IHF World Women's Handball Championship

IHF World Women's Handball Championship
Current season, competition or edition:
2025 World Women's Handball Championship
SportHandball
Founded1957 (1957)
No. of teams32 (finals)
ContinentInternational (IHF)
Most recent
champion(s)
 France (3rd title)
Most titles Norway
 Russia
(4 titles each)

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.

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

Year Host Final Third place match Teams
Champions Score Runners-up Third place Score Fourth place
1957
Details

Yugoslavia

Czechoslovakia
7–1
Hungary

Yugoslavia
9–6
West Germany
9
1962
Details

Romania

Romania
8–5
Denmark

Czechoslovakia
6–5
Yugoslavia
9
1965
Details

West Germany

Hungary
5–3
Yugoslavia

West Germany
11–10
Czechoslovakia
8
1968

Soviet Union
The tournament was cancelled due to the Soviet intervention in Czechoslovakia
1971
Details

Netherlands

East Germany
11–8
Yugoslavia

Hungary
12–11 (2ET)
Romania
9
1973
Details

Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia
16–11
Romania

Soviet Union
20–12
Hungary
12
1975
Details

Soviet Union

East Germany
Round-robin
Soviet Union

Hungary
Round-robin
Romania
12
1978
Details

Czechoslovakia

East Germany
Round-robin
Soviet Union

Hungary
Round-robin
Czechoslovakia
12
1982
Details

Hungary

Soviet Union
Round-robin
Hungary

Yugoslavia
Round-robin
East Germany
12
1986
Details

Netherlands

Soviet Union
30–22
Czechoslovakia

Norway
23–19
East Germany
16
1990
Details

South Korea

Soviet Union
24–22
Yugoslavia

East Germany
25–19
West Germany
16
1993
Details

Norway

Germany
22–21 (ET)
Denmark

Norway
20–19
Romania
16
1995
Details

Austria / Hungary

South Korea
25–20
Hungary

Denmark
25–24
Norway
20
1997
Details

Germany

Denmark
33–20
Norway

Germany
27–25
Russia
24
1999
Details

Norway / Denmark

Norway
25–24 (2ET)
France

Austria
31–28 (ET)
Romania
24
2001
Details

Italy

Russia
30–25
Norway

FR Yugoslavia
42–40 (ET)
Denmark
24
2003
Details

Croatia

France
32–29 (ET)
Hungary

South Korea
31–29
Ukraine
24
2005
Details

Russia

Russia
28–23
Romania

Hungary
27–24
Denmark
24
2007
Details

France

Russia
29–24
Norway

Germany
36–35 (ET)
Romania
24
2009
Details

China

Russia
25–22
France

Norway
31–26
Spain
24
2011
Details

Brazil

Norway
32–24
France

Spain
24–18
Denmark
24
2013
Details

Serbia

Brazil
22–20
Serbia

Denmark
30–26
Poland
24
2015
Details

Denmark

Norway
31–23
Netherlands

Romania
31–22
Poland
24
2017
Details

Germany

France
23–21
Norway

Netherlands
24–21
Sweden
24
2019
Details

Japan

Netherlands
30–29
Spain

Russia
33–28
Norway
24
2021
Details

Spain

Norway
29–22
France

Denmark
35–28
Spain
32
2023
Details

Denmark / Norway / Sweden

France
31–28
Norway

Denmark
28–27
Sweden
32
2025
Details

Netherlands / Germany
32
2027
Details

Hungary
32
2029
Details

Spain
32
2031
Details

Czech Republic / Poland
32

Medal table

IHF only includes medals won at the indoor championships.[2]

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Norway45312
2 Russia4015
3 France3407
4 Soviet Union3216
5 East Germany3014
6 Hungary1449
7 Yugoslavia1326
8 Denmark1247
9 Romania1214
10 Czechoslovakia1113
 Netherlands1113
12 Germany1023
13 South Korea1012
14 Brazil1001
15 Spain0112
16 Serbia0101
17 Austria0011
 West Germany0011
 Yugoslavia0011
Totals (19 entries)26262678

Participating 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

2029


2031
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 15th Q 18
 Argentina × × × × × 24th 22nd 20th 20th 19th 23rd 19th 18th 23rd 16th 21st 20th Q 13
 Australia × × × × × 23rd 23rd 24th 24th 24th 24th 24th × 24th × × 8
 Austria 6th × × × 12th 5th 8th 8th 11th 3rd 7th 11th 13th 16th 10th 16th 19th Q 15
 Belarus Part of  Soviet Union 16th 14th × × 2
 Brazil × × × × × 17th 23rd 16th 12th 20th 7th 14th 15th 5th 1st 10th 18th 17th 6th 9th Q 16
 Bulgaria × × × 10th 12th × 2
 Cameroon FRA × × × × × × × × 22nd 20th 28th 24th 4
 Canada × × × × × 10th 15th 17th 20th × 4
 Chile × × × × × 23rd 27th 2
 China × × × × × × × 9th 8th 14th 13th 22nd 18th 11th 19th 17th 21st 12th 21st 18th 17th 22nd 23rd 32nd 28th Q 19
 Congo FRA × × × × × × 12th •• 22nd 22nd 17th 20th 23rd 26th 7
 Croatia Part of  Yugoslavia 10th 6th 14th 11th 9th 7th 18th 14th Q 9
 Cuba × × × × × 21st 22nd 23rd 21st × Q 5
 Czech Republic See  Czechoslovakia 13th 13th 19th 15th 15th 8th 19th 8th Q Q 10
 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 3rd Q 23
 Dominican Republic × × × × × 22nd 23rd × × × 2
 Egypt × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × Q 1
 Faroe Islands × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × Q 1
 France × × × × × 15th 14th 10th 2nd 5th 1st 12th 5th 2nd 2nd 6th 7th 1st 13th 2nd 1st Q 17
 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 6th Q 25
 Greenland × × × × × 24th 32nd × 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 10th Q Q 26
 Iceland × × × × × × × × 12th 25th Q 3
 Iran × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × 31st 31st Q 3
 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 17th Q 22
 Kazakhstan Part of  Soviet Union × × × •• × 18th 22nd 19th 22nd 22nd 24th 30th Q 8
 Lithuania Part of  Soviet Union 13th × × 1
 Montenegro Part of  Yugoslavia Part of  Serbia and Montenegro 10th 11th 8th 6th 5th 22nd 7th Q 8
 Netherlands × × 8th 12th 9th 10th 10th 14th 5th 15th 13th 2nd 3rd 1st 9th 5th 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 2nd Q 23
 Paraguay × × × × × 23rd 21st 21st 29th 29th Q 6
 Poland 7th 7th 8th 5th 7th 6th 13th 9th 10th 8th 11th 19th 11th 4th 4th 17th 15th 16th Q Q 20
 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 12th Q 27
 Russia See  Soviet Union 5th 6th 4th 12th 1st 7th 1st 1st 1st 6th 5th 5th 3rd 8th × × 14[A]
 Senegal FRA × × × × × × × × × × × × × × 18th 18th Q 3
 Serbia Part of  Yugoslavia See  Serbia and Montenegro 2nd 15th 9th 6th 12th 21st Q 7
 Slovakia Part of  Czechoslovakia 12th 26th 2
 Slovenia Part of  Yugoslavia 18th 9th 8th 14th 14th 19th 17th 11th 8
 South Korea × × × × × 10th 6th 11th 11th 11th 1st 5th 9th 15th 3rd 8th 6th 6th 11th 12th 14th 13th 11th 14th 22nd Q 21
 Spain × × × × × 15th 10th 5th 10th 4th 3rd 9th 12th 11th 2nd 4th 13th Q Q 14
 Sweden 8th × 13th 6th 11th 8th 13th 9th 9th 4th 7th 5th 4th Q 13
  Switzerland × × × × × × × × Q 1
 Thailand × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × 21st × × × × × × 1
 Tunisia × × × × × 12th × × 19th 18th 15th 14th 18th 17th 21st 24th 27th Q 11
 Ukraine Part of  Soviet Union 9th 13th 18th 4th 10th 13th 17th 23rd 8
 United States × × × × × 11th 11th 16th 12th 17th 5
 Uruguay × × × × × 24th 23rd 24th 23rd 20th Q 6
 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 32 32

Since first entering the tournament in 1957, Romania are the only team to have appeared in all 26 tournaments to date.

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 2023 3 2 1 6
2 Stine Bredal Oftedal  Norway 2011 2023 3 2 5
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 2023 3 2 1 6
2 Katrine Lunde (Haraldsen)  Norway 2007 2023 2 3 1 6
3 Stine Bredal Oftedal  Norway 2011 2023 3 2 5
4 Kari Aalvik Grimsbø  Norway 2007 2017 2 2 1 5
Zinaida Turchyna  Soviet Union 1973 1986 2 2 1 5
6 Vilde Ingstad  Norway 2015 2023 2 2 4
Nora Mørk  Norway 2015 2023 2 2 4
Sanna Solberg-Isaksen  Norway 2015 2023 2 2 4
Silje Solberg-Østhassel  Norway 2015 2023 2 2 4
10 Heidi Løke  Norway 2009 2017 2 1 1 4
11 Cléopatre Darleux  France 2009 2021 1 3 4
Allison Pineau  France 2009 2021 1 3 4
13 Amália Sterbinszky  Hungary 1971 1982 1 3 4

Top scorers and best players 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 Larisa Karlova
1986 Natalya Kirchik 61 Natalya Kirchik
1990 Bożena Karkut
Svetlana Vydrina
50
1993 Hong Jeong-ho 58
1995 Nataliya Derepasko 61
1997 Indira Kastratović 71 Franziska Heinz
1999 Carmen Amariei
Grit Jurack
67 Ausra Fridrikas
2001 Ausra Fridrikas 87 Ausra Fridrikas
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
2023 Markéta Jeřábková 63 Henny Reistad

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

Source: TV2Sporten.no

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Russia's total includes one appearance as Russian Handball Federation in 2021.

References

  1. ^ a b "Women's World Championships". IHF. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
  2. ^ a b IHF official site (ihf.info): Page 51: MEDALS TABLE Archived 16 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine