The 1997

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 South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is ...

took place in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

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

The matches were held in the cities of

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

Saarbrücken Saarbrücken (; Rhenish Franconian: ''Sabrigge'' ; ; ; ; ) is the capital and largest List of cities and towns in Germany, city of the state of Saarland, Germany. Saarbrücken has 181,959 inhabitants and is Saarland's administrative, commerci ...

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

Sindelfingen Sindelfingen ( Swabian: ''Sendlfenga'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg in south Germany. It lies near Stuttgart at the headwaters of the Schwippe (a tributary of the river Würm), and is home to a Mercedes-Benz assembly plant. The current mayor ...

Neubrandenburg Neubrandenburg (, Low German ''Niegenbramborg'', both lit. ''New Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg'') is a city in the southeast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is located on the shore of a lake called Tollensesee and forms the urban c ...

and

Rotenburg an der Fulda Rotenburg an der Fulda (, ; officially ''Rotenburg a.d. Fulda'') is a town in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, in central Germany, situated, as the name says, on the river Fulda (river), Fulda. Geography Location The town ...

. The semi-finals and finals were held in the

in the

Max-Schmeling-Halle Max-Schmeling-Halle is a multi-purpose arena, in Berlin, Germany, named after the famous German boxer Max Schmeling. Apart from Uber Arena and the Velodrom, it is one of Berlin's biggest indoor sports arenas and holds from 8,861 people, up to 12 ...

Squads

Group stage

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Final round

Round of 16

Quarterfinals

Semifinals

For places 1-4 For places 5-8

Finals

Final standings

World champions

* Lene Rantala *

Anne Dorthe Tanderup Anne Dorthe Tanderup (born 24 April 1972) is a former Danish team handball player, Olympic champion and World Champion. Career Tanderup's career as a handball player commenced when joining Brabrand IF's youth team. Shortly after being draft ...

* Helle Simonsen * Camilla Andersen *

Tina Bøttzau Tina Bøttzau (born in Kolding ) is a former Danish team handball player, two times Olympic champion and a World champion. She received gold medals with the Danish national team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta

* Anette Hoffman * Lone Mathiesen *

Janne Kolling Janne Kolling (born 12 July 1968) is a former Danish team handball player, two times Olympic champion and a World champion. She received gold medals with the Danish national team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta

Merete Møller Merete Møller (born 7 May 1978 in Sønderborg) is a former Danish handball player and World champion. She was part of the team that won the 1997 World Championship. In the 1996-97 season while playing for Vorup FB she was the top scorer in ...

Anja Andersen Anja Jul Andersen (born 15 February 1969 in Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185 ...

Gitte Sunesen Gitte Jensby Sunesen Vilhelmsen (born 11 December 1971) is a former Danish team handball player, Olympic champion and World champion. She received a gold medal with the Danish national team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

* Gitte Madsen * Tonje Kjaergaard *

Susanne Munk Lauritsen Susanne Munk Wilbek (born Munk Lauritsen, ) is a former Danish team handball player and Olympic champion and current Handball trainer. She won a gold medal with the Danish national team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

* Maybrit Nielsen * Karina Jespersen Trainer:

Ulrik Wilbek Ulrik Wilbek (born 13 April 1958) is a Danish politician and former professional handball coach who is the incumbent Mayor of Viborg Municipality, serving in office since 2018. He is the most successful Danish team handball coach ever, having wo ...

Top goalscorers

All Star Team

* Goalkeeper: Susanne Munk Wilbek * Left Wing: Han Sun-hee * Left Back: Franziska Heinz * Center Back: Camilla Andersen * Pivot: Natalia Deriougina * Right Back:

Tonje Sagstuen Tonje Sagstuen (born 17 November 1971) is a Norwegian former team handball player, journalist, newspaper editor, and gambling executive. She has been chief executive officer of the gambling company Norsk Tipping since 2023. Playing for the No ...

* Right Wing: Natalia Malakhova

References

External links

International Handball Federation
{{DEFAULTSORT:World Women's Handball Championship, 1997 1997 in German women's sport 1997 in women's handball November 1997 sports events in Germany December 1997 sports events in Germany International sports competitions hosted by Germany Women's handball in Germany

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...