RAVENSBURG, Germany – Germany, one of the two pre-tournament favourites, finished the 2011 IIHF World Women’s Championship Division I in first place and returns to the top division for the first time since being relegated 2008.

However, it was not the co-favorite, China, but Norway which battled through to the finals against Germany. Both teams won their first three games before meeting on the last day.

Neither team was able to score during the first two periods of the deciding match, although the Norwegians had the better opportunities.

Germany’s Marie Delarbre, in her first World Women’s Championship, opened the scoring for Germany at 1:51 of the third period.

Silje Holos answered for Norway with a power-play goal at 8:32. But when scoring leader Monika Bittner netted her fourth goal of the championship, the German team once again gained the lead at 11:38.

The German team with the support of 2,000 fans denied all attempts by Norway’s forwards to strike back. Germany’s Sophie Kratzer added the 3-1 goal into the empty net to seal the championship for the host nation.

In the earlier game, Austria played Lavtia with more than that game at stake. Both teams wanted to avoid finishing in last place, as was China. Austria needed a win, Latvia needed a small goal difference from that game.

After a nervous Austrian team gained a 2-0 advantage, it looked like the score would remain, but Latvia narrowed the margin to 2-1, and both teams played without taking lots of risk.

Latvia, recently promoted from Division II, ended the tournament with the bronze medals, Austria finished fourth and China fifth.

Last year’s Olympic participant China, expected to be one of the two favourite teams to return to the Top Division, continues to fall down in the world ranking in a surprising fashion.

The host city of Ravensburg proved to be a great host for women’s hockey in Germany. More than 8,500 fans watched the ten games – a great number for the second tier of the World Women’s Championship. Crowds for the host Germany’s games numbered between 1,600 and 2,000. Media ranged from local television broadcasts, a nationwide sportscaster from Germany, radio stations and European newspapers reporting regularly on the event.

RAINER GMACH