Battlefield
An Italian Renaissance painting? Not far away. Sunday January 28, in Cologne, Germany, the France team led an epic fight to win the title of European champion, the fourth in its history. Also six times world champions and three times Olympic champions, the Blues thus confirm their status as the most successful men’s handball team of all time. Which obviously does not guarantee us the coronation at the next Olympic Games, in Paris, in August. But hey, still.
Original soundtracks
The presence in the image of Adidas jerseys adorned with the traditional three stripes of the German brand allows us to remember that this absolutely iconic logo was not designed by the brand itself. In 1951, its founder, Adolf (known as “Adi”) Dassler, was content to buy these three stripes from the Finnish brand Karhu, which had made them the distinctive sign of its sports shoes. The price of the deal? The equivalent of $1,800 and two bottles of whiskey. Health.
Enemy brothers
Since the Danish team is playing with a Puma jersey, let’s take the opportunity to remember that the two competing brands share the same origin. In this case, Gebrueder Dassler Schuhfabrik, the shoe manufacturing company that the Dassler brothers, Adolf and Rudolf, founded in 1923. They fell out after the war, in 1948. Adolf founded his brand, which he named Adidas , from his first and last name. His brother, Rudolf, founded Puma after agreeing that his idea for “Ruda” was not very elegant.
Well in hand
Above the fray, Frenchman Dika Mem holds the match ball at the end of his arm. But why is it covered with a multitude of blackish spots? Quite simply because handball players apply a resin to their hands, before and during the match, allowing them to better grip and control the ball. Incidentally, the resin causes significant damage to the covering of the rooms… So much so that equipment manufacturers have launched a frantic race for several years to invent the ball that sticks to the hands without resin.
Bleu horizon
Speaking of flooring, let us note that it is a source of French pride… For several decades, the Gerflor company, originally Taraflex and based in Tarare, between Roanne and Lyon, has been a leader in the sports hall flooring market. , from the most ordinary to the most prestigious. Since 1976, Gerflor has equipped the same rooms used during the Olympic Games. Which obviously does not guarantee us the coronation this summer in Paris either. But hey, still.