Women
| Sport | Competition name | Competing entities |
First held |
Current holder | Next | Held every |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine skiing | FIS Alpine World Ski Championships | Individuals | 1931 | Winners in 5 events (2011) | 2013 | Two years |
| IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships | Individuals | 1972 | Winners in 15 events (2011) | 2013 | Two years | |
| Association football (soccer) | FIFA Women's World Cup | Nations | 1991 | Japan (2011) | 2015 | Four years |
| Aquatics | FINA World Aquatics Championships | Individuals | 1973 | Winners in 20 events (2011) | 2013 | Two years |
| FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) | Individuals | 1993 | Winners in 20 events (2010) | 2012 | Two years | |
| Athletics | IAAF World Championships in Athletics | Individuals | 1983 | Winners in 24 events (2011) | 2013 | Originally four years, now two years |
| IAAF World Indoor Championships | Individuals | 1985 | Winners in 13 events (2012) | 2014 | Two years | |
| IAAF World Cross Country Championships | Individuals and teams | 1973 | Winners in 4 events (2011) | 2013 | Two years | |
| IAAF World Half Marathon Championships | Individuals and teams | 1992 | Winners in 2 events (2012) | 2013 | Year | |
| IAU 100 km World Championships | Individuals and teams | 1987 | Amy Sproston (2012) | 2013 | Year | |
| IAU 24 hour World Championships | Individuals and teams | 2001 | Michaela Dimitriadu (2012) | 2013 | Year | |
| IPC Athletics World Championships | Individuals | 1994 | Winners in 76 events (2011) | 2013 | Two years | |
| Auto racing see the mixed section below | ||||||
| Badminton | BWF World Championships | Individuals | 1977 | Winners in 3 events (2011) | 2013 | Year |
| Bandy | Bandy World Championships for women | Nations | 2004 | Sweden (2012) | 2014 | Two years |
| Bandy World Cup for women | Clubs | 2003 | Rekord Irkutsk (2012) | 2013 | One year | |
| Baseball | Women's Baseball World Cup | Nations | 2004 | Japan (2012) | 2014 | Two years |
| Basketball | FIBA World Championship for Women | Nations | 1953 | United States (2010) | 2014 | Four years |
| FIBA 3x3 World Championships | Nations | 2012 | United States (2012) | 2014 | Two years | |
| Beach volleyball | Swatch FIVB World Championships | Nations | 1997 | Larissa- Juliana (2011) |
2013 | Two years |
| Boxing | World Amateur Boxing Championships | Individuals | 2001 | Winners in 13 weight classes (2006) | Unknown | Unknown |
| Canoeing | ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships | Individuals and teams | 1938 | Winners in 11 events (2011) | 2013 | Year |
| ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships | Individuals and teams | 1949 | Winners in 3 events (2011) | 2013 | Year | |
| Cricket | Women's Cricket World Cup | Nations | 1973 | England (2009) | 2013 | Four years |
| ICC World Twenty20 (Twenty20 format) | Nations | 2009 | Australia (2012) | 2014 | Two years from 2010 | |
| Cross-country skiing | FIS Nordic World Ski Championships | Individuals | 1954 | Winners in 8 events (2011) | 2013 | Two years |
| IPC Biathlon and Cross-Country Skiing World Championships | Individuals | 1974 | ??? (2011) | 2013 | Two years | |
| Curling | World Curling Championships | Nations | 1979 | Switzerland (2012) | 2013 | Year |
| Cycling | UCI Road World Championships | Road race | 1958 | Marianne Vos (2012) | 2013 | One year |
| Time trial | 1994 | Judith Arndt (2012) | ||||
| Team time trial | 2012 | Team Specialized–lululemon (2012) | ||||
| UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships | Individuals | 1990 | Winners in 4 events (2012) | 2013 | Year | |
| UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships | Individuals | 2000 | Marianne Vos (2012) | 2013 | Year | |
| UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships | Individuals | 2007 | Winners in 10 events (2011) | 2013 | ||
| Darts | BDO World Darts Championship | Individuals | 2001 | Anastasia Dobromyslova (2012) | 2013 | Year |
| Equestrian see the mixed section below | ||||||
| Field hockey | Women's Hockey World Cup | Nations | 1974 | Argentina (2010) | 2014 | Four years |
| Figure skating | World Figure Skating Championships | Individuals | 1906 | Carolina Kostner (2012) | 2013 | One year |
| Gliding | Women's World Gliding Championships | Individuals | 2001 | Winners in 3 classes (2007) | 2009 | Two years |
| Gymnastics | World Artistic Gymnastics Championships | Individuals and nations | 1903 | Winners in 6 events (2011) | 2013 | Year |
| World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships | Individuals and nations | 1963 | Winners in 9 events (2011) | 2013 | Two years | |
| Handball | World Women's Handball Championship | Nations | 1957 | Norway (2011) | 2013 | Two years |
| Ice hockey | IIHF World Women's Championships | Nations | 1990 | Canada (2012) | 2013 | Year |
| Inline speed skating | World Inline speed skating Championships | Nations | 1986 | Colombia (2010) | 2010 | Year |
| Lacrosse | Women's Lacrosse World Cup | Nations | 1982 | United States (2009) | 2013 | Four years |
| Motorcycling see the mixed section below | ||||||
| Motorcross | World Motocross Championship for Women | Individuals | 2008 | Stephanie Laier (2011) | 2012 | Year |
| Netball | World Netball Championships | Nations | 1963 | Australia (2011) | 2015 | Four years |
| Orienteering | World Orienteering Championships | Individuals | 1966 | Winners in 4 events (2008) | 2009 | Year |
| Paddle tennis | Paddle Tennis World Championship | Nations | 1992 | Spain (2010) | 2012 | Two years |
| Real tennis | Real Tennis World Championship | Individuals | 1740 | Winners in 2 events (2011) | 2013 | Two years |
| Ringette | World Ringette Championships | Nations | 1990 | Finland | 2013 | Three years, 1990-2004 two years |
| Roller derby | Roller Derby World Cup | Nations | 2011 | United States 2011 | 2014 | Three Years |
| Roller hockey | FIRS Women's Roller Hockey World Cup | Nations | 1992 | Argentina (2010) | 2012 | Two years |
| Rowing | World Rowing Championships | Nations | 1974 | Winners in 2 events (2012) | 2013 | Year |
| Rugby league | Women's Rugby League World Cup | Nations | 2008 | New Zealand (2008) | 2013 | Four years after 2013 |
| Rugby union | Women's Rugby World Cup | Nations | 1991 | New Zealand (2010) | 2014 | Four years |
| Rugby union sevens | Rugby World Cup Sevens | Nations | 2009 | Australia (2009) | 2013 | Four years |
| Sailing | ISAF Class World Championships | Individuals Boats | 1907 Onward | A number of classes host women on World titles | Ongoing | Varies |
| ISAF Women's Match World Championship | Individuals Boats | 1999 | - | Ongoing | Annual | |
| IYRU Women's World Championships | Individuals Boats | 1990s | No longer held | |||
| Shooting | ISSF World Shooting Championships | Individuals and nations | 1958 | Winners in 23 events (2010) | 2014 | Four years |
| World Shotgun Championships | Individuals and nations | 1967 | Winners in 4 events (2011) | 2013 | Two years | |
| Ski jumping | FIS Nordic World Ski Championships | Individuals normal hill | 2009 | Daniela Iraschko (2011) | 2013 | Two years |
| Ski mountaineering | World Championships of Ski Mountaineering | Nations, individuals, teams, relays (since 2004), long distances (since 2008) | 2002 | Winners in 6 events (2011) | 2013 | Two years |
| Softball | ISF Women's World Championship | Nations | 1965 | Japan (2012) | 2014 | Four years from 1970–2010, now two years |
| Speed skating | World All-Round Speed Skating Championships | Individuals | 1933 | Ireen Wüst (2012) | 2013 | Year |
| World Sprint Speed Skating Championships | Individuals | 1970 | Yu Jing (2012) | 2013 | Year | |
| World Single Distance Championships | Individuals and nations | 1995 | Winners in 6 events (2012) | 2013 | Year | |
| World Short Track Speed Skating Championships | Individuals | 1976 | Li Jianrou (Overall) Winners in 5 events (2012) |
2013 | Year | |
| World Short Track Speed Skating Team Championships | Nations | 1991 | South Korea (2011) | Discontinued after 2011 | One Year | |
| Snowboarding | FIS Snowboard World Championships | Individuals halfpipe | 1996 | Holly Crawford (2011) | 2013 | Two years |
| Individuals slopestyle | 2011 | Enni Rukajärvi (2011) | ||||
| Individuals snowboard cross | 1997 | Lindsey Jacobellis (2011) | ||||
| Individuals parallel slalom | 1996 | Hilde-Katrine Engeli (2011) | ||||
| Individuals parallel giant slalom | 1999 | Alena Zavarzina (2011) | ||||
| Squash | World Open | Individuals | 1979 | Nicol David (2011) | 2012 | Year |
| World Doubles Squash Championships | Doubles teams | 1997 | Winners in 2 events (2006) | Unknown | Intermittent | |
| World Team Squash Championships | Nations | 1979 | Australia (2010) | 2012 | Two years | |
| Table tennis | World Table Tennis Championships | Individuals | 1926 | Winners in 3 events (2011) | 2013 | Two years |
| World Team Table Tennis Championships | Nations | 1933 | China (2012) | 2014 | Two years | |
| Ten-pin bowling | WTBA World Championships | Nations | 1963 | Winners in 6 events (2011) | 2013 | Two years |
| Tennis | Fed Cup | Nations | 1963 | Czech Republic (2012) | 2013 | Year |
| ITF World Champion | Individuals | 1978 | Serena Williams (2012) | 2013 | Year | |
| ITF World Champions | Doubles teams | 1996 | Sara Errani & Roberta Vinci (2012) | 2013 | Year | |
| Triathlon | ITU Triathlon World Championships | Individuals | 1989 | Lisa Nordén (2012) | 2013 | Year |
| Tug of war | TWIF Indoor World Championships | Nations | 1976 | Winners in various weight classes | 2014 | Two years |
| TWIF Outdoor World Championships | Nations | 1976 | Winners in various weight classes | 2012 | Two years | |
| Volleyball | FIVB World Championship | Nations | 1952 | Russia (2010) | 2014 | Four years |
| FIVB World Cup | Nations | 1973 | Italy (2011) | 2015 | Four years | |
| FIVB World Grand Prix | Nations | 1993 | United States (2012) | 2013 | Year | |
| Water polo | FINA Water Polo World Cup | Nations | 1979 | United States (2010) | 2014 | Originally two years, four years after 2002 |
| FINA Water Polo World Championship | Nations | 1986 | Greece (2011) | 2013 | Two years since 2001 | |
Read more about this topic: List Of World Championships
Famous quotes containing the word women:
“Could it not be that just at the moment masculinity has brought us to the brink of nuclear destruction or ecological suicide, women are beginning to rise in response to the Mother’s call to save her planet and create instead the next stage of evolution? Can our revolution mean anything else than the reversion of social and economic control to Her representatives among Womankind, and the resumption of Her worship on the face of the Earth? Do we dare demand less?”
—Jane Alpert (b. 1947)
“Old women snore violently. They are like bodies into which bizarre animals have crept at night; the animals are vicious, bawdy, noisy. How they snore! There is no shame to their snoring. Old women turn into old men.”
—Joyce Carol Oates (b. 1938)
“... nothing satisfies the craving of most women so much as scandal.”
—Emma Goldman (1869–1940)