France downed Russia 27-24 to revenge a sour defeat four years ago, entering the semifinals of Beijing Olympic men's handball tournament on Wednesday.

It was the second time in a row for the two teams to clash in the quarterfinal of Olympic Games. France was shut out 24-26 by the Russians four years ago at Athens, although leading the first half 14-13.

"The memory of the defeat four years ago was still fresh for us. But today we walked out of the shadow. At Athens the Russian team was more seasoned than us. Our team becomes mature now, while the opponent is in a transitional period," said France coach Claude Onesta, whose team finished fifth in 2004 Games.

Experiences were the key to the French side's victory. After leading 13-10 by the break, they avoided a repeat of the history by holding the second half firmly in control and retaining their three goal advantage till the end of the game.

Center back Danniel Narcisse of France netted in nine goals to top the scoring list, while right wing Abalo Luc also added seven.

"It is just not easy to play against Russia. They have a good defense and they played together the whole season. But we played well and didn't lose our concentration," said French star handballer Nikola Karabatic, who described the Olympic experience in Athens as a nightmare due to their loss to Russia in his official Website.

"We come here to win a medal; a gold will be the best. The whole squad is in a good condition with no major injuries but high morale," said Onesta, whose team will take on the winner of reigning gold medalist Croatia and European champ Denmark in the semifinal scheduled for Friday.

(Xinhua News Agency August 20, 2008)