World championship runner-up Poland and Russia will battle for the fifth place at Beijing Olympic men's handball event after both teams won in the "meaningless" placement games on Friday.
Runner-up of 2007 World Championship Poland outlasted South Korea 29-26 in a 5-8 placement match. Polish right wing Mariusz Jurasik scored seven goals to lead the team, while right back Yoon Kyung-shin paced South Korea with six points.
"We didn't make the semifinal, so it's just mentally very hard to focus and concentrate on a placement match. We lost a lot of strength in the quarterfinal against Spain. The first half in that match was good, but the second was just a catastrophe," said the 2.03-meter Yoon Kyung-shin.
Yoon's low morale was also echoed by Poland right back Marcin Lijewski. "For the Polish team, the Olympic Games are over. After we lost in the quarterfinals it has been difficult to concentrate."
In the other placement game, Athens Games bronze medalist Russia edged out European champion Denmark 28-27. Alexey Kamahi's last moment goal sealed the win for Russia.
"These five to eight placement matches are just disappointment matches. I really don't know the value of these matches, so today I told them to go out and fight," said Denish coach Ulrik Wilbek, whose team will also face Russia in the 2009 World Championship in January.
"Neither team wanted to play. It's totally pointless. No teams care about standings if they don't make the semifinals," said Bo Spellerberg of Denmark.
(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2008)