Speedskating - The Annual September Skøytenytt Nations Knockout Competition

1989

Some odd returns give us a new record of 32 participants: AUS, AUT, BEL, CAN, CHN, CZE, DEN, ESP, FIN, FRA, FRG, GBR, GDR, GRE, HUN, IRE, ITA, JAP, KOR, MGL, NED, NOR, NZL, POL, POR, PRK, ROM, SWE, SWI, URS, USA, YUG. Thus for the first time we can arrange a full first round of 16 matches. The quarter-finalists from last year, USA, URS, GDR, NED, KOR, AUT, NOR and POL, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. The draw is: CHN-USA, BEL-MGL, NOR-POR, FRA-DEN, CAN-FIN, SWI-SWE, GBR-ITA, POL-HUN, JAP-ROM, KOR-YUG, NZL-AUT, IRE-AUS, GDR-FRG, URS-PRK, NED-GRE, CZE-ESP. The matches:

China-USA 0-11
Belgium-Mongolia 3-8
Norway-Portugal 11-0
France-Denmark 11-0
Canada-Finland 10-1
Switzerland-Sweden 0-11
Britain-Italy 0-11
Poland-Hungary 11-0
Japan-Romania 11-0
South Korea-Yugoslavia 11-0
New Zealand-Austria 0-11
Ireland-Australia 1-5, again!
East Germany-West Germany 11-0, kinda symbolic, almost their last chance to meet
USSR-North Korea 10-1
Netherlands-Greece 11-0
Czechoslovakia-Spain 9-0

The second proper then consists of: AUS, AUT, CAN, CZE, FRA, GDR, ITA, JAP, KOR, MGL, NED, NOR, POL, SWE, URS, USA. The semi-finalists from last year, GDR, USA, AUT and NOR, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. The draw: AUT-ITA, URS-USA, SWE-GDR, NOR-MGL, JAP-FRA, CAN-KOR, POL-CZE, AUS-NED. The matches proceed as follows:

Austria-Italy 9-2
USSR-USA 6-5, revenge for last year, but only barely
Sweden-East Germany 0-11, tough draw
Norway-Mongolia 11-0, easy draw
Japan-France 11-0
Canada-South Korea 8-3
Poland-Czechoslovakia 11-0
Australia-Netherlands 0-11

The quarter-final consists of: AUT, CAN, GDR, JAP, NED, NOR, POL, URS. The finalists from last year, GDR and NOR, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. The draw is as follows: POL-URS, CAN-NOR, AUT-JAP, GDR-NED. Results of the matches:

Poland-USSR 1-10
Canada-Norway 8-3
Austria-Japan 5.5-5.5; distances: 11-11; Austria win on samalog points!
East Germany-Netherlands 9-2

Semi-final draw: CAN-AUT, USSR-GDR. Matches:

Canada-Austria 4-7, first final since 1935!
USSR-East Germany 3-8, should have been the final, of course.

Bronze final: Canada-USSR 1-10

FINAL: Austria-East Germany

   41,30-   39,50 (0-1)
 1.21,82- 1.19,02 (0-2)
 2.08,30- 2.02,65 (0-3)
 4.29,46- 4.17,71 (0-4)
 7.55,51- 7.25,39 (0-5)
   37,85-   36,46 (0-6)
 1.14,61- 1.13,54 (0-7)
 1.55,43- 1.55,28 (0-8)
 4.06,68- 4.03,91 (0-9)
 6.54,32- 6.54,87 (1-9)
14.38,76-14.25,60 (1-10)

Final result 1-10

Statistics:

NOR GOLD 46x
URS GOLD 35x
NED GOLD 8x
FIN GOLD 4x
SWE GOLD 2x
GDR GOLD 2x
AUT Silver 5x, reviving old traditions
JAP Silver 3x
FRG Silver 2x
HUN Silver 2x
USA Silver 2x
CZE Silver 1955
CHN Silver 1965
CAN bronze 1897
LAT bronze 1940
GBR bronze 1949
PRK bronze 1963
SWI 4th 3x
POL 4th 3x
FRA 4th 2x
DEN 4th 1912
ITA 4th 1945
BEL 4th 1946
KOR 4th 1982
EST QF 5x
ROM QF 2x
LIT QF 1927
AUS QF 1974
MGL 2R 1989
NZL 1R 7x
YUG 1R 3x
POR 1R 2x
ISV 1R 1972
IRE 1R 1989
GRE 1R 1989
ESP 1R 1989
ISR PR 5x
RSA PR 4x
ICE PR 2x
COL PR 1933
HKG PR 1986
TPE PR 1986