'There was no way I wouldn't help her': Brazil's Frossard carries injured rival Kassoma of Angola from handball court at Paris 2024 Olympics
"Only you could lift me up."
Sounds like the beginning of a song, right?
But these are the words between competitors, mid-way through a must-win handball match at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on Saturday 3 August.
Angola and Brazil were duking it out for a spot in the quarter-finals when Albertina Kassoma suffered a knee injury.
Angola's captain tried to stand up to make it to the bench but couldn't move, despite the attempted help of Angola’s team doctor and Brazil’s goalkeeper, Gabriela Moreschi.
In swooped Tamires Araujo Frossard, a fellow line player and club rival as both play in the Romanian league. The Brazilian plays for Gloria Bistrița and Kassoma for Rapid București with Kassoma's side finishing second in the league last season, to Frossard's side in third.
So these two know about rivalry.
But Frossard was nearest the distressed Kassoma and one of the few who could even attempt to help one of the tallest players in Paris, at 1.85m (6ft 1ins).
"The injury happened close to me," she said afterwards. "I kept playing at first because I didn't think it was that serious. When I saw her on the ground, I thought she wouldn't be able to get back up, because it's very rare that you fall and don't get up.”
At 183cm herself, Frossard was able to scoop up Kassoma, and carry her off court to loud applause from the 5,800 spectators in the South Paris Arena 6, in what will no doubt become another iconic image of fair play for the Olympic Games' archives.
Rivals and friends from Angola and Brazil
It was during this special moment that the pair exchanged a few words in their native Portuguese.
"She said, 'Thank you very much, my friend. Only you could lift me up. I was very hurt'," revealed Frossard afterwards. "Now she will recover. I hope she comes back well.
"We are both elderly (laughs), and friends who sit down for coffee and chat. We don't have much time to go out at night, but we are lifelong friends.”
By match end, Brazil had won 30-19 to progress to the knockout stages, but Frossard empathised with the disappointed Angola players.
“I respect the Angolan team a lot. They've had a wonderful journey," Frossard concluded. "Unfortunately, one team had to be out, but that's what sports are all about.”
As are moments of friendship and compassion, the pair demonstrating the importance of the moments that go beyond winning and losing.
The women's handball tournament continues with the knockout stages on 6 August with Brazil taking on Norway, the winners at London 2012, and bronze medallists from the past two Olympic Games, at 21:30 local time in the last quarter-final of the day.
Women's handball quarter finals matches at Paris 2024 on 6 August
09:30 Denmark v Netherlands
13:30 France v Germany
17:30 Hungary v Sweden
21:30 Norway v Brazil