1997 World Women's Handball Championship

The 1997 IHF World Women's Handball Championship took place in Germany 30 November – 14 December 1997. It was the first tournament with 24 teams. Denmark won its first title. Denmark's only defeat in the championship was by Macedonia.

1997 World Women's Handball Championship
Tournament details
Host country Germany
Teams24
Final positions
Champions Denmark (1st title)
Runner-up Norway
Third place Germany
Fourth place Russia
Tournament statistics
Matches played80
Goals scored4,083 (51.04 per match)
Next →

The tournament was also remembered for a tragic incident in the stands during one match of the semi-final matches, between Denmark and Russia (32-22), when a fight broke out between a Danish and a German spectator. The fight developed into the German taking out a knife and stabbing the Dane. Another Danish spectator tried to intervene, but was stabbed himself. Both Danes soon died, and the German was soon arrested by the police. He admitted to the stabbing during the police interrogation, and said that he committed it while under the influence of alcohol.

Host Cities edit

The matches were held in the cities of Berlin, Hanover, Saarbrücken, Hamburg, Sindelfingen, Neubrandenburg and Rotenburg an der Fulda. The semi-finals and finals were held in the Berlin in the Max-Schmeling-Halle.

Squads edit

Group stage edit

Group A edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Germany 5 5 0 0 153 92 +61 10 Round of 16
2   Poland 5 4 0 1 129 114 +15 8
3   Austria 5 3 0 2 132 115 +17 6
4   Angola 5 1 1 3 126 143 −17 3
5   Japan 5 1 1 3 105 130 −25 3
6   Brazil 5 0 0 5 104 155 −51 0
Germany   32–17   Japan
(16–7)
Austria   36–23   Brazil
(18–12)
Poland   29–24   Angola
(15–10)
Japan   16–24   Austria
(8–13)
Brazil   19–32   Poland
(7–15)
Angola   20–32   Germany
(11–12)
Japan   25–21   Brazil
(10–9)
Germany   29–19   Poland
(14–9)
Austria   29–22   Angola
(13–9)
Germany   32–18   Brazil
(17–6)
Angola   30–30   Japan
(15–16)
Poland   26–25   Austria
(14–11)
Brazil   23–30   Angola
(12–17)
Poland   23–17   Japan
(12–10)
Austria   18–28   Germany
(10–14)

Group B edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Croatia 5 5 0 0 146 90 +56 10 Round of 16
2   Norway 5 4 0 1 155 93 +62 8
3   France 5 3 0 2 140 95 +45 6
4   Belarus 5 2 0 3 122 125 −3 4
5   Canada 5 0 1 4 77 139 −62 1
6   Uzbekistan 5 0 1 4 83 181 −98 1
Croatia   27–14   Canada
(16–6)
Norway   34–21   Belarus
(14–12)
France   39–17   Uzbekistan
(17–8)
Uzbekistan   15–45   Croatia
(10–19)
Canada   15–32   Norway
(7–17)
Belarus   17–30   France
(10–15)
Canada   13–30   Belarus
(7–10)
Norway   44–13   Uzbekistan
(20–5)
Croatia   21–20   France
(7–13)
Croatia   28–19   Belarus
(12–9)
Uzbekistan   18–18   Canada
(10–8)
France   19–23   Norway
(10–9)
Belarus   35–20   Uzbekistan
(14–9)
France   32–17   Canada
(18–7)
Norway   22–25   Croatia
(11–13)

Group C edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   South Korea 5 5 0 0 160 101 +59 10 Round of 16
2   Hungary 5 4 0 1 156 102 +54 8
3   Romania 5 3 0 2 153 124 +29 6
4   Ivory Coast 5 2 0 3 121 129 −8 4
5   Algeria 5 1 0 4 101 146 −45 2
6   Uruguay 5 0 0 5 74 163 −89 0
Romania   44–23   Algeria
(25–9)
Hungary   36–12   Uruguay
(19–7)
South Korea   30–24   Ivory Coast
(18–12)
Uruguay   15–34   Romania
(9–14)
Ivory Coast   21–33   Hungary
(6–17)
Algeria   16–35   South Korea
(5–18)
Romania   26–30   Hungary
(14–19)
Algeria   20–21   Ivory Coast
(9–12)
South Korea   35–11   Uruguay
(15–4)
Romania   28–26   Ivory Coast
(12–10)
Uruguay   18–29   Algeria
(5–15)
Hungary   29–30   South Korea
(17–16)
Ivory Coast   29–18   Uruguay
(15–6)
Hungary   28–13   Algeria
(16–5)
South Korea   30–21   Romania
(13–12)

Group D edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Russia 5 4 1 0 128 111 +17 9 Round of 16
2   Macedonia 5 3 1 1 124 115 +9 7
3   Denmark 5 3 1 1 161 114 +47 7
4   Czech Republic 5 2 1 2 136 145 −9 5
5   Slovenia 5 1 0 4 136 158 −22 2
6   China 5 0 0 5 118 160 −42 0
Macedonia   26–22   Slovenia
(11–11)
Russia   27–24   Czech Republic
(10–12)
Denmark   38–16   China
(17–9)
Slovenia   27–30   Russia
(11–15)
China   24–30   Macedonia
(11–19)
Czech Republic   27–41   Denmark
(12–23)
Russia   22–19   Macedonia
(9–8)
Czech Republic   30–25   China
(14–13)
Denmark   37–24   Slovenia
(22–09)
Slovenia   28–31   Czech Republic
(10–18)
Russia   27–19   China
(16–7)
Macedonia   25–23   Denmark
(15–8)
China   34–35   Slovenia
(19–17)
Macedonia   24–24   Czech Republic
(9–12)
Denmark   22–22   Russia
(12–12)

Final round edit

Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
B1   Croatia 30
A4   Angola 22 B1   Croatia 21
D3   Denmark 30 D3   Denmark 25
C2   Hungary 25 D3   Denmark 32
B3   France 20 D1   Russia 22
A2   Poland 30 A2   Poland 19
D1   Russia 28 D1   Russia 24
C4   Ivory Coast 20 D3   Denmark 33
C3   Romania 33 B2   Norway 20
D2   Macedonia 37 D2   Macedonia 19
A1   Germany 33 A1   Germany 24
B4   Belarus 23 A1   Germany 23 Third place
A3   Austria 18 B2   Norway 25
B2   Norway 24 B2   Norway 27 D1   Russia 25
C1   South Korea 29 C1   South Korea 21 A1   Germany 27
D4   Czech Republic 26

Round of 16 edit

France   20–30   Poland
(11–16)
Germany   33–23   Belarus
(16–8)
Austria   18–24   Norway
(12–6)
Croatia   30–22   Angola
(14–8)
South Korea   29–26   Czech Republic
(16–10)
Denmark   30–25   Hungary
(19–12)
Romania   33–37   Macedonia
(33–37 - 27–27 - 29–29 - 15–13)
Russia   28–20   Ivory Coast
(11–11)

Quarterfinals edit

Germany   24–19   Macedonia
(13–7)
Poland   19–24   Russia
(8–13)
Denmark   25–21   Croatia
(14–7)
South Korea   21–27   Norway
(12–15)

Semifinals edit

For places 1-4

Germany   23–25   Norway
(9–11)
Denmark   32–22   Russia
(19–12)

For places 5-8

South Korea   34–26   Macedonia
(22–12)
Poland   19–20   Croatia
(8–9)

Finals edit

Norway   20–33   Denmark
(11–14)
Germany   27–25   Russia
(16–12)
South Korea   33–32   Croatia
(28–28 - 14–15)
Macedonia   36–34   Poland
(30–30 - 18–12)

Final standings edit

1   Denmark
2   Norway
3   Germany
4   Russia
5   South Korea
6   Croatia
7   Macedonia
8   Poland
9   Hungary
10   France
11   Austria
12   Romania
13   Czech Republic
14   Ivory Coast
15   Angola
16   Belarus
17   Japan
18   Slovenia
19   Algeria
20   Canada
21   Uzbekistan
22   China
23   Brazil
24   Uruguay

World champions edit

Trainer: Ulrik Wilbek

Top goalscorers edit

Rank Name Team Goals
1 Indira Kastratović   Macedonia 71
2 Han Sun-hee   South Korea 63
3 Tonje Sagstuen   Norway 59
4 Roxana Stănișor   Romania 57
5 Aleksandra Pawelska   Poland 55
6 Grit Jurack   Germany 54
7 Valentina Radulović   Macedonia 52
Klaudija Bubalo   Croatia
9 Anja Andersen   Denmark 51
10 Monika Ludmilová   Czech Republic 50

All Star Team edit

References edit

Source: International Handball Federation