Handball - Team Netherlands

General
The Netherlands made their Olympic debut at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. They progressed to the knockout stages in Rio, despite winning only one of their group matches, and defeated hosts Brazil in the last eight before losing to France by one goal in the semifinals. Norway then denied them a bronze medal, with the Netherlands going down 36-26 in the third-place match.

The Dutch team qualified for the Tokyo Games by winning the 2019 World Championship in Japan. The world title was the most significant result in the team's history, topping the silver medal they won at the 2015 World Championship in Denmark and the bronze they secured at the 2017 World Championship in Germany.

The team's rise on the world stage in recent years has been matched at continental level. The Dutch won their first European championship medal, a silver, in 2016 when they were beaten by Norway in the final. In an incredibly tight match that was 15-15 at halftime, a single point was ultimately the difference as the Norwegians ran out 30-29 winners. The Netherlands were bronze medallists at the 2018 European Championship in France and finished sixth at the 2020 edition of the tournament in Denmark.