Examining Group C: Norway rekindle old rivalries in exciting group

A mixture of old rivals and a quasi-rookie are featuring in Group C of the 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship, which will take place in the DNB Arena in Stavanger, with co-hosts and reigning champions Norway being the clear favourites of the group, both through their excellent depth and talent, but also thanks to their outstanding fan support.

Familiar faces will face off in this group, as Norway, the Republic of Korea and Austria will all aim to progress to the main round at the expense of Greenland, which will be making their second appearance in history at the IHF Women’s World Championship and the first since 2001, after winning the title at the 2023 North American and Caribbean Women’s Handball Championship.

No team has won more medals at the world handball flagship competition than Norway, a powerhouse which has made the semi-finals in seven of the last eight editions of the competition, winning six medals in the process, including the gold at Brazil 2011, Denmark 2015 and Spain 2021.

With home advantage as co-hosts until an eventual quarter-final, Norway also have a positive balance against the Republic of Korea and Austria, teams which Norway have dominated over the history at the World Championship, the Olympic Games and the EHF EURO in Austria’s case.

Norway and the Republic of Korea have a longwithstanding history, especially at the Olympic Games, where the two sides have fought plenty of times, including for medals. Back at Barcelona 1992, the Republic of Korea sealed the gold medal with a 28:21 win. Norway avenged that loss in the bronze medal match at Sydney 2000, 22:21, and in the semi-finals at Beijing 2008, 29:28.

But over the last years, Norway secured clearer and clearer wins, having a positive balance against their Asian counterparts, with 10 wins in 17 matches, as the Republic of Korea secured six wins. In their last mutual meeting, at Japan 2019, in the main round, Norway took a clear 36:25 win, one of the clearest in history between the two sides.

The reigning champions, which will have at their disposal once again players like goalkeeper Katrine Lunde, right back Nora Mørk, back Henny Reistad or the MVP of the previous edition of the IHF Women’s World Championship, line player Kari Brattset Dale, also have a positive balance against Austria.

The last time the two sides met at a major international competition was the 2007 IHF Women’s World Championship, when Norway took a clear 33:20 win over Austria. In fact, the gap between the two sides grew bigger and bigger over the last two decades, with the previous matches, the ones taking place between 1992 and 2000, being very well-balanced.

In fact, until 2000, Norway did not beat Austria by more than six goals, but they still have seven wins out of eight matches, with the only Austria win coming in the preliminary round of the 1995 IHF Women’s World Championship, 24:23, which was hosted by Austria.

Austria were back at the IHF Women’s World Championship at Spain 2021 for the first time after a 12-year hiatus and they finished on the 16th place, in spite of an outbreak of COVID-19 in their squad. With a young squad and a coach, Herbert Müller, who has been in this position since 2004, the longest-tenured coach between the 32 sides at Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023, they will hope to be back in the main round and have a shot of progression for the quarter-finals.

Their task will be difficult, with the game against the Republic of Korea being pivotal. The two sides have met four times in history, with the Republic of Korea taking two wins, one match ending in a draw, while Austria took a single win, 19:18, in the preliminary round at the 1990 IHF Women’s World Championship.

The Republic of Korea will also try to finish in the top 10 for the first time since China 2009 and have seen their domination in Asia dwindle a bit, after they secured the continental title last autumn after extra-time against Japan, qualified to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with a one-goal win against Japan, while their archrivals took a 29:19 win in the 2023 Asian Games final in September.

Last, but not least, Greenland will be enjoying their first participation since 2001 and will be the side which aims to gain more experience and improve their team for the future in this competition. In their debut, at Italy 2001, they lost all five matches, but have not played against Austria, Norway or the Republic of Korea.