2008
Speedskating seems as fashionable as ever, and the last year’s record of 40 participants is equalled this year: ARG, AUS, AUT, BEL, BLR, CAN, CHI, CHN, CZE, DEN, ESP, EST, FIN, FRA, GBR, GER, GRE, HUN, IRE, ITA, JPN, KAZ, KEN, KOR, LAT, MEX, MGL, NED, NOR, NZL, POL, PRK, ROM, RUS, SVK, SWI, SWE, TPE, UKR and USA. Thus we need a preliminary round of 8 matches. The remaining 2nd round participants from last year, ITA, NED, GER, USA, POL, KOR, BEL, CAN, AUT, NOR, JAP, CHN, SWE, PRK and RUS, are exempt. The draw is: GBR-AUS, MGL-ARG, TPE-LAT, HUN-IRL, NZL-MEX, FIN-EST, ESP-GRE, KEN-UKR.
In the first match, Britain have results in the men's 500, 1000, 1500, 3000, and 5000 m, while Australia have 500, 1000, 1500, and 3000 m, and the British results are all better, so they win 5-0. The other matches with the same kind of reckoning proceed as follows:
Britain-Australia 5-0
Mongolia-Argentina 5-5; distances: 9-8—Argentina win
Taiwan-Latvia 0-8, not such pushovers any more
Hungary-Ireland 9-1
New Zealand-Mexico 3-0
Finland-Estonia 11-0
Spain-Greece 3-3; distances: 6-3—Greece win
Kenya-Ukraine 0-10
The first round proper then consists of: ARG, AUT, BEL, BLR, CAN, CHI, CHN, CZE, DEN, FIN, FRA, GBR, GER, GRE, HUN, ITA, JPN, KAZ, KOR, LAT, NED, NOR, NZL, POL, PRK, ROM, RUS, SVK, SWI, SWE, UKR and USA. The quarter finalists from last year, NOR, RUS, GER, NED, AUT, KOR, CHN, CAN, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. Here is the draw: KOR-LAT, CHI-JPN, GBR-GRE, SWE-CHN, SVK-GER, ROM-NED, KAZ-AUT, NOR-FIN, DEN-RUS, PRK-CAN, FRA-POL, ITA-SWI, USA-BEL, NZL-UKR, HUN-CZE, BLR-ARG. Matches proceeding as follows:
South Korea-Latvia 11-0 (with a very close 3000 m)
Chile-Japan 0-11
Britain-Greece 4-1
Sweden-China 2-9, again!
Slovakia-Germany 0-11
Romania-Netherlands 0-11
Kazakhstan-Austria 9-2
Norway-Finland 9-2, classic, but as yet uneven
Denmark-Russia 0-11
North Korea-Canada 0-11
France-Poland 2-9
Italy-Switzerland 10-1
USA-Belgium 10-1
New Zealand-Ukraine 1-9, 14 times in the 1st round, never past
Hungary-Czech Republic 1-10, comprehensive
Belarus-Argentina 10-0, but the losers climb past Yugoslavia and Mexico in the ranking
Then the second round consists of: BLR, CAN, CHN, CZE, GBR, GER, ITA, JPN, KAZ, KOR, NED, NOR, POL, RUS, UKR and USA. The semi-finalists from last year, NOR, NED, KOR and CAN, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. The draw: POL-NOR, CZE-ITA, CAN-KAZ, CHN-NED, BLR-GRB, RUS-GER, KOR-USA, JPN-UKR. Match results:
Poland-Norway 5-6, ough, that was close
Czech Republic-Italy 2-9
Canada-Kazakhstan 11-0
China-Netherlands 3-8
Belarus-Britain 10-0, lucky draw gives first Belarus quarter-final!
Russia-Germany 4-7, not so lucky for big brother
South Korea-USA 4-7
Japan-Ukraine 11-0
The quarter final consists of: BLR, CAN, GER, ITA, JAP, NED, NOR, USA. The finalists from last year, NED and CAN, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. The draw is as follows: USA-BLR, CAN-NOR (we've had it), JAP- ITA, GER-NED. Results of the matches:
USA-Belarus 10-1
Canada-Norway 8-3
Japan-Italy 6-5
Germany-Netherlands 3-8
Semi-final draw: USA-CAN, JAP-NED. Matches:
USA-Canada 2-9
Japan-Netherlands 2-9
Bronze final: USA-Japan 7-4
FINAL: Canada-Netherlands
38,37- 37,63 (0-1) 1.13,92- 1.14,55 (1-1) 1.52,75- 1.54,44 (2-1) 3.58,78- 3.55,98 (2-2) 6.53,04- 6.53,63 (3-2) 34,03- 34,70 (4-2) 1.07,03- 1.07,07 (5-2) 1.42,01- 1.42,32 (6-2) and we have a winner! 3.43,39- 3.41,67 (6-3) 6.16,10- 6.03,32 (6-4) 13.17,44-12.57,71 (6-5)
Final result 6-5, and Canada move up to equal Japan with 3 wins.
Statistics:
NOR GOLD 46x RUS GOLD 36x NED GOLD 17x FIN GOLD 4x JAP GOLD 3x CAN GOLD 3x SWE GOLD 2x GDR GOLD 2x GER GOLD 2x USA GOLD 2005 AUT Silver 5x HUN Silver 2x CZE Silver 1955 CHN Silver 1965 ITA Silver 2006 LAT bronze 1940 GBR bronze 1949 PRK bronze 1963 SWI 4th 4x POL 4th 3x FRA 4th 2x KOR 4th 2x DEN 4th 1912 BEL 4th 1946 KAZ 4th 1994 EST QF 5x ROM QF 2x UKR QF 2x LIT QF 1927 AUS QF 1974 BLR QF 2008 MGL 2R 3x POR 2R 2x IRE 2R 2005 COL 2R 2007 NZL 1R 14x ARG 1R 6x YUG 1R 5x MEX 1R 5x ESP 1R 3x GRE 1R 3x BOS 1R 2x IND 1R 2x SVK 1R 2x ISV 1R 1972 IRN 1R 1993 PAN 1R 1995 RSA 1R 1998 HKG 1R 2003 SER 1R 2004 TPE 1R 2006 CHI 1R 2008 ISR PR 5x ICE PR 2x KEN PR 2x