The 2021 IHF World Women's Handball Championship, the 25th event by the International Handball Federation, was held in Spain from 1 to 19 December 2021. On 18 October 2018, at a congress in Doha, Qatar, the IHF announced that the World Championship would be expanded from 24 teams to 32 teams from 2021 onwards.
The Netherlands were the defending champions after winning for the first time in 2019. However, they finished third in their main round group and failed to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Norway defeated France to win their fourth title. Denmark captured the bronze medal by winning against Spain.
Bidding process Spain and Hungary bid for the right to organise the 2021 Women's World Handball Championship. The International Handball Federation decided that the voting process would take place during the 2017 World Men's Handball Championship.
The Spanish bid included the following six host cities and venues:
Host city Venue Capacity Barcelona Palau Blaugrana 12,000 Granollers Palau d'Esports de Granollers 5,200 Tarragona Palacio de Deportes de Tarragona 5,000 Lleida Pavelló Barris Nord 5,500 Castellón de la Plana Pavelló Ciutat de Castelló 5,200 Badalona Palau Municipal d'Esports de Badalona 12,500
The President of the Royal Spanish Handball Federation confirmed that full support is granted by the Olympic Movement, Spanish government and the handball community. The Spanish government guaranteed the introduction of all necessary measures so that the event could be celebrated in a full security setting, with special attention paid to key infrastructures for the staging of the competitions and to IHF operations, its subsidiaries and delegations from different countries.
The Hungarian bid included the following six host cities and venues:
Host city Venue Capacity Veszprém Veszprém Aréna 8,000 Győr Audi Aréna 5,500 Szeged Pick Aréna 8,000 Budapest László Papp Budapest Sports Arena 12,000 Debrecen Főnix Aréna 6,000 Tatabánya Tatabányai Multifunkcionális Sportcsarnok 6,000
The 2021 Women's World Handball Championship was awarded to Spain by a secret ballot of members of the IHF Council.
Venues The tournament is being played in the following venues: Llíria, Torrevieja, Castelló and Granollers as the final four venue.
Granollers Llíria Palau d'Esports de GranollersCapacity: 5,685 Poliesportiu Pla de L'ArcCapacity: 4,200 Castelló Torrevieja Pabellón Ciutat de CastellóCapacity: 5,263 Palacio de los Deportes de TorreviejaCapacity: 4,500
Qualification Competition Dates Host Vacancies Qualified Host nation 28 January 2017 1 2019 World Championship 30 November –15 December 2019 1 2020 European Championship 3–20 December 2020 4 European qualification 19 March – 21 April 2021 Various 10 2021 African Championship 8–18 June 2021 4 2021 Nor.Ca. Women's Championship 22–25 August 2021 1 2021 Asian Championship 15–25 September 2021 5 2021 South and Central American Championship 5–9 October 2021 3 Oceania 8 August 2021 N/A 0 None Wild card 8 August 2021 2 23 September 2021 1 1. On 9 December 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned Russia from all international sport for a period of four years, after the Russian government was found to have tampered with laboratory data that it provided to WADA in January 2019 as a condition of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency being reinstated. Russia later filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the WADA decision. After reviewing the case on appeal, CAS ruled on 17 December 2020 to reduce the penalty that WADA had placed on Russia. Instead of banning Russia from sporting events, the ruling allowed Russian sportspeople to participate at the Olympics and other international events, but for a period of two years, the team cannot use the Russian name, flag, or anthem and must present themselves as "Neutral Athlete" or "Neutral Team". The ruling does allow for team uniforms to display "Russia" on the uniform as well as the use of the Russian flag colors within the uniform's design, although the name should be up to equal predominance as the "Neutral Athlete/Team" designation. Like the men's team, the Russian women's team played under the alternative name of the sport's domestic governing body, the Russian Handball Federation.
2. Since 2018 countries from Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) are participating in the Asian Championships: if one of them finishes within the top five, it qualifies for the World Championship. Otherwise the place transfers to the wild card spot.
3. Since Oceania did not register a team for the upcoming Asian qualification event, the IHF Council awarded two Wild Cards for the 2021 IHF Women’s World Championship in Spain, namely to the National Federations of Slovakia and Poland.
4. As the 2021 Asian tournament was only played with 11 teams instead of 12, only five teams qualified and a wild card was granted to China.
Qualified teams Country Qualified as Qualification date Previous appearances in tournament Host 10 (1993, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) Defending world champion 12 (1971, 1973, 1978, 1986, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) Semifinalist of 2020 European Championship 20 (1971, 1973, 1975, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) 14 (1986, 1990, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) 6 (1995, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011) 20 (1957, 1962, 1965, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) European playoff winner 22 (1957, 1962, 1965, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) 5 (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) 13 (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) 12 (1957, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009) Russian Handball Federation 13 (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019) 6 (1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2013, 2017) 24 (1957, 1962, 1965, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) 4 (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) 10 (1957, 1990, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019) 6 (1997, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2017, 2019) Semifinalist of 2021 African Championship 15 (1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) 9 (1975, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) 5 (1982, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2009) 2 (2005, 2017) Wild card 1 (1995) 16 (1957, 1962, 1965, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2017) Winner of Nor.Ca Championship 1 (2015) Top five of 2021 Asian Championship 5 (2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2019) 18 (1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) 0 (Debut) 19 (1962, 1965, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1986, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) Wild card 16 (1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) Top five of 2021 Asian Championship 1 (1997) Top three of 2021 Central and South American Championship 10 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) 13 (1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) 3 (2007, 2013, 2017)
Draw The draw took place on 12 August 2021 at 22:00 in Castellón, Spain.
Seeding The seeding was announced on 8 August 2021. As organizer, Spain had the right to choose their group. The Asian, North and South American teams were not known at the time of the draw.
Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4Russian Handball Federation
Referees 18 referee pairs were selected on 12 October 2021.
Referees Yousef BelkhiriSid Ali Hamidi María PaolantoniMariana García Amar KonjičaninDino Konjičanin Davor LončarZoran Lončar Karina ChristiansenLine Hansen Yasmina El-SaiedHeidy El-Saied Karim GasmiRaouf Gasmi Maike MerzTanja Kuttler Alexei CovalciucIgor Covalciuc
Referees Novica MitrovićMiljan Vešović Marta SáVânia Sá Cristina NăstaseSimona Stancu Viktoria AlpaidzeTatiana Berezkina Marko SekulićVladimir Jovandić Koo Bo-okLee Se-ok Javier ÁlvarezIon Bustamante Samir KrichenSamir Makhlouf Kürşad Erdoğanİbrahim Özdeniz
Squads
Each team consists of up to 18 players, of whom 16 may be fielded for each match.
Preliminary round All times are local (UTC+1).
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Group F
Group G
Group H
Presidents Cup
Group I
Group II
31st place game
29th place game
27th place game
25th place game
Main round All points obtained in the preliminary round against teams that advanced as well, were carried over.
Group I
Group II
Group III
Group IV
Final round
Bracket
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Third place game
Final
Final ranking and awards Places 1 to 4 and 25 to 32 were decided by play-off or knock-out. The losers of the quarter finals were ranked 5th to 8th according to the places in the main round, points gained and goal difference. Teams finishing third in the main round were ranked 9th to 12th, teams finishing fourth in the main round were ranked 13th to 16th, teams finishing fifth in the main round were ranked 17th to 20th and teams ranked sixth were ranked 21st to 24th. In case of a tie in points gained, the goal difference of the main round was taken into account, then number of goals scored. If teams were still equal, number of points gained in the preliminary round were considered followed by the goal difference and then number of goals scored in the preliminary round.
Rank Team 4 5 6 7 8 Russian Handball Federation 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Qualified for the 2023 World Women's Handball Championship
2021 Women's World Champions NorwayFourth title
Team roster: Henny Reistad, Emilie Hegh Arntzen, Veronica Kristiansen, Nora Mørk, Stine Bredal Oftedal, Malin Aune, Silje Solberg, Kari Brattset Dale, Vilde Ingstad, Katrine Lunde, Moa Högdahl, Marit Røsberg Jacobsen, Camilla Herrem, Sanna Solberg-Isaksen, Kristine Breistøl, Emilie Hovden, Rikke Granlund, Maren Nyland Aardahl. Head coach: Thorir Hergeirsson.
All-Star team The all-star team and MVP was announced on 19 December 2021.
Position Player Most valuable player Kari Brattset Dale Goalkeeper Sandra Toft Right wing Carmen Martín Right back Nora Mørk Centre back Grâce Zaadi Deuna Left back Henny Reistad Left wing Coralie Lassource Pivot Pauletta Foppa
Statistics
Top goalscorers Rank Name Team Goals Shots % 1 Nathalie Hagman 71 91 78 2 Alexandrina Cabral 44 81 54 3 Irina Alexandrova 43 87 49 Elke Karsten 73 59 Patrícia Kovács 74 58 Nora Mørk 62 69 7 Cyrielle Ebanga 41 79 52 Jovanka Radičević 56 73 9 Bo van Wetering 40 50 80 10 Kari Brattset Dale 38 46 83 Albertina Kassoma 42 90 Henny Reistad 60 63
Top goalkeepers Rank Name Team % Saves Shots 1 Althea Reinhardt 50 71 141 2 Yara ten Holte 44 24 54 3 Sandra Toft 43 80 188 4 Kristina Graovac 40 26 65 Tess Wester 72 181 6 Marta Alberto 37 43 115 7 Johanna Bundsen 36 20 56 Mercedes Castellanos 50 137 Silvia Navarro 64 179 Viktória Oguntoyová 38 107 Silje Solberg 45 124
Top assists Rank Name Team Assists 1 Patrícia Kovács 46 2 Larissa Nüsser 45 Jamina Roberts 4 Nora Mørk 44 5 Natsuki Aizawa 42 Stine Bredal Oftedal Lee Mi-gyeong 8 Grâce Zaadi Deuna 41 9 Itana Grbić 39 10 Marizza Faría 36 Kristina Jørgensen Adjani Ngouoko
Top blocks Rank Name Team Total Average 1 Line Haugsted 19 2.1 2 Liliana Venâncio 15 2.1 3 Kelly Dulfer 12 2.0 4 Tamires de Araújo 10 1.4 5 Kari Brattset Dale 9 1.0 Kristine Breistøl 1.0 7 Daniela de Jong 8 1.1 Albertina Kassoma 1.1 9 Karina dos Santos 7 1.0 Béatrice Edwige 0.8 Irene Espínola Perez 0.8 Marija Petrović 1.2 Danick Snelder 1.2 Yvette Yuoh 1.0
Notes
References
External links
IHF website