Defending champions France edged Sweden 31-28 after overtime in the Paris 2024 women's handball semifinals on Thursday, setting a final clash with Norway, who beat Denmark 25-21 in the other semifinal.

Jamina Roberts (L) of Sweden launches an attack during the women's handball semifinal match between Sweden and France at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Lille, France, Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)

The hosts were 17-21 behind with 15 minutes left before Tamara Horacek scored four goals to level the match 25-25 in regular time. Horacek then kept the momentum to lead France to a 31-28 win after an overtime.

"It was a really tough game. We were behind all the game but we also knew that if we put everything of our character [into the game] we could do it. It's also never finished in one game," Horacek said after the match.

France's men's team had suffered a bitter 34-33 overtime defeat to Germany in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, ending the hosts' dream of repeating their feat of double golds at Tokyo 2020, where they had won both men's and women's finals.

"Yesterday, the French men lost almost like this and today we won, it's the game," Horacek said.

"I just want us to play our handball and give everything we can. We have one game left and we will put everything into it," Horacek said. 

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