1997 World Women's Handball Championship

The 1997 IHF World Women's Handball Championship took place in Germany 30 November – 14 December 1997.^[3] It was the first tournament with 24 teams. Denmark won its first World Championship title.^[4] Denmark's only defeat in the championship was by Macedonia.

1997 World Women's Handball Championship

Tournament details
Host country	Germany
Dates	30 November - 14 December 1997
Teams	24
Final positions
Champions	Denmark (1st title)
Runners-up	Norway
Third place	Germany
Fourth place	Russia
Tournament statistics
Matches played	80
Goals scored	4,083 (51.04 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Indira Kastratović 71 goals[1]
Awards
Best player	Franziska Heinz[2]
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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.^[5]

Host Cities

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

Main article: 1997 World Women's Handball Championship squads

Group stage

Group A

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

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

	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

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

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

	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

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

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

	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

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

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

	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

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

	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

	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

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

	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

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

• Lene Rantala
• Anne Dorthe Tanderup
• Helle Simonsen
• Camilla Andersen
• Tina Bøttzau
• Anette Hoffman
• Lone Mathiesen
• Janne Kolling
• Merete Møller
• Anja Andersen
• Gitte Sunesen
• Gitte Madsen
• Tonje Kjaergaard
• Susanne Munk Lauritsen
• Maybrit Nielsen
• Karina Jespersen

Trainer: Ulrik Wilbek

Top goalscorers

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

• Goalkeeper: Susanne Munk Wilbek  Denmark
• Left Wing: Han Sun-hee  South Korea
• Left Back: Franziska Heinz  Germany
• Center Back: Camilla Andersen  Denmark
• Pivot: Natalia Deriougina  Russia
• Right Back: Tonje Sagstuen  Norway
• Right Wing: Natalia Malakhova  Russia