Host nation Argentina claimed the first-ever women’s beach handball Olympic gold medal at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games, defeating Croatia 2-0 (14:10, 18:16) in the final at Parque Sarmiento, ihf.info reported.
A Historic Debut on the Sand at Parque Sarmiento
The third edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games, held under the slogan ‘Feel the Future’, ran from October 6 to 19, 2018. The beach handball competitions took place at Parque Sarmiento from October 8 to 13, ihf.info reported. Buenos Aires 2018 marked the first time beach handball was included at an Olympic Games, replacing indoor handball, which had featured at the debut Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010 and the second edition in Nanjing in 2014.
A los 15 años, Ana Paula Palazón dejó Famaillá y se mudó a Buenos Aires para seguir creciendo en el handball. Hoy, con 17, fue convocada por primera vez a la Selección Argentina juvenil de beach handball y viajará a Chile para disputar la Copa Mejillones.✍ por Joel Katz🌐… pic.twitter.com/PbOQ90NSni
Twelve women’s teams split into two preliminary groups of six. The top three in each group advanced to a main round group of six, while the bottom three dropped into a consolation round. Over six matchdays, 56 games unfolded across three courts. On the opening day, October 8, Netherlands goalkeeper Lisanne Bakker etched her name in history by scoring the first-ever beach handball points in an Olympic Games after just 43 seconds, ihf.info reported.
| Medal | Team | Final Score / Result |
|---|---|---|
| Gold | Argentina | 2-0 vs Croatia (14:10, 18:16) |
| Silver | Croatia | Defeated by Argentina in Final |
| Bronze | Hungary | 2-0 vs Netherlands (16:13, 20:18) |
Tactical Execution and the Road to the Final
Hungary entered the tournament as favorites after winning the debut IHF Women’s U17 Beach Handball World Championship in Mauritius and the 2018 EHF EURO U18 title. Yet Argentina, backed by a passionate home crowd and guided by coach Leticia Brunati alongside Brazilian coach Antonio Guerra Peixe, mounted a serious challenge. By the end of the preliminary round, Hungary had accumulated the most points scored with 228.
The semi-finals delivered intense drama. Argentina edged Hungary 2-1 (20:18, 12:16, SO 7:6) in a dramatic shoot-out that required sudden-death rounds before Caterina Bendetti Gorga secured the winning point. In the second semi-final, Croatia produced a tactical surprise by defeating the Netherlands 2-0. It was a tough game but we were very strong in our heads,
Croatian specialist Ana Malec told ihf.info. We knew it was going to be hard, but we fought very strong.
Defensive Lockdown and the Gold Medal Clinch
In the gold medal match, played in front of a capacity crowd that included IOC President Dr. Thomas Bach, Argentina’s defense stymied the European side. The Argentine defensive structure limited Croatia to a 52 percent shooting success rate, while the hosts converted at 73 percent.
I’m very emotional because they gave so much to get to this day.
Following the tournament, several players graduated to senior national squads, competing at the ANOC World Beach Games 2019 and subsequent global events. Brunati, Bonomi, and members of the gold-winning Argentine roster later captured continental championships (2026), The World Games (2025), and World Championship (2026).
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