUMMARY: Storhamar make history at the EHF Finals Women 2024

• finals day of the EHF Finals Women 2024
• Storhamar Handball Elite become champions of the EHF European League Women 2023/24 after defeating CS Gloria 2018 BN 29:27
• read the review of the final here
• Neptunes Nantes get their hands on the bronze medal after winning 39:38 in a thrilling match against H.C. Dunarea Braila that ended in penalties
• our EHF journalist Danijela Vekić wrote a review of the placement match
• photos copyright Kolektiff Images
• Iulia Burnei reporting live from Graz

SUNDAY 12 MAY

21:15

This is all for the 2023/24 edition of the EHF European League Women! We hope you've enjoyed the matches and our live coverage of the action in Graz. However, the finals season has just begun and in two weeks' time, on 25/26 May, we'll meet again at the EHF Finals Men 2024 at Barclays Arena in Hamburg.

Until then, take care and enjoy the rest of the night!

21:04

Head to Storhamar's Instagram page to witness a Norwegian party!

20:56

We've managed to speak with the two participants in the final after Storhamar's historic win.

20:37

The arena is quiet now, but outside the celebrations continue with the fans. Storhamar have managed to write history in this EHF Finals Women edition as they're the first Norwegian team to win this competition. In cased you've missed some of the action, you can watch the highlights on our YouTube channel.

20:12

Pictures from Storhamar's celebration have started to arrive!

20:02

The players and coaches are now heading to the press conference, which you can follow below.

19:46

Anniken Obaidli is awarded top scorer of the competition, after she scored nine times today, which brings her tally to 68! 

Renata De Arruda receives the MVP of the EHF Finals 2024 award, after an amazing performance during this weekend. 

19:42

Storhamar players are now celebrating together with their fans, as the stage is set for the final ceremony. Lots of happy faces among the Norwegians!

19:35 | STORHAMAR BECOME CHAMPIONS

CS GLORIA 2018 BN VS STORHAMAR HANDBALL ELITE 27:29 (15:14)

19:31

It's 28:26 with Storhamar still in the lead. Florentin Pera asks for a third time-out in this match in hopes of turning the game in Gloria's favor, but the time is not exactly on their side.

19:28

The red sea of ​​​​people in the stands keep cheering for Gloria, as their team is two goals down, four minutes before the end. It will take a lot of mental strength for the Romanians to stay focused and save this game.

19:21

Minute 50 and it seems like we're going to have a tight battle until the end. Tamires De Araujo is Gloria's top scorer with six goals, while Kristin Venn netted eight times for the Norwegians, two more than the competition's top scorer Anniken Obaidli, who stands at six now. Storhamar lead 25:23 with less than ten minutes to go.

19:12

The goalkeepers might be the ones who make a difference in this match, as both Renata de Arruda and Eli Marie Rasook are doing a great job between the posts. The scoreboard shows 22:20 for Storhamar and Raasok has just made another crucial save.

19:08

Storhamar have once again reclaimed the lead and are two goals ahead. It's a team time-out for Gloria, who can't let the Norwegians distance themselves anymore.

19:00

Gloria struggled to score in the first six minutes after the break, but they finally managed to find the net through Cristina Laslo's penalty throw and reach 16:16. At the moment, it seems like Storhamar have come into the second half more focused.

18:53

The teams are on the court, ready for the second part of the match. We're just 30 minutes away from finding out who will be the new champion!

18:48

This kind of moments kept us on the edge of our seats during the first half.

18:39 | HALF TIME

CS GLORIA 2018 BN VS STORHAMAR HANDBALL ELITE 15:14

A match with ups and downs for both sides until now. Even though the Romanians can't rely on their whole squad anymore, they've somehow managed to go into the second half with a slight advantage. Anniken Obaidli and Kristin Venn have been key players for Storhamar, while Gloria rely on their skilled goalkeeper Renata De Arruda to block the Norwegian shots.

18:33

Four minutes left in this half and Gloria's Gnonsiane Niombla also gets a red card. What a rollercoaster of a match so far! This gives Storhamar the opportunity to recover and get the scoreboard to 14:14.

18:29

Gloria handled Bulatovic's elimination surprisingly well and are now leading 14:12, thanks to goalkeeper Renata de Arruda, who has been crucial for the Romanians in this first half.

18:23

Difficult times for Gloria, as Nina Bulatovic gets a red card 20 minutes into the game. Storhamar currently have a one-goal lead, but can now benefit from the extra player they have on the court for the next two minutes.

18:18

Midway through the first half and Gloria are now on the same level as Storhamar, 8:8. Cristina Laslo has only scored once, but she's helping her teammates with some nice assists.

18:11

Florentin Pera asks for a timeout after 10 minutes because the Norwegians have managed to distance themselves to three goals. Kristin Venn is currently leading the attack for Storhamar, as she managed to find the net three times already.

18:07

After failing to score in the first four minutes of the game, Storhamar quickly picked up the pace and are now leading 4:2, thanks to a few mistakes from their Romanian opponents.

18:00

Get ready! The final show of the EHF European League Women 2023/24 starts now.

17:51

The opening ceremony for the final has begun and the teams get ready to enter the court. The excitement levels cannot be described, as we're just 60 minutes away from finding out the champion of this EHF European League Women season.

17:36

It's time to turn our attention to the moment we've all been waiting for — the final between CS Gloria 2018 BN and Storhamar Handball Elite. The players are warming up on the court, while the fans seem to have taken a break to recharge after the thrilling match we've just witnessed.

17:24

A few snaps from the previous match and the celebrations.

17:08

Curious to see what the teams had to say about the bronze medal match? Head to our YouTube channel for the press conference.

17:04

We've had another dramatic ending this weekend! Read all about it in the review of the placement match.

16:44

The French can relax now, as they are being handled their bronze medals. The players get to celebrate this win with their fans, singing and dancing together. Truly a beautiful sight!

16:40 | FINAL RESULT

HC DUNAREA BRAILA VS NEPTUNES NANTES 38:39

Heartbreak for Braila! After they managed to recover from being seven goals down, the Romanians lost the match on penalties, as Zivkovic failed to score on the last throw. Neptunes Nantes get to celebrate adding a new medal to their collection after this hard-fought victory!

16:30 | END OF REGULAR TIME

HC DUNAREA BRAILA VS NEPTUNES NANTES 33:33 (14:18)

The regular time finished in a draw, which means that we go straigh to the penalty throws! The coaches are now having the final discussions with their squads, as the arena is filled with great energy coming from the fans!

16:27

It's 33:32 for Braila, with less than one minute left! Time-out for Nantes.

16:21

It's happening again! Nantes lost control of the match and Braila level the game to 30:30, as the Romanian fans are louder than ever.

16:17

But wait! Some missed opportunities for Nantes and Braila reduce the gap to just one goal! 29:28 at the moment, with the French still in the lead and having the attack.

16:13

There have been a few attacks with no goals on either side, but Braila managed to get a penalty throw and a two-minute suspension for the opponents. Kristina Liscevic had the chance to get her team to a two-goal difference, but she missed the shot and the score is still 28:25 for the French, with 10 minutes to go.

16:05

Helle Thomsen can rely on her whole squad today — all players except for one have scored at least once for Nantes, as the team still seems to be in control of the game in minute 43. The score is 27:23 for the French at the moment and the Romanian fans are probably hoping to see history repeat itself and for Braila to make a comeback.

15:55

The game is slowly slipping out of Braila's hands, as Nantes have built the biggest difference so far, getting the score to 23:16. Once again, it's time for Jan Leslie to call his squad and try and find solutions before it's too late.

15:48

Players are back on the court and the match is about to resume. Can Braila pick up the pace in the second half and deliver a win?

15:40

While we're waiting for the game to restart, a few fans have joined again some games prepared especially for them. 

Meanwhile, let's look at some stats. Maria Kanaval and Onacia Ondono lead their teams' attacks with four and five goals, respectively. Katarina Jezic has only netted twice for Braila so far, reaching 50 goals in total.

15:34 | HALF TIME

HC DUNAREA BRAILA VS NEPTUNES NANTES 14:18

15:31

A bit too many mistakes on Braila's side is the reason why Nantes still manage to keep a fairly safe distance. But maybe the cheerful Romanian fans can help their team recover, we've already seen yesterday that nothing is guaranteed. Three goals ahead and the French ask for a time-out.

15:25

Braila seems to really struggle in this first half. As soon as they try to get closer to their opponents, the French fight back and score with every chance they get. It's 15:11 for Nantes, with seven minutes left on the clock until the break.

15:15

Nantes have managed to be more organized both in defense and in attack and base their offense on teamwork, the same as yesterday. Seven different players have scored so far to take the French team to 10:5 in minute 13.

15:07

Six minutes in and there's been some hesitation on both sides in the beginning, but Nantes have managed to build a three-goal gap so far (5:2). This is why Jan Leslie calls for a time-out to try and set his team in the right direction.

15:00

Teams and fans are ready and the game gets underway! The French have first possession.

14:50

All set for the placement match! Lights are out and the players enter the court one by one, as the fans keep applauding and cheering. A great way to start the last day of the EHF Finals Women 2024! 10 minutes to go.

14:35

And one more thing to keep our eyes on during the final later this afternoon — who will finish as the top scorer of the competition? Storhamar's Anniken Obaidli leads the charts with 59 goals scored, after netting nine times in the semi-final. On the Romanian side, Cristina Laslo also scored nine goals yesterday, bringing her total to 50.

14:25

The atmosphere is getting more animated at Raiffeisen Sportpark, as both teams have now started their warm-up and the fans began to fill in the arena. 

14:15

Today's final is definitely a must-watch, as both teams are fighting for their first EHF European League trophy. The two haven't met before in a European competition, so the outcome is pretty difficult to predict. However, the show is guaranteed, as CS Gloria 2018 BN are striving to keep their perfect winning record, while the Norwegians have proved that they have no problems performing under pressure, after turning the semi-final around in the last minutes. Below you can see how they managed to do that.

14:00

As we're waiting for the first game to begin, let's make a quick recap of yesterday's semi-finals and see what to look out for today.

It was a disappointing Saturday for HC Dunarea Braila and Neptunes Nantes. The Romanians struggled from start to finish against their national rivals. In the second semi-final, however, Neptunes Nantes seemed to have their victory secured, until an unexpected comeback from Storhamar ruined their dreams of lifting the trophy once again.

The two teams will be all in today to add a bronze medal to their collection. Braila's attack relies on last year's EHF Champions League winner Katarina Jezic, who currently stands at 48 goals scored this season, and on the experienced Serbian international Kristina Liscevic. The French squad shouldn't be underestimated either, as it features world champions Tamara Horacek and Léna Grandveau.

13:50

We have arrived at the arena and it's a relaxed atmosphere at the moment. A few of Braila's players have entered the court and already started their warm-up, while outside the fans are still enjoying a drink on this sunny day in Graz.

12:55

We'll be traveling to the arena soon to prepare ahead of the last matches. Until we get there and resume the live coverage, take a look at this beautiful moment between CS Gloria 2018 BN and their fans, after they secured their place in the final. We can't wait to meet all the fans again this afternoon!

12:40

Words can't describe all the emotions that took over Raiffeisen Sportpark yesterday, but we've managed to capture the smiles and happy tears in our gallery!

12:20

What can we expect from today's matches? EHF journalist Danijela Vekić prepared a preview for the finals that includes all the important information on the remaining title contenders. Read her article below.

12:00

Warm welcome to everyone who is joining us on the finals day here in Graz! The semi-finals on Saturday brought lots of excitement in Raiffeisen Sportpark, as CS Gloria 2018 BN and Storhamar Handball Elite reached the final for the first time ever. They're just one step closer to achieving their dream of lifting the EHF European League Women 2023/24 trophy! 

On the other hand, HC Dunarea Braila and Neptunes Nantes suffered heartbreaking defeats yesterday, but they'll fight to finish this season on a high with the bronze medal.

Get ready to witness history!