France Vs Norway handball Highlights Final Women's world cup 2023
handball world cup 2023 final highlights women's world cup 2023 highlights
Six Talking Points After A Stunning 2023 IHF Women's World Championship
The first-ever edition of the IHF Women’s World Championship to be co-hosted by three countries did not disappoint. There was drama, there were high-intensity matches, but there could only be one winner and that was France, for the third time in history, after a flawless performance, nine wins out of nine matches until lifting the trophy in the Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning.
There was more though than France’s win throughout the three weeks of competition in six venues in Denmark, Norway and Sweden and we are reviewing what was hot at the 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship in this feature.
Unbeaten France write history
Since Russia won the title on home court in 2005, 18 years ago, no team has ever won the trophy by going on a winning streak from the start of the competition until the final. However, back in 2005, Russia needed only eight wins to clinch the trophy, while France went on a nine-game winning streak at Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023, with some exquisite performances, especially in the business end of the competition.
It was not plain sailing, especially in the first match of the preliminary round in Stavanger, where France had plenty of nerves and survived a late Angola attack to take a 30:29 win. In the main round, the Olympic champions also had a close call against Norway, 24:23, but a comeback from a slow start was exactly what they needed to confirm their credentials.
Olivier Krumbholz’s side provided some astonishing matches, combining their usual strong defence with an outstanding fast-paced attack and trademark team spirit, creating one of the best run-ins to the trophy in history, as several players became world champions for the second time in history, while Krumbholz himself earned his third gold medal and his seventh in total at the IHF Women’s World Championship.