2005
In this enjoyable season we have 34 participants, the second most ever, including one very interesting debutant — and the musketeers are coming: AUS, AUT, BEL, BLR, CAN, CHN, CZE, DEN, ESP, EST, FIN, FRA, GER, HUN, IND, IRE, ITA, JAP, KAZ, KOR, LAT, MEX, MGL, NED, NOR, POL, PRK, ROM, RUS, SWE, SWI, TPE, UKR, USA. Thus we need a preliminary round of 2 matches. The 2nd round participants from last year, CHN, CAN, USA, ROM, UKR, NOR, NED, KOR, CZE, MGL, ITA, BLR, JAP, GER, AUT and RUS, are exempt. The draw is: ESP-BEL, EST-TPE. The results of the matches:
Spain-Belgium 3-7
Estonia-Taiwan 6-2
The first round proper then consists of: AUS, AUT, BEL, BLR, CAN, CHN, CZE, DEN, EST, FIN, FRA, GER, HUN, IND, IRE, ITA, JAP, KAZ, KOR, LAT, MEX, MGL, NED, NOR, POL, PRK, ROM, RUS, SWE, SWI, UKR, USA. The quarter-finalists from last year, CAN, GER, CZE, NOR, RUS, ITA, NED and USA, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. Here is the draw: ITA-KOR, DEN-BEL, IRE-LAT, BLR-MEX, FIN-IND, HUN-SWI, RUS-KAZ, UKR-POL, FRA-EST, USA-MGL, AUT-AUS, GER-CHN, NOR-ROM, NED-SWE, PRK-CAN, JAP-CZE. The matches:
Italy-South Korea 9-2
Denmark-Belgium 0-10
Ireland-Latvia 10-0, lucky Irish win
Belarus-Mexico 9-0
Finland-India 11-0
Hungary-Switzerland 4-6
Russia-Kazakhstan 10-1
Ukraine-Poland 0-11
France-Estonia 6-4
USA-Mongolia 11-0
Austria-Australia 11-0
Germany-China 9-2
Norway-Romania 11-0
Netherlands-Sweden 11-0
North Korea-Canada 0-11
Japan-Czechia 11-0
Then the second round consists of: AUT, BEL, BLR, CAN, FIN, FRA, GER, IRE, ITA, JAP, NED, NOR, POL, RUS, SWI, USA. The semi-finalists from last year, NED, RUS, NOR and GER, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. The draw: BLR-GER, FRA-JAP, ITA-CAN, NOR-SWI, FIN-USA, RUS-AUT, NED-IRE, BEL-POL. The matches proceed as follows:
Belarus-Germany 1-10
France-Japan 3-8
Italy-Canada 4-7
Norway-Switzerland 11-0
Finland-USA 0-11
Russia-Austria 10-1
Netherlands-Ireland 11-0
Belgium-Poland 3-8
The quarter-final consists of: CAN, GER, JAP, NED, NOR, POL, RUS, USA. The finalists from last year, NED and GER, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. The draw is as follows: NED-CAN, NOR-GER, RUS-POL, USA-JAP. Results of the matches:
Netherlands-Canada 5-6, and for the first time since 1989, no Netherlands in the final or the semi-finals
Norway-Germany 6-5
Russia-Poland 10-1
USA-Japan 9-2
Semi-final draw: NOR-RUS, CAN-USA. Matches:
Norway-Russia 4-7, first Russian final since 1918; or 1990 if you include USSR
Canada-USA 4-7, worthy of a final
Bronze final: Norway-Canada 2-9
FINAL: Russia-USA
38,41- 37,94 (0-1) 1.16,68- 1.14,05 (0-2) 1.59,31- 1.57,02 (0-3) 4.12,27- 4.06,07 (0-4) 7.15,71- 7.11,46 (0-5) 34,63- 34,70 (1-5) 1.08,78- 1.07,67 (1-6) 1.47,57- 1.43,33 (1-7) 3.53,62- 3.39,02 (1-8) 6.32,28- 6.19,40 (1-9) 13.31,17-13.03,99 (1-10)
Final result 1-10, first US gold!
Statistics:
NOR GOLD 46x RUS GOLD 36x NED GOLD 16x FIN GOLD 4x JAP GOLD 3x SWE GOLD 2x GDR GOLD 2x GER GOLD 2x CAN GOLD 2003 USA GOLD 2005 AUT Silver 5x HUN Silver 2x CZE Silver 1955 CHN Silver 1965 LAT bronze 1940 GBR bronze 1949 PRK bronze 1963 ITA bronze 1991 SWI 4th 4x POL 4th 3x FRA 4th 2x DEN 4th 1912 BEL 4th 1946 KOR 4th 1982 KAZ 4th 1994 EST QF 5x ROM QF 2x UKR QF 2x LIT QF 1927 AUS QF 1974 BLR 2R 3x POR 2R 2x MGL 2R 2x IRE 2R 2005 NZL 1R 13x YUG 1R 5x MEX 1R 5x ARG 1R 3x GRE 1R 2x BOS 1R 2x ESP 1R 2x ISV 1R 1972 IRN 1R 1993 PAN 1R 1995 RSA 1R 1998 HKG 1R 2003 SER 1R 2004 IND 1R 2005 ISR PR 5x TPE PR 3x ICE PR 2x COL PR 1933