Handball - Team ROC

General
The ROC qualified for the Tokyo Games through the Women's Olympic Qualification Tournaments held in March 2021. Looking to give themselves the opportunity to defend the title won by the Russian Federation at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the team advanced from Tournament 2 held in Gyor, Hungary, winning all three matches they contested.

The Russian Federation won eight straight games on the way to claiming the gold at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, going unbeaten in five group phase games and three knockout encounters. They survived a scare against Norway in the semifinals, emerging 38-37 winners in overtime, before defeating France 22-19 in the gold medal match. The Russians won silver at the 2008 Games in Beijing, and were ranked eighth at London 2012 after losing 24-23 to the Republic of Korea in the quarterfinals.

The Russian Federation won four world championship titles between 2001 and 2009. A 10-year medal drought then followed before the team claimed bronze in 2019 in Japan, where the Russians ran through the group phase unbeaten in five matches, and secured a further three victories in the main round. Eventual winners the Netherlands ended their title run in the semifinals, sending the Russian Federation to a third-place playoff with Norway which they won 33-28.

The team secured a total of four top-three finishes at the European championship between 1994 and 2020, finishing second twice [2006, 2018] and third twice [2000, 2008]. At the most recent edition of the tournament in 2020, they were ranked fifth after narrowly missing out on a semifinal berth.