# 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 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, 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.

## 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 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Austria | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 132 | 115 | +17 | 6 | Round of 16 |
| 4 | Angola | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 126 | 143 | −17 | 3 | Round of 16 |
| 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

| 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 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | France | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 140 | 95 | +45 | 6 | Round of 16 |
| 4 | Belarus | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 122 | 125 | −3 | 4 | Round of 16 |
| 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

| 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 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Romania | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 153 | 124 | +29 | 6 | Round of 16 |
| 4 | Ivory Coast | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 121 | 129 | −8 | 4 | Round of 16 |
| 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

| 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 | Round of 16 |
| 3 | Denmark | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 161 | 114 | +47 | 7 | Round of 16 |
| 4 | Czech Republic | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 136 | 145 | −9 | 5 | Round of 16 |
| 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

| Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | 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 | Third place | 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 |
| 7 | Klaudija Bubalo | Croatia | 52 |
| 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