Japan, captained by Daisuke Miyazaki, missed out on gaining an Olympic berth in the men's handball competition June 1 after a defeat to Russia in the final qualifying competition for this summer's Beijing games.

"Russia took advantage of our mistakes in offense and defense," said Japan coach Kiyoharu Sakamaki. "Their players' movement was quicker on and off the ball. A lot of our play here was not what you would call world class."

Japan finished in third place in its group in qualifying Tournament 3 with a 1-2 record. Host Croatia and Russia advanced to Beijing.