2012
Many ins and outs since last year but the end result is that we have a new record of 42 participating countries, one more than the former record from 2010: ARG, AUS, AUT, BEL, BLR, CAN, CHN, COL, CZE, DEN, ESP, EST, FIN, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, IND, IRE, ISR, ITA, JAP, KAZ, KEN, KOR, LAT, MGL, NED, NOR, NZL, PHI, POL, POR, PRK, ROM, RUS, SVK, SWE, SWI, TPE, UKR, USA. Thus we need a preliminary round of 10 matches. The 2nd round participants from last year, AUT, BEL, CAN, CZE, FIN, GER, HUN, ITA, JAP, KOR, NED, NOR, POL, RUS, SWE, and USA, are exempt. The draw is: POR-AUS, COL-FRA, PHI-ISR, LAT-ARG, GBR-PRK, UKR-ROM, ESP-BLR, IRE-EST, KAZ-KEN, SWI-DEN. The results of the matches:
Portugal-Australia 0-11
Colombia-France 0-8
Philippines-Israel 1-3
Latvia-Argentina 6-0
Britain-North Korea 2-9
Ukraine-Romania 1-9
Spain-Belarus 0-11
Ireland-Estonia 0-10
Kazakhstan-Kenya 11-0
Switzerland-Denmark 7-3
The first round proper then consists of: AUS, AUT, BEL, BLR, CAN, CHN, CZE, EST, FIN, FRA, GER, HUN, IND, ISR, ITA, JAP, KAZ, KOR, LAT, MGL, NED, NOR, NZL, POL, PRK, ROM, RUS, SVK, SWE, SWI, TPE, USA. The quarter-finalists from last year, BEL, GER, ITA, KOR, NED, NOR, RUS, and USA, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. Here is the draw: JAP-CAN, PRK-ITA, GER-SVK, HUN-ISR, SWE-KAZ, LAT-USA, FIN-TPE, AUT-CHN, ROM-EST, POL-SWI, CZE-NZL, IND-KOR, BLR-BEL, AUS-NOR, MGL-RUS, FRA-NED. The matches:
Japan-Canada 3-8, unlucky draw
North Korea-Italy 1-10
Germany-Slovakia 11-0
Hungary-Israel 8-1
Sweden-Kazakhstan 2-9
Latvia-USA 0-11
Finland-Taiwan 11-0
Austria-China 1-10
Romania-Estonia 9-1
Poland-Switzerland 10-1
Czech Republic-New Zealand 5-6, and it's the 2nd round for the 1st time after 17 1st round defeats!
India-South Korea 0-11
Belarus-Belgium 5-6
Australia-Norway 2-9, having drawn Netherlands last year, Norway this year.
Mongolia-Russia 0-11, not a very close derby
France-Netherlands 0-11, unlucky draw...
Then the second round consists of: BEL, CAN, CHN, FIN, GER, HUN, ITA, KAZ, KOR, NED, NOR, NZL, POL, ROM, RUS, USA. The semi-finalists from last year, KOR, RUS, GER, and NED, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. The draw: ROM-KAZ, KOR-USA, NOR-CHN, CAN-BEL, ITA-NZL, HUN-RUS, POL-NED, FIN-GER. The matches proceed as follows:
Romania-Kazakhstan 0-11
South Korea-USA 4-7, wow
Norway-China 8-3
Canada-Belgium 9-2
Italy-New Zealand 8-3
Hungary-Russia 0-11
Poland-Netherlands 0-11
Finland-Germany 2-9
The quarter-final consists of: CAN, GER, ITA, KAZ, NED, NOR, RUS, USA. The finalists from last year, NED and RUS, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. The draw is as follows: USA-KAZ, ITA-CAN, NED-NOR, RUS-GER. Results of the matches:
USA-Kazakhstan 11-0
Italy-Canada 1-10
Netherlands-Norway 11-0, blank
Russia-Germany 4-7
Semi-final draw: GER-NED, CAN-USA. Matches:
Germany-Netherlands 2-9, like last year
Canada-USA 4-7
Bronze final: Germany-Canada 6-5
FINAL: Netherlands-USA.
37,66- 37,58 (0-1) 1.13,89- 1.13,99 (1-1) 1.56,01- 1.57,21 (2-1) 4.02,69- 4.09,73 (3-1) 7.02,39- 7.08,58 (4-1) 34,40- 34,45 (5-1) 1.06,96- 1.07,11 (6-1) and the winner is clear! 1.45,69- 1.43,81 (6-2) 3.39,36- 3.42,69 (7-2) 6.13,83- 6.16,28 (8-2) 12.50,33-13.11,57 (9-2)
Final result 9-2, the 20eth Dutch win, and they are ever catching up on the Russians.
Statistics:
NOR GOLD 46x RUS GOLD 36x NED GOLD 20x FIN GOLD 4x JAP GOLD 3x CAN GOLD 3x SWE GOLD 2x GDR GOLD 2x GER GOLD 2x USA GOLD 2x 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 KOR 4th 3x FRA 4th 2x DEN 4th 1912 BEL 4th 1946 KAZ 4th 1994 EST QF 5x ROM QF 3x 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 2R 2012 ARG 1R 7x MEX 1R 6x YUG 1R 5x SVK 1R 5x GRE 1R 4x ESP 1R 4x IND 1R 3x BOS 1R 2x ISR 1R 2x TPE 1R 2x ISV 1R 1972 IRN 1R 1993 PAN 1R 1995 RSA 1R 1998 HKG 1R 2003 SER 1R 2004 CHI 1R 2008 PHI 1R 2011 QAT 1R 2011 KEN PR 3x ICE PR 2x BRA PR 2010