Fast, furious Spain win handball bronze in gritty game
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Spain has won the Olympics men's handball bronze with a hard-fought 35-29 victory over Croatia.
Both teams played a gritty game, slicing in goals and wheedling through gaps in the defence in a tussle that had no time for aesthetics.
Croatia, which won Olympic gold in 2004, led 14-12 after the first half, but the tenacious Spanish players soon overtook them.
Pained groans mingled with chants from the crowd as Spain's Carlos Prieto and Iker Romero crashed into Croatia's Ivano Balic and tumbled to the ground.
Other violent clashes saw players stumble over each other and catapult into a joint forward roll.
Croatian left back Blazenko Lackovic added some class with a beautiful jump shot towards the end of the second half, but by then Spain had pulled ahead and did not look back.
Iceland will face France laterin the battle for gold.
-Reuters
