The 2023 IHF World Women's Handball Championship was the 26th edition of the championship, organised by the International Handball Federation (IHF) from 29 November to 17 December 2023 and jointly hosted by Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It was the third time in handball history that the championship is jointly hosted, the first in Sweden, and also the first to be played in three countries.
France won their third title after a finals win over Norway. The bronze medal went to Denmark with a win over Sweden.
Bidding process After Russia's withdrawal, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Hungary entered their bids to host the tournament, which was awarded to the three Nordic countries by the IHF Council at its meeting held in Paris, France on 28 January 2017.
Venues The Nordic joint bid included the following six host cities and venues: Herning Frederikshavn Stavanger Jyske Bank BoxenCapacity: 15,000 Arena NordCapacity: 2,800 DNB ArenaCapacity: 5,000 Trondheim Helsingborg Gothenburg Trondheim SpektrumCapacity: 8,800 Helsingborg ArenaCapacity: 5,500 ScandinaviumCapacity: 12,000
The Hungarian bid included the same cities and venues as the bid that was presented for the 2021 championship.
Qualification Competition Dates Host Vacancies Qualified Host countries 28 January 2017 3 2022 European Championship 4–20 November 2022 3 European qualification 2 November 2022 – 12 April 2023 10 2022 African Championship 9–19 November 2022 4 2022 South and Central American Championship 15–19 November 2022 2 2022 Asian Championship 24 November – 4 December 2022 5 2023 South and Central American Championship 28 February – 4 March 2023 2 2023 Nor.Ca. Women's Championship 5–11 June 2023 1 Wild card 3 July 2023 2
1. If a country from Oceania (Australia) participating in the Asian Championships finished within the top 5, it would have qualified for the World Championships. As it finished sixth or lower, the place was transferred to the wild card spot.
Qualified teams Country Qualified as Qualification date Previous appearances in tournament Co-hosts 21 (1957, 1962, 1965, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) 21 (1971, 1973, 1975, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) 11 (1957, 1990, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) Semifinalists of 2022 European Championship 15 (1986, 1990, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) 6 (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) Semifinalists of 2022 African Championship 16 (1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) 6 (1982, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2009, 2021) 3 (2005, 2017, 2021) 1 (2019) Top 6 of 2022 European Championship 13 (1971, 1973, 1978, 1986, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) Top two of 2022 Central and South American Championship 11 (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) 14 (1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) Top five of 2022 Asian Championship 1 (2021) 19 (1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) 20 (1962, 1965, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1986, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) 17 (1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) 6 (2007, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2021) Top two of 2023 Central and South American Championship 1 (2009) 4 (2007, 2013, 2017, 2021) European play-off winner 7 (1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009) 7 (1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2013, 2017, 2021) 14 (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) 7 (1997, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2017, 2019, 2021) 7 (1995, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2021) 5 (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) 23 (1957, 1962, 1965, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) 17 (1957, 1962, 1965, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2021) 11 (1993, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021) 25 (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) Winner of 2023 Nor.Ca Championship 1 (2001) Wild card 13 (1957, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2021) 1 (2011)
Marketing The official logo and slogan was unveiled on 30 August 2022. It features the colours blue, red and yellow, representing the flag colours of hosts Sweden, Norway and Denmark, with the circles symbolising a ball flying through the air at a rapid speed. The slogan: "Aim to Excite" was also unveiled the same day. The logo was designed by Danish brand agency Urgent.Agency.
The official anthem of the competition is "Aiming For Number One", made and performed by Swedish DJ and producer Wahlstedt. It is not the first anthem Wahlstedt has made for a handball competition ("All for us" for the 2020 European Men's Handball Championship).
Draw The draw took place on 6 July 2023 in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Seeding The seeding was announced on 3 July 2023.
Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4 (assigned to C) (assigned to E) (assigned to B) (assigned to D) (assigned to A) (assigned to H) (assigned to F) (assigned to G)
Referees 23 referee pairs were selected on 27 October 2023. On 1 December 2023, Novica Mitrović and Miljan Vešović from Montenegro were called up from the reserve list to referee.
Referees Yousef BelkhiriSid Ali Hamidi María PaolantoniMariana García Denis BolicChristoph Hurich Amar KonjičaninDino Konjičanin Bruna CorreaRenata Correa Georgi DoychinovYulian Goretsov Cheng YufengZhou Yunle Mads HansenJesper Madsen Yasmina El-SaiedHeidy El-Saied Yann CarmauxJulien Mursch Maike MerzTanja Kuttler Kristóf AltmárMárton Horváth
Referees Dalal Al-NaseemMaali Al-Enezi Alexei CovalciucIgor Covalciuc Jelena VujačićAnđelina Kažanegra Novica MitrovićMiljan Vešović Eskil BrasethLeif Sundet Cristina LovinSimona Stancu Bojan LahDavid Sok Marko SekulićVladimir Jovandić Andrej BudzákMichal Záhradník Koo Bo-okLee Se-ok Javier ÁlvarezIon Bustamante Mathias SosaCristian Lemes
Squads
Preliminary round The schedule was announced on 1 March 2023.
All times are local (UTC+1).
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Group F
Group G
Group H
President's Cup Group I
Group II
31st place game
29th place game
27th place game
25th place game
Main round All points and goals obtained in the preliminary round against teams that advance as well, are carried over.
Group I
Group II
Group III
Group IV
Final round Bracket
5–8th place playoffs
Quarterfinals
5–8th place semifinals
Semifinals
Seventh place game
Fifth place game
Third place game
Final
Final ranking and awards Final ranking Places 1 to 8 and 25 to 32 will be decided by play-off or knock-out. Teams finishing third in the main round will be ranked 9th to 12th, teams finishing fourth in the main round 13th to 16th, teams finishing fifth in the main round 17th to 20th and teams ranked sixth 21st to 24th. In case of a tie in points gained, the goal difference of the main round will be taken into account, then number of goals scored. If teams will still be equal, number of points gained in the preliminary round will be considered followed by the goal difference and then number of goals scored in the preliminary round.
Rank Team 4 5 6 7 8 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 2024 Summer Olympics and the 2025 World Women's Handball Championship Qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics Qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics through other tournaments Qualified for the Olympic Qualification Tournament Qualified for the Olympic Qualification Tournament through other tournaments Ineligible to qualify for the Olympics: Greenland do not have a National Olympic Committee recognized by the IOC
2023 Women's World Champions France3rd title
Team roster: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Head Coach: Olivier Krumbholz
All-star Team The All-star Team was announced on 17 December 2023.
Position Player Goalkeeper Laura Glauser Left wing Chloé Valentini Left back Estelle Nze Minko Centre back Stine Bredal Oftedal Right back Louise Burgaard Right wing Nathalie Hagman Pivot Linn Blohm Best young player Viola Leuchter MVP Henny Reistad Top scorer Markéta Jeřábková
Statistics
Top goalscorers Rank Name Goals Shots % 1 Markéta Jeřábková 63 110 57 2 Henny Reistad 52 70 74 3 Kristina Jørgensen 47 74 64 Angela Malestein 66 71 Eliza Buceschi 63 75 6 Veronika Malá 46 64 72 7 Nathalie Hagman 43 57 75 Dijana Mugoša 62 69 9 Camilla Herrem 42 54 78 10 Charlotte Cholevová 41 70 59 Fatemeh Merikh 87 47
Top goalkeepers Rank Name % Saves Shots 1 Irma Schjött 58 18 31 2 Olivia Lykke Nygaard 56 10 18 3 Marta Batinović 51 40 78 4 Anna Kristensen 50 11 22 5 Atsuko Baba 49 26 53 6 Silje Solberg-Østhassel 40 65 161 7 Lucija Bešen 39 31 79 Zsófi Szemerey 12 31 9 Rinka Duijndam 38 28 73 Tess Lieder 18 47 Yara ten Holte 79 209
References
External links Official website IHF website