2011
Brazil and Israel got lost after only 1 season and Argentina sadly after several, but with the interesting addition of the Philippines and Qatar we are only 1 down from last year’s record 41 participants: AUS, AUT, BEL, BLR, CAN, CHN, COL, CZE, DEN, ESP, EST, FIN, FRA, GBR, GER, GRE, HUN, IND, IRE, ITA, JAP, KAZ, KOR, LAT, MEX, MGL, NED, NOR, NZL, PHI, POL, PRK, QAT, ROM, RUS, SVK, SWE, SWI, UKR, USA. Thus we need a preliminary round of 8 matches. The 2nd round participants from last year, AUT, CAN, CHN, DEN, GER, ITA, JAP, KAZ, KOR, NED, NOR, PRK, ROM, RUS, SWE, and USA, are exempt. The draw is: BEL-IND, CZE-MEX, AUS-COL, GBR-GRE, IRE-UKR, EST-BLR, FRA-SVK, ESP-POL. The results of the matches:
Belgium-India 10-0
Czechia-Mexico 11-0
Australia-Colombia 11-0
Britain-Greece 4-1
Ireland-Ukraine 2-9
Estonia-Belarus 0-11
France-Slovakia 10-0
Spain-Poland 0-11
The first round proper then consists of: AUS, AUT, BEL, BLR, CAN, CHN, CZE, DEN, FIN, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, ITA, JAP, KAZ, KOR, LAT, MGL, NED, NOR, NZL, PHI, POL, PRK, QAT, ROM, RUS, SWE, SWI, UKR, USA. The quarter-finalists from last year, CAN, GER, KAZ, KOR, NED, NOR, ROM, and USA, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. Here is the draw: GER-PHI, GBR-CZE, DEN-FIN, QAT-HUN, RUS-FRA, SWI-CAN, AUS-NED, NOR-NZL, SWE-MGL, ITA-CHN, ROM-POL, JAP-KAZ, PRK-USA, BLR-KOR, AUT-UKR, BEL-LAT. The matches:
Germany-Philippines 11-0
Britain-Czechia 2-9
Denmark-Finland 3-8, Nordic battle
Qatar-Hungary 0-7, lucky draw
Russia-France 10-1, unlucky draw
Switzerland-Canada 0-11
Australia-Netherlands 0-11, unlucky draw
Norway-New Zealand 11-0, and another—that’s their 17th 1st round exit so far...
Sweden-Mongolia 11-0
Italy-China 7-4
Romania-Poland 0-11
Japan-Kazakhstan 6-5!
North Korea-USA 0-11 no nukes
Belarus-South Korea 1-10
Austria-Ukraine 11-0
Belgium-Latvia 7-3
Then the second round consists of: AUT, BEL, CAN, CZE, FIN, GER, HUN, ITA, JAP, KOR, NED, NOR, POL, RUS, SWE, USA. The semi-finalists from last year, CAN, GER, NOR and USA, are seeded and cannot be drawn against each other. The draw: KOR-CZE, AUT-RUS, ITA-FIN, USA-JAP, GER-POL, HUN-BEL, CAN-NED, NOR-SWE. The matches proceed as follows:
South Korea-Czechia 8-3
Austria-Russia 0-11
Italy-Finland 7-4 quite a match!
USA-Japan 7-4
Germany-Poland 10-1
Hungary-Belgium 2-8 lucky draw
Canada-Netherlands 4-7 like last year, but different outcome
Norway-Sweden 11-0 no comment
The quarter-final consists of: BEL, GER, ITA, KOR, NED, NOR, RUS, USA. No seeding as one of last year’s finalists got knocked out in the former round. The draw is as follows: KOR-BEL, GER-ITA, RUS-NOR, USA-NED. Results of the matches:
South Korea-Belgium 11-0
Germany-Italy 9.5-1.5
Russia-Norway 7-4
USA-Netherlands 4-7, almost worthy of a final
Semi-final draw: KOR-RUS, GER-NED. Matches:
South Korea-Russia 4-7
Germany-Netherlands 2-9
Bronze final: South Korea-Germany 4-7
FINAL: Russia-Netherlands, first Russian final since 2005, 2nd since 1918 (or 1990 if you include the Soviet Union).
38,69- 38,14 (0-1) 1.16,56- 1.15,42 (0-2) 1.54,87- 1.52,59 (0-3) 4.08,12- 3.58,01 (0-4) 7.08,53- 6.55,85 (0-5) 34,64- 34,66 (1-5) 1.09,46- 1.08,51 (1-6) and we have a winner! 1.42,94- 1.43,54 (2-6) 3.45,63- 3.43,90 (2-7) 6.10,99- 6.12,20 (3-7) 12.58,36-12.48,20 (3-8)
Final result 3-8, the 19th Dutch win, and they are catching up on the Russians.
Statistics:
NOR GOLD 46x RUS GOLD 36x NED GOLD 19x 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 1R 17x ARG 1R 7x MEX 1R 6x YUG 1R 5x GRE 1R 4x SVK 1R 4x ESP 1R 4x BOS 1R 2x IND 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 1R 2010 PHI 1R 2011 QAT 1R 2011 ICE PR 2x KEN PR 2x BRA PR 2010