Gilmé: “France can achieve something big”

For a big handball nation like France, it has taken a remarkably long time until the beach variant started to blossom in the country. The national team had two appearances at early editions of the EHF Beach Handball EURO more than 20 years ago but only became regular contenders from 2017.

Current team captain Alexis Gilmé, 25, recalls his first EURO with France — in 2019 in Stare Jablonki.

“It was my very first EURO with the senior national team, I was 19, and that experience will always stay with me,” Gilmé says about the event in Poland, where France reached the quarter-finals for the first time at a EURO.

“We achieved this feat even though beach handball had only been introduced in France two years earlier. We had a team experienced in indoor handball, but with very little background in beach handball. Still, our hunger, unity, and determination allowed us to compete with the best teams in Europe.”

France repeated its quarter-final entry in 2021 in Varna but finished only a disappointing 13th in Nazaré two years ago — although they did impress with a 2:1 win in the preliminary round over hosts and eventual semi-finalists Portugal.

Gilmé’s beach handball career kicked off in 2018. During his time at the Handball Pôle Espoir in Dunkerque, he was spotted by representatives of the national youth beach handball team. That same year, he made his debut for France at the YAC 18 EHF Beach Handball EURO in Montenegro.

“I instantly fell in love with beach handball — the competition, the sunshine, the high-intensity game — it felt like the perfect fit for me,” says Gilmé.

“What I especially love about beach handball is its spectacular nature, the incredible fair play, and the festive yet highly competitive atmosphere. That’s exactly what I look for in a sport.”

A true highlight in his beach handball career came last year, when the sport was a showcase event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“An exceptional experience. Every athlete dreams of the Olympics. To be part of it, even in a demonstration format, and especially in France, in Paris, words can’t quite capture what it meant to me. It was truly unique,” says Gilmé, adding he could not have dreamt of such a high-profile experience when he started playing indoor handball as a child.

“At a very young age, around eight or nine years old, thanks to my older brother. He played in our small village in northern France, near Lille, and I would often tag along. Since I couldn’t stand still on the sidelines, I ended up joining the game.”

Gilmé played as a left back for first-division side USDK as part of the Dunkerque-based club’s youth academy but has prioritised his professional career since.

“Today, I live and work in Paris, and I’m one of the few players on the French national team who focuses exclusively on beach handball. I still play indoor handball recreationally in the Paris area, but only for fun alongside my job,” says Gilmé, who works at French sporting goods retailer Decathlon and completed his master in Sports Management last year.

Now fully engaging in the outdoor variant, Gilmé hopes France can take the next step at the EHF Beach Handball EURO 2025. The team will start their campaign in Alanya in a preliminary group that also includes three-time champions Spain as well as Sweden and Bulgaria.

Two of them are well-known opponents: France qualified for the EURO by placing third at last year’s EHF Beach Handball Championships in Varna, where they defeated hosts Bulgaria in the preliminary round but lost to Sweden in the main round.

“While that medal gave us a boost, it doesn’t necessarily mean much heading into this summer,” acknowledges Gilmé, referring to the fact that EHF Beach Handball Championships take place without the top-ranked European nations that qualified for the world championships.

With his, as he calls it, “rather unorthodox playing style,” Gilmé is aware of his key role within the French team.

“As a defender, I rely heavily on constant movement and disrupting the opponents’ attacks to break their rhythm. And as this will be my fourth EURO, the experience I have gained over the years continues to help me grow and improve — both individually and for the good of the team.”

To reach at least the quarter-finals again, France need to improve “in the details,” as Gilmé puts it.

“It all comes down to the little moments, the right decisions, the well-executed sequences,” he says. “We have the desire, we have the talent, and we are working hard to make everything click. If we stay focused and demanding, we can achieve something big.”

Photos © Kolektiff Images