The Copper Box Olympic venue was packed with enthusiastic Britons every time the host country’s women’s handball team was in action during the recently concluded Summer Olympics in London. In terms of sport, it ended with five consecutive defeats, but Goodwin & co. became very popular.

Dreaming of recovery
Along the way, the British media praised the girls’ enthusiasm, and even the royals were inspired. After the team’s final match, Princess Kate requested a meeting with the handball favorite – to express her excitement.

It’s no surprise that players dream that the Olympics could be the start of a revival in a sport that hasn’t traditionally been very popular in the UK.

– At least we have done our part. Now it is up to the associations and authorities to construct buildings and promote sports in schools. I hope this is the start of something, because I feel we have succeeded, Britt Goodwin told Avisenes Nyhetsbyrå (ANB) after the Olympic adventure was over.

“No compromise”
The Gjøvik girl, who has British parents, also expressed concerns about funding for the continuation of her business. Of course with good reason.

On Wednesday, a number of British media wrote that some of the country’s Olympic heroes, including handball women, were facing bad times. According to the BBC, both individual athletes and teams that are unlikely to qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics will lose financial support.

– There is no point in supporting sports that fail to qualify, Sports Minister Hugh Robertson told the BBC.

UK Sport, Britain’s answer to the Olympic Summit, is of the same opinion. Only sports with medal potential should be wagered on.

– Handball and other sports, which this time only have hosting spots, will have to prove to us that they can qualify for the Olympics in the normal way, chief executive Liz Nichol told Sky Sports.

UK Sports works on the so-called “no compromise” strategy. This is simply about providing financial support to genuine medal candidates.

Will be decided in December
The news of a possible cut in money certainly didn’t go down well with the British-Norwegian handball girls.

“We knew we wouldn’t make it to Rio, but we had big hopes for 2020. We saw England loved handball, and the future looked bright, but it’s not,” wrote Nina Heglund on Twitter.

The Oslo girl is another England player who is a Norwegian citizen. Likewise Zöe van der Weel, who after the Olympics returned to Oslo to continue her studies at the Sports Academy.

“Don’t understand this funding nonsense, sorry for my language,” he wrote on Twitter.

A final decision on the allocation of funds until the next Olympics will be taken in December. But the prospects don’t look bright. And the girls already had warnings during the Olympics.

– Now the association has apparently withdrawn us from WC qualifying because of money. It was a huge disappointment — and not a good sign, Britt Goodwin said at the time. (Notes)