Speedskating - The Annual September Skøytenytt Nations Knockout Competition

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