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U.S. Mens National Team Handball Team Fails to Qualify for 2007 Pan American Games
By Cecil Bleiker // U.S. Olympic Committee // April 11, 2007
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The U.S. Men’s National Team Handball Team narrowly missed qualifying for the 2007 Pan American Games, which will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 13-29. The U.S. Men’s Team went one for one in the final 2007 Pan American Games Qualifying Event over the weekend in Santiago, Chile. The U.S. got the tournament off to a promising start, defeating Venezuela 23-20, but fell to Chile 36-26 in the second game. Host country Chile defeated Venezuela 29-19 to secure the eighth and final spot in the 2007 Pan American Games Team Handball tournament.
In their first opportunity to qualify for the 2007 Pan American Games, the U.S. Men fell short; losing two games to one to Canada in the North Region 2007 Pan American Games Qualification Event, January 4-7, 2007 in Lake Placid, N.Y. and Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The U.S. men narrowly lost to Canada, dropping game one by only one point; they defeated Canada by four goals in game two and lost to Canada by four goals in the final game. Over the three game series, they only scored one fewer goal than Canada.
The U.S. women also failed in their final bid to qualify for the 2007 Pan American Games, March 29-31 in Mexico City, Mexico.
The 2007 Pan American Games will be the first Pan American Games that the U.S. will not be represented in the sport of Team Handball since the sport was first included in the Pan American Games program in 1987 in Indianapolis, Ind. The 2007 Pan American Games represent the first time that teams had to qualify to compete in the Pan American Games.
Not qualifying for the 2007 Pan American Games is a crucial blow to the U.S. Team Handball program as the teams needed to compete in and win gold in the Pan American Games to qualify for the automatic berth to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
For more information, please contact Cecil Bleiker, United States Olympic Committee NGB Services Manager at 719-866-4608. This press release is also available on the USOC’s media specific website at www.usocpressbox.org.
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