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Cairo (dpa) - National coach Alfred Gislason will look very carefully in front of the TV when Sweden's handball players want to fulfill their dream of the first World Cup medal since silver in 2001 a year after the EM trauma.
As in the final 20 years ago, the Scandinavians, who will be one of three German opponents in the Olympic qualification in six weeks, will meet record champion France in the semifinals on January 29th (5.30pm) in Cairo.
"It's wonderful when there are such special times," said goalkeeper Andreas Palicka from Bundesliga club Rhein-Neckar Löwen about the sporting heights.
The euphoria in the three-crown team is great, as they were last in a World Cup semi-finals in their own country ten years ago.
In fourth place, the Swedes went as empty as they did last year at the home European championships, when the six-time European champion and record title holder failed miserably in the main round.
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The public's expectations before the title fights in Egypt were correspondingly low.
But coach Glenn Solberg's team was convincing and has remained undefeated in the tournament so far.
«I have no words for it.
It feels unreal, "said backcourt scorer Lucas Pellas after the sovereign 35:23 victory in the quarter-finals against Qatar and defiantly announced:" We want to refute all critics. "
Goalkeeper Palicka played a major role in the sporting renaissance.
The 34-year-old, who earned his money in the Bundesliga from 2008 to 2015 at THW Kiel and since 2016 at the Löwen from Mannheim, is in top form at the finals and is the young team's great support.
"I'm having my best time on the floor," said Palicka.
"I get a hell of a lot of motivation and energy from the guys."
The team around director Jim Gottfridsson from the German runner-up SG Flensburg-Handewitt is also fighting in Egypt against memories of the great successes of the past - and finally wants to write its own story.
Between 1986 and 2002, with the exception of the 1988 Olympics, the Swedes were among the top four in all major tournaments and won six gold, five silver and two bronze medals.
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Famous names like Magnus Wislander, who was chosen as the world handball player of the 20th century, Staffan Olsson and Ola Lindgren shaped the golden era.
No other nation has been as consistently successful in world handball over such a long period as Sweden - not even the six-time world champion France.
The selection of the Grande Nation is now the last obstacle for Palicka & Co. on the way to the hoped-for medal, which would be certain if a victory before the final against the winner of the duel between defending champions Denmark and European champions Spain.
"France are among the top three teams in the world with many excellent players and it will be very difficult to play against them," said Sweden coach Solberg.
«But we know that we are also a good team.
We are very proud of the performance and the way we played.
So we'll try to prepare well and hopefully win. "
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210128-99-206230 / 2
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