2007 IIHF World Women Championship Japan Division I Official Site site index 日本語 English Home >> information　▼▼ Tournament Instruction >> Tournament Rules　>> Greetings　>> History of the IIHF WWC　>> History of the IIHF World Women Championship History of the IIHF World Women Championship The first edition of the IIHF World Women Championship was held at Ottawa, Canada in 1990. After then, this event was held in 1992 and 1994, since 1997 the IIHF has organized it every year except the Olympic years. Women Ice Hockey has been recognized as an Official Event since 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games. In the beginning this event counted only 8 participants. But in 1999, as a result of the worldwide development of Women Ice Hockey, the IIHF divided the participants into 2 groups, i.e. pool  A and pool B. And each pool consisted of 8 countries. In 2003, the World Women Championship was reorganized in 4 divisions; Top Division (8 participants, from 2007 it is expanded as 9 participants), Division I, Division II and Division III (6 participants respectively). In 2005 Division IV was established with 4 participants (from 2007 it is expanded as 6 participants). As a result this international event has been developed into 5 divisions (33 countries). Japan National Team Japan has participated the first edition of 1990. After then, however, they were disqualified three times in a row (defeated by China). Japan was allowed to participate for 1998 Nagano Olympic Winter Games as the host nation, but lost all games. In 1999, they became the champions of the pool B, but in 2000 Japan was swept away in the pool A and went back to the pool B. In 2003 they were promoted again, but the result of 2004 was the same as four years ago. Besides the sad results mentioned above, Japan has been disqualified for the last two Olympic Winter Games, namely Salt Lake City 2002 and Turin 2006. Results     Gold Silver Bronze Japan 1990 IIHF WW Canada United States Finland 8th place 1992 IIHF WW Canada United States Finland Disqualified 1994 IIHF WW Canada United States Finland Disqualified 1997 IIHF WW Canada United States Finland Disqualified 1998 Nagano United States Canada Finland 6th place 1999 IIHF WW A Canada United States Finland Pool B: 1st place IIHF WW B Japan Norway France 2000 IIHF WW A Canada United States Finland 8th place IIHF WW B Kazakhstan Switzerland Norway 2001 IIHF WW Canada United States Russia Div.I: 2 nd place IIHF WW I Switzerland Japan Czech 2002 Salt Like City Canada United States Sweden Disqualified 2003 IIHF WW Cancelled due to outbreak of SARS disease in China Div.I:1st place IIHF WW I Japan Kazakhstan Czech IIHF WW Ⅱ Norway Denmark Slovakia IIHF WW Ⅲ Australia Slovenia Belgium 2004 IIHF WW Canada United States Finland 9th place IIHF WW Ⅰ Kazakhstan Czech Latvia IIHF WW Ⅱ Denmark Italy Slovakia IIHF WW Ⅲ Austria Slovenia Hungary 2005 IIHF WW United States Canada Sweden Div.I:2nd place IIHF WW Ⅰ Switzerland Japan Czech IIHF WW Ⅱ Norway Italy Slovakia IIHF WW Ⅲ Slovenia United Kingdom Belgium IIHF WW Ⅳ South Korea New Zealand Romania 2006 Turin Canada Sweden United States Disqualified