1897 World Allround Speed Skating Championships

World Allround Speed Skating Championships

Alfred Næss
Participant of the 1897 World Championship
VenueCrystal Stadium, Montréal, Canada
Dates5, 6 and 9 February 1897
Competitors10 from 3 nations
Medalists men
 Jack McCulloch  CAN
«1896 Saint Petersburg1898 Davos»

The 1897 World Allround Speed Skating Championships took place on 5, 6 and 9 February 1897 at the ice rink Crystal Stadium in Montréal, Canada. It was the first World championship outside of Europe. Canada had the honour of organizing this World championship because it was the first non-European member of the International Skating Union.

Jaap Eden was the defending champion; he stopped with ice skating after the 1896 season and did not defend his title. He started a career as cyclist.

The Norwegian Alfred Næss won the first distance (500 meters) and the Canadian Jack McCulloch the second distance (5000 meters). At the third distance (1500 meters), Næss and McCulloch skated both the fastest time; a skate-off was needed to decide who was the winner and was still able to win three distances. McCulloch won the skate-off and had to win the 10000 meter to become world champion. McCulloch won the 10000 meters (there were only three other participants) and became World champion.

They found out that the 5000 meter was too short, they had skated two rounds less than needed. On 9 February, that mistake was corrected by re-skating the 5000 meters. Some skaters had already left and so it was skated by only four skaters. McCulloch won again and was then World champion for real.

Allround results

Place Athlete Country 500m 5000m 1500m 1500m
Skate-off		 10000m 5000m
Re-skated
1st Jack McCulloch Canada 48.2 (2) 8:32.8 (1) 2:42.4 (1) 2:40.8 (1) 20:02.4 (1) 9:25.4 (1)
NC2 John Davidson Canada 50.2 (5) 8:52.6 (3) 2:47.4 (4) 20:43.4 (3) 10:00.6 (3)
NC Julius Seyler German Empire 48.6 (3)* 8:47.6 (2) 2:43.2 (3) 20:42.2 (2)
NC C. Greene Canada 49.2 (4) 8:52.8 (4) 2:48.6 (6) 21:23.4 (4)
NC Alfred Næss Norway 46.8 (1) 9:01.5 (7) 2:42.4 (1) 2:41.2 (2) NS
NC Martinus Lørdahl Norway 50.6 (6)* 8:55.0 (5) 2:52.4 (8)* NS 9:39.2 (2)
NC W. Merrit Canada 50.8 (7) 8:57.0 (6) 2:52.0 (7) NS
NC Tom Moore Canada 50.8 (7) 9:07.4 (8) 2:48.2 (5) NS
NC A. Lee Canada 56.0 (10) 9:39.2 (10) 3:08.8 (9) NS NF
NC A. Pilkie Canada 53.4 (9) 9:15.6 (9) NF NS
* = Fell
NC = Not classified
NF = Not finished
NS = Not started
DQ = Disqualified

Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com[1]

Rules

Four distances have to be skated:

One could only win the World Championships by winning at least three of the four distances, so there would be no World Champion if no skater won at least three distances.

Silver and bronze medals were not awarded.

References

  1. ↑ "Results of the 1897 World Championship Allround Men". SpeedSkatingStats.com. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
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