Austria, Denmark earn promotion at women's ice hockey tournament

Video and photos by Liu Xudong

The 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s World Championship Division I Group A concluded on Saturday at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center in Longgang District. Austria claimed the championship title, with Denmark finishing as the runner-up. Both teams earned promotion to the top division of the championship.

After 15 matches played over five days in a single round-robin format, Slovakia, France and China retained their places in Division I Group A, while the Netherlands were relegated to a lower division.

Team Austria in action against team France during a match at the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s World Championship Division I Group A, which conculed at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center in Longgang District on Saturday. 

On the final match day, Austria remained undefeated with a 3-1 victory over France. Slovakia secured a 4-1 win against the Netherlands. Denmark defeated China and, by overtaking Slovakia on the leaderboard, earned a spot in the top division.

Among the best players selected by the directorate, France’s Estelle Duvin was named Top Forward, recording nine points with four goals and five assists. Austria’s Annika Fazokas was honored as Top Defender, with four goals and three assists. Her teammate, Selma Luggin, earned the title of Top Goalkeeper, boasting a dominant save percentage of 95.65% throughout the tournament.

Team China in action against the Netherlands during a match at the 2025 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s World Championship Division I Group A, which conculed at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Center in Longgang District on Saturday.

Several cultural exchange and training programs took place on the sidelines of the tournament. On April 12, French players and coaches participated in a traditional Tai Chi class in Nanshan District, led by Zhao Tianyi, an inheritor of Chinese intangible cultural heritage.

Simultaneously, a training program for Chinese ice hockey coaches was held, with instructors from Poland and Finland sharing their coaching philosophies and training methods.

Magdalena Jabłońska, coach of Poland’s under-14 club team and a retired national team athlete, described her second visit to Shenzhen as an eye-opener. “Shenzhen already has a strong ice hockey culture, which reassures me of the immense potential for the development of ice hockey and other winter sports in China,” she said.

The IIHF will continue its collaboration with China by hosting international tournaments, conducting training programs, and facilitating exchange visits.

The tournament was hosted by the IIHF and organized by the Winter Sports Department of the General Administration of Sport of China, the Chinese Ice Hockey Association (CIHA), and the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government.

In addition to the IIHF tournament, Shenzhen has also hosted other international sporting events this year, including the 2025 ITTF-ATTU Asian Cup, AFC U-20 Asian Cup, and the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Pre-Qualifiers.