When to watch handball during the 2024 Paris Olympics

The host nation will start handball gold medal defenses in both the men’s and women’s tournaments for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games beginning on Thursday, July 25 – one day ahead of the Opening Ceremony. 

The French men’s handball team has won three of the last four Olympic gold medals. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, France won gold by defeating Denmark by a slim, 2-point margin. Four years earlier in Rio, it was Denmark who prevailed over France, also by a mere 2 points. 

Also in Tokyo, the French women’s team held off the athletes from Russia in the final match to win their country’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s handball.

Venue

Both men’s and women’s handball tournaments will be staged outside of Paris. Lille, France's fourth largest city, sits near the border with Belgium and will host instead. To minimize the construction of new venues needed to stage the Games, Paris organizers chose to spread the Olympics across the host nation. This led to their decision to utilize the Pierre Mauroy Stadium for handball. The same stadium also served as the home for the 2017 IHF World Men’s Handball Championship, where the team from France also won the top prize.

Rendering of the interior of the Pierre Mauroy Stadium, handball venue for the 2024 Paris Olympics
Paris 2024

Competition Schedule

Handball at the 2024 Paris Olympics
Date Event Time (ET)
July 25 Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
3a-6:30a
8a-11:30a
1p-4:30p
July 27 Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
3a-6:30a
8a-11:30a
1p-4:30p
July 28 Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
3a-6:30a
8a-11:30a
1p-4:30p
July 29 Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
3a-6:30a
8a-11:30a
1p-4:30p
July 30 Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
3a-6:30a
8a-11:30a
1p-4:30p
July 31 Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
3a-6:30a
8a-11:30a
1p-4:30p
August 1 Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
3a-6:30a
8a-11:30a
1p-4:30p
August 2 Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
3a-6:30a
8a-11:30a
1p-4:30p
August 3 Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Women's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
3a-6:30a
8a-11:30a
1p-4:30p
August 4 Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
Men's Preliminary Round (2 matches)
3a-6:30a
8a-11:30a
1p-4:30p
August 6 Women's Quarterfinal #1
Women's Quarterfinal #2
Women's Quarterfinal #3
Women's Quarterfinal #4
3:30a-5:30a
7:30a-9:30a
11:30a-1:30p
3:30p-5:30p
August 7 Men's Quarterfinal #1
Men's Quarterfinal #2
Men's Quarterfinal #3
Men's Quarterfinal #4
3:30a-5:30a
7:30a-9:30a
11:30a-1:30p
3:30p-5:30p
August 8 Women's Semifinal #1
Women's Semifinal #2
10:30a-12:30p
3:30p-5:30p
August 9 Men's Semifinal #1
Men's Semifinal #2
10:30a-12:30p
3:30p-5:30p
August 10 Women's Bronze Medal Match
Women's Gold Medal Match
4a-6a
9a-11:30a
August 11 Men's Bronze Medal Match
Men's Gold Medal Match
3a-5a
7:30aa-10a