IHF World Women's Handball Championship
The IHF Women's Handball World Championship has been organized by the International Handball Federation since 1957. European teams have won every time except 1995 where South Korea won as the first team outside Europe and 2013 where Brazil won as the first American team. The biggest winners are Russia and Norway with four titles each.
Current season, competition or edition: 2023 World Women's Handball Championship | |
Sport | Handball |
---|---|
Founded | 1957 |
No. of teams | 32 (finals) |
Continent | International (IHF) |
Most recent champion(s) | Norway (4th title) |
Most titles | Norway (4 titles) Russia (4 titles) |
Nine teams participated in the first championship, this number has grown in steps to 32 (from 2021). In 1977 a B-tournament was introduced and later in 1986 a C-tournament which served as qualification for the real championship or A-tournament. The B- and C-tournament qualifications were replaced by the present qualification system based on continental confederations in 1993.[1]
From 1993 it has been held every other year. Between 1978 and 1990 it was held every fourth alternating with the Olympic tournament (introduced for women handball in 1976). The first five tournaments were held in the summer or early fall whereas the rest has been held in November or December.[1]
Tournaments
Medal table
IHF only includes medals won at the indoor championships.[2]
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Norway | 4 | 4 | 3 | 11 |
2 | Russia | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
3 | Soviet Union | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
4 | East Germany | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
5 | France | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 |
6 | Hungary | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 |
7 | Yugoslavia | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
8 | Denmark | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
9 | Romania | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
10 | Czechoslovakia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
12 | Germany | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
13 | South Korea | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
14 | Brazil | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
15 | Spain | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
16 | Serbia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
17 | Austria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
FR Yugoslavia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
West Germany | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Totals (19 entries) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 75 |
Participation nations
Source: IHF official site.[2]
- Legend
- 1st – Champions
- 2nd – Runners-up
- 3rd – Third place
- 4th – Fourth place
- 5th – Fifth place
- 6th – Sixth place
- 7th – Seventh place
- 8th – Eighth place
- 9th – Ninth place
- 10th – Tenth place
- 11th – Eleventh place
- 12th – Twelfth place
- MR – Main round
- GS – Group stage
- Q – Qualified for upcoming tournament
- •• – Qualified but withdrew
- • – Did not qualify
- × – Did not enter / Withdrew from the World Championship / Banned
- – Hosts
For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament (in brackets) are shown.
Team | 1957 |
1962 |
1965 |
1971 |
1973 |
1975 |
1978 |
1982 |
1986 |
1990 |
1993 |
1995 |
1997 |
1999 |
2001 |
2003 |
2005 |
2007 |
2009 |
2011 |
2013 |
2015 |
2017 |
2019 |
2021 |
2023 |
2025 |
2027 |
Total |
Algeria | France | × | × | × | × | 10th | • | • | • | • | • | 19th | × | • | • | × | × | • | • | 22nd | • | • | • | × | • | 3 | |||
Angola | Part of Portugal | × | × | • | • | 16th | 16th | 13th | 15th | 15th | 13th | 17th | 16th | 7th | 11th | 8th | 16th | 16th | 19th | 15th | 25th | Q | 17 | ||||||
Argentina | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 24th | • | 22nd | 20th | 20th | 19th | 23rd | 19th | 18th | 23rd | 16th | 21st | Q | 12 | ||
Australia | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 23rd | • | 23rd | 24th | 24th | 24th | 24th | 24th | • | • | 24th | × | • | 8 | ||
Austria | 6th | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | 12th | 5th | 8th | 8th | 11th | 3rd | 7th | 11th | 13th | 16th | 10th | • | • | • | • | • | 16th | Q | 14 | ||
Belarus | Part of Soviet Union | • | • | 16th | 14th | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | × | 2 | |||||||||||
Brazil | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | 17th | 23rd | 16th | 12th | 20th | 7th | 14th | 15th | 5th | 1st | 10th | 18th | 17th | 6th | Q | 15 | ||
Bulgaria | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | 10th | • | 12th | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | × | • | 2 | ||
Cameroon | FRA | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | • | • | × | × | • | • | • | • | 22nd | • | • | • | • | • | 20th | • | 28th | Q | 4 | ||
Canada | × | × | × | × | × | • | 10th | • | • | 15th | • | 17th | 20th | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | × | • | 4 | ||
Chile | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 23rd | • | • | • | • | • | • | Q | 2 | ||
China | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | 9th | 8th | 14th | 13th | 22nd | 18th | 11th | 19th | 17th | 21st | 12th | 21st | 18th | 17th | 22nd | 23rd | 32nd | Q | 18 | ||
Congo | FRA | × | × | × | × | × | × | 12th | •• | • | • | • | • | 22nd | 22nd | • | • | 17th | 20th | • | • | • | • | • | 23rd | Q | 7 | ||
Croatia | Part of Yugoslavia | • | 10th | 6th | • | • | 14th | 11th | 9th | • | 7th | • | • | • | • | 18th | Q | 8 | |||||||||||
Cuba | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 21st | • | • | • | • | • | 22nd | • | 23rd | • | 21st | × | • | 4 | ||
Czech Republic | See Czechoslovakia | 13th | 13th | 19th | • | 15th | • | • | • | • | 15th | • | 8th | • | 19th | Q | 8 | ||||||||||||
DR Congo | BEL | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | 20th | 24th | • | 20th | • | • | 3 | ||
Denmark | 5th | 2nd | 5th | 6th | 7th | 9th | • | • | • | 10th | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 6th | 4th | 13th | 4th | • | 5th | 4th | 3rd | 6th | 6th | 9th | 3rd | Q | 22 | ||
Dominican Republic | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 22nd | • | • | 23rd | • | • | • | × | × | 2 | ||
France | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | 15th | 14th | • | • | 10th | 2nd | 5th | 1st | 12th | 5th | 2nd | 2nd | 6th | 7th | 1st | 13th | 2nd | Q | 16 | ||
Germany (including West Germany) | 4th | 8th | 3rd | 5th | 11th | • | 8th | 9th | 7th | 4th | 1st | 5th | 3rd | 7th | • | 12th | 6th | 3rd | 7th | 17th | 7th | 13th | 12th | 8th | 7th | Q | Q | 25 | |
Greenland | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 24th | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | Q | 2 | ||
Hungary | 2nd | 5th | 1st | 3rd | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 8th | • | 7th | 2nd | 9th | 5th | 6th | 2nd | 3rd | 8th | 9th | • | 8th | 11th | 15th | 14th | 10th | Q | Q | 25 | |
Iceland | × | × | • | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 12th | • | • | • | • | • | Q | 2 | ||
Iran | × | × | × | × | × | • | × | × | • | × | • | × | × | × | • | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | 31st | Q | 2 | ||
Italy | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 16th | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 | ||
Ivory Coast | × | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | 17th | 14th | 20th | • | 21st | 21st | • | 18th | 16th | • | × | • | • | × | • | 7 | ||
Japan | × | 9th | 7th | 9th | 10th | 10th | • | • | 14th | • | • | 13th | 17th | 17th | 20th | 16th | 18th | 19th | 16th | 14th | 14th | 19th | 16th | 10th | 11th | Q | 21 | ||
Kazakhstan | Part of Soviet Union | • | × | × | × | • | •• | × | 18th | 22nd | 19th | • | 22nd | 22nd | 24th | Q | 7 | ||||||||||||
Lithuania | Part of Soviet Union | 13th | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | × | 1 | |||||||||||
Montenegro | Part of Yugoslavia | Part of Serbia and Montenegro | • | • | 10th | 11th | 8th | 6th | 5th | 22nd | Q | 7 | |||||||||||||||||
Netherlands | × | × | • | 8th | 12th | • | 9th | • | 10th | • | • | • | • | 10th | 14th | • | 5th | • | • | 15th | 13th | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 9th | Q | Q | 15 | |
North Macedonia | Part of Yugoslavia | • | • | 7th | 8th | 21st | • | 15th | 12th | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 5 | |||||||||||
Norway | × | × | • | 7th | 8th | 8th | • | 7th | 3rd | 6th | 3rd | 4th | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 6th | 9th | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 5th | 1st | 2nd | 4th | 1st | Q | 22 | ||
Paraguay | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 23rd | • | • | 21st | • | 21st | • | 29th | Q | 5 | ||
Poland | 7th | 7th | 8th | • | 5th | 7th | 6th | • | 13th | 9th | 10th | • | 8th | 11th | • | • | 19th | 11th | • | • | 4th | 4th | 17th | • | 15th | Q | 18 | ||
Puerto Rico | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 20th | • | • | 20th | × | 2 | ||
Romania | 9th | 1st | 6th | 4th | 2nd | 4th | 7th | 8th | 5th | 7th | 4th | 7th | 12th | 4th | 17th | 10th | 2nd | 4th | 8th | 13th | 10th | 3rd | 10th | 12th | 13th | Q | 26 | ||
Russia | See Soviet Union | 5th | 6th | 4th | 12th | 1st | 7th | 1st | 1st | 1st | 6th | • | 5th | 5th | 3rd | 8th | × | 14 | |||||||||||
Senegal | FRA | × | × | × | × | • | × | × | • | × | • | × | × | × | • | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | 18th | • | Q | 2 | ||
Serbia | Part of Yugoslavia | See Serbia and Montenegro | • | • | • | 2nd | 15th | 9th | 6th | 12th | Q | 6 | |||||||||||||||||
Slovakia | Part of Czechoslovakia | 12th | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 26th | • | 2 | ||||||||||||
Slovenia | Part of Yugoslavia | • | • | 18th | • | 9th | 8th | 14th | • | • | • | • | • | 14th | 19th | 17th | Q | 8 | |||||||||||
South Korea | × | × | × | × | × | • | 10th | 6th | 11th | 11th | 11th | 1st | 5th | 9th | 15th | 3rd | 8th | 6th | 6th | 11th | 12th | 14th | 13th | 11th | 14th | Q | 20 | ||
Spain | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | 15th | • | • | • | 10th | 5th | • | 10th | 4th | 3rd | 9th | 12th | 11th | 2nd | 4th | Q | 12 | ||
Sweden | 8th | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 13th | 6th | 11th | • | • | 8th | • | • | • | 13th | 9th | • | 9th | 4th | 7th | 5th | Q | 12 | ||
Thailand | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | × | 21st | • | × | × | × | × | × | • | 1 | ||
Tunisia | × | × | × | × | × | 12th | • | • | • | • | • | • | × | × | 19th | 18th | • | 15th | 14th | 18th | 17th | 21st | 24th | • | 27th | • | 10 | ||
Ukraine | Part of Soviet Union | • | 9th | • | 13th | 18th | 4th | 10th | 13th | 17th | • | • | • | • | • | • | Q | 8 | |||||||||||
United States | × | × | × | × | × | 11th | • | 11th | 16th | • | 12th | 17th | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | Q | Q | 7 |
Uruguay | × | × | × | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 24th | • | 23rd | 24th | 23rd | • | • | 20th | • | • | • | • | • | • | 5 | ||
Uzbekistan | Part of Soviet Union | × | × | 21st | × | × | • | × | × | • | • | • | • | • | × | 30th | • | 2 | |||||||||||
Discontinued teams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czechoslovakia | 1st | 3rd | 4th | • | 6th | 6th | 4th | 5th | 2nd | • | 9th | See Czech Republic | 9 | ||||||||||||||||
East Germany | × | • | • | 1st | 9th | 1st | 1st | 4th | 4th | 3rd | See Germany | 7 | |||||||||||||||||
Serbia and Montenegro | Part of Yugoslavia | • | • | • | • | 3rd | 9th | • | See Serbia | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||
Soviet Union | × | 6th | × | • | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | See Russia | 7 | |||||||||||||||||
Yugoslavia | 3rd | 4th | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 5th | 5th | 3rd | 6th | 2nd | See Serbia | 10 | |||||||||||||||||
Total | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
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Since first entering the tournament in 1957, Romania are the only team to have appeared in all 25 tournaments to date.
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Most successful players
Boldface denotes active handball players and highest medal count among all players (including these who not included in these tables) per type.
Multiple gold medalists
The table shows players who have won at least 3 gold medals at the World Championships.
Rank | Player | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Camilla Herrem | Norway | 2009 | 2021 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
2 | Stine Bredal Oftedal | Norway | 2011 | 2021 | 3 | 1 | – | 4 |
3 | Maryna Bazanova | Soviet Union | 1982 | 1990 | 3 | – | – | 3 |
Hannelore Burosch | East Germany | 1971 | 1978 | 3 | – | – | 3 | |
Maria Constantinescu (Scheip) | Romania | 1956 | 1962 | 3 ** | – | – | 3 ** | |
Victorița Dumitrescu | Romania | 1956 | 1962 | 3 ** | – | – | 3 ** | |
Anna Kareyeva | Russia | 2001 | 2007 | 3 | – | – | 3 | |
Irina Klimovschi (Nagy) | Romania | 1956 | 1962 | 3 ** | – | – | 3 ** | |
Waltraud Kretzschmar | East Germany | 1971 | 1978 | 3 | – | – | 3 | |
Nadezhda Muravyova | Russia | 2001 | 2009 | 3 | – | – | 3 | |
Irina Poltoratskaya | Russia | 2001 | 2007 | 3 | – | – | 3 | |
Lyudmila Postnova | Russia | 2005 | 2009 | 3 | – | – | 3 | |
Kristina Richter (Hochmuth) | East Germany | 1971 | 1978 | 3 | – | – | 3 | |
Oksana Romenskaya | Russia | 2001 | 2007 | 3 | – | – | 3 | |
Ana Stănișel (Starck) | Romania | 1956 | 1962 | 3 ** | – | – | 3 ** | |
Iozefina Ștefănescu (Ugron) | Romania | 1956 | 1962 | 3 ** | – | – | 3 ** | |
Inna Suslina | Russia | 2001 | 2009 | 3 | – | – | 3 | |
Aurelia Szőke (Sălăgeanu) | Romania | 1956 | 1962 | 3 ** | – | – | 3 ** | |
Emiliya Turey | Russia | 2005 | 2009 | 3 | – | – | 3 | |
Petra Uhlig (Kahnt) | East Germany | 1971 | 1978 | 3 | – | – | 3 | |
Hannelore Zober | East Germany | 1971 | 1978 | 3 | – | – | 3 |
** including two medals won at the 1956 and 1960 World Outdoor Field Handball Championships
Multiple medalists
The table shows players who have won at least 4 medals in total at the World Championships.
Rank | Player | Country | From | To | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Camilla Herrem | Norway | 2009 | 2021 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
2 | Kari Aalvik Grimsbø | Norway | 2007 | 2017 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
Katrine Lunde (Haraldsen) | Norway | 2007 | 2021 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |
Zinaida Turchyna | Soviet Union | 1973 | 1986 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | |
5 | Stine Bredal Oftedal | Norway | 2011 | 2021 | 3 | 1 | – | 4 |
6 | Heidi Løke | Norway | 2009 | 2017 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
7 | Cléopatre Darleux | France | 2009 | 2021 | 1 | 3 | – | 4 |
Allison Pineau | France | 2009 | 2021 | 1 | 3 | – | 4 | |
9 | Amália Sterbinszky | Hungary | 1971 | 1982 | – | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Top scorers and best platers by tournament
The record-holder for scored goals in a single World Championship is Bojana Radulović. She scored 97 goals for Hungary at the 2003 World Championship.
Year | Top scorer | Goals | Best player |
---|---|---|---|
1957 | Pavla Bartáková | 11 | |
1962 | Marie Mateju Ana Stănișel |
14 | |
1965 | Anne-Marie Nielsen | 11 | |
1971 | Hideyo Taramizu | 22 | |
1973 | Christine Gehlhoff | 25 | |
1975 | Tetyana Makarets | 35 | |
1978 | Milena Foltýnová Kristina Richter |
41 | |
1982 | Jasna Merdan | 52 | |
1986 | Natalya Kirchik | 61 | |
1990 | Bożena Karkut Svetlana Vydrina |
50 | |
1993 | Hong Jeong-ho | 58 | |
1995 | Nataliya Derepasko | 61 | |
1997 | Indira Kastratović | 71 | |
1999 | Carmen Amariei Grit Jurack |
67 | Ausra Fridrikas |
2001 | Ausra Fridrikas | 87 | |
2003 | Bojana Radulović | 97 | Valérie Nicolas |
2005 | Nadine Krause Tanja Logwin |
60 | Lyudmila Postnova |
2007 | Grit Jurack | 85 | Katja Nyberg |
2009 | Katrin Engel | 67 | Lyudmila Postnova |
2011 | Alexandra do Nascimento | 57 | Not awarded |
2013 | Susann Müller | 62 | Eduarda Amorim |
2015 | Cristina Neagu | 63 | Cristina Neagu |
2017 | Nora Mørk | 66 | Stine Bredal Oftedal |
2019 | Lois Abbingh | 71 | Estavana Polman |
2021 | Nathalie Hagman | 71 | Kari Brattset Dale |
Largest winning margin
Margin | Winning team | Score | Opponent | WC |
---|---|---|---|---|
48 | Hungary | 57–9 | Australia | 2005 |
46 | Netherlands | 61–15 | Kazakhstan | 2021 |
45 | Sweden | 66–21 | Australia | 2009 |
41 | Netherlands | 58–17 | Uzbekistan | 2021 |
41 | Angola | 52–11 | Uzbekistan | 2021 |
41 | Austria | 52–11 | Thailand | 2009 |
40 | Netherlands | 55–15 | Puerto Rico | 2021 |
40 | Russia | 48–8 | Australia | 2009 |
39 | Angola | 47–8 | Australia | 2005 |
39 | France | 46–7 | Australia | 2019 |
38 | Netherlands | 53–15 | Australia | 2011 |
38 | South Korea | 50–12 | Paraguay | 2007 |
38 | Sweden | 48–10 | Puerto Rico | 2021 |
38 | Yugoslavia | 41–3 | Tunisia | 1975 |
37 | Norway | 48–11 | Uruguay | 2001 |
37 | Norway | 47–10 | Australia | 2005 |
37 | Russia | 45–8 | Australia | 2011 |
37 | Russia | 45–8 | Thailand | 2009 |
37 | Denmark | 42–5 | Argentina | 1999 |
36 | Norway | 43–7 | Puerto Rico | 2021 |
35 | Sweden | 55–20 | Kazakhstan | 2021 |
35 | Austria | 45–10 | Australia | 2009 |
35 | Croatia | 44–9 | Uruguay | 2005 |
34 | Romania | 51–17 | Chile | 2009 |
34 | Hungary | 48–14 | Chile | 2009 |
34 | South Korea | 45–11 | Australia | 2011 |
34 | China | 45–11 | Australia | 2011 |
34 | Poland | 40–6 | Paraguay | 2013 |
Source: TV2Sporten.no
See also
References
- "Women's World Championships". IHF. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
- IHF official site (ihf.info): Page 51: MEDALS TABLE Archived 16 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine