The sport sprung up in Germany in the late 19th century and spread following World War I. Not surprisingly, Europeans have dominated play at the international level. Only the Korean women with victories in 1988 and again in 1992 have broken the European stranglehold on Olympic gold. In Atlanta, 12 men's teams and eight women's squads will compete for medals in a tournament which stretches for 11 days and will be contested at two venues. As the host nation, the United States returns to the men's draw for the first time since 1988 in Seoul, while the U.S. women are making their fourth straight Olympic appearance.
This is an official publication of The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Jennifer Knight and Dianna Drayson. Special thanks to Mark Vinson and the U.S. Team Handball Federation.
| Pin trading was one of the most popular Olympic sports, with more than 1.2 million pins changing hands during the Games in the Coca Cola Pin Trading Center at Centennial Olympic Park. |