Homecoming!
One hundred years ago today, the train with the three sleeping or waking Norwegian speedskaters returning from Davos, travelled north along the Swedish western coast. Apparently they had been crossing the Norwegian border in the early morning hours, and if they weren’t aware of it from other signs, at least the behaviour of people along the line told them that they were home. As the day was dawning, a 17th of May atmosphere prevailed at every stop, with platforms full of people shouting hurrahs and wanting to talk with the skaters, shake hands with them and offer compliments. And when they disembarked at Østbanestasjonen, a horde of friends, relatives and rather a lot of other interested people had gathered there to greet them. Apparently, many had spent the night at the station.
KSK, Oscar’s and Sigurd’s club, had arranged a fine breakfast for the skaters at Hotel Augustin (not in existence any more, of course), where speeches were held and prizes were displayed. Even a handful of journalists were present to interrogate the skaters. What a contrast to their transportation through Europe in windowless 3rd class carriages, with sleeplessness and hunger as constant companions!
Later, big brother Carl took his more famous little brothers home to their house in Parkveien, where the rest of the day was spent in their own celebrations, as well as, no doubt, a bit of resting.
1500 m world before and after Davos 1908:
1.Peder Østlund 2.22,6 00 1.Oscar Mathisen 2.20,8 08 2.Jaap Eden 2.25,4 95 2.Peder Østlund 2.22,6 00 3.Johan Schwartz 2.26,0 02 3.Johan Vikander 2.23,4 08 4.Rudolf Gundersen 2.26,6 02 3.Martin Sæterhaug 2.23,4 08 5.Julius Seyler 2.28,6 98 5.Mauritz Oholm 2.23,6 08 6.Peter Sinnerud 2.28,8 04 6.Antti Wiklund 2.24,2 08 7.Einar Halvorsen 2.29,4 94 7.Arne Schrey 2.24,4 08 7.Oscar Mathisen 2.29,4 08 8.Jaap Eden 2.25,4 95 9.Gustaf Estlander 2.29,8 98 8.Gunnar Strömstén 2.25,4 08 10.Edvard Engelsaas 2.30,2 00 10.Johan Schwartz 2.26,0 02 10.Mauritz Öholm 2.30,2 08 11.Sigurd Mathisen 2.26,2 08 12.Martin Sæterhaug 2.30,6 08 12.Rudolf Gundersen 2.26,6 02 13.Franz F Wathén 2.30,8 00 13.Thomas Bohrer 2.27,6 08 13.Gunnar Strömstén 2.30,8 06 14.Franz F Wathén 2.27,8 08 15.Oluf Steen 2.31,2 07 15.Julius Seyler 2.28,6 98 16.Franz Schilling 2.31,6 06 16.Peter Sinnerud 2.28,8 04 17.Oscar Fredriksen 2.31,8 98 17.Einar Halvorsen 2.29,4 94 18.Thomas Bohrer 2.32,2 08 18.Gustaf Estlander 2.29,8 98 19.Wilhelm Mauseth 2.32,4 97 18.Jean Pettersson 2.29,8 08 19.Jan T Banning 2.32,4 98 20.Edvard Engelsaas 2.30,2 00 21.C C de Koning 2.32,6 06 21.Oluf Steen 2.31,2 07 22.Antti Wiklund 2.32,8 07 22.Franz Schilling 2.31,6 06 23.Filip Petersen 2.33,0 94 23.Oscar Fredriksen 2.31,8 98 24.Waldemar Ylander 2.33,2 08 24.Wilhelm Mauseth 2.32,4 97 25.Arne Schrey 2.33,8 08 24.Jan T Banning 2.32,4 98 26.Johan Vikander 2.34,0 06 26.CC de Koning 2.32,6 06 27.Rudolf Røhne 2.34,2 04 27.Filip Petersen 2.33,0 94 27.Alf Horne 2.34,2 07 28.Waldemar Ylander 2.33,2 08 29.Hermann Kleeberg 2.34,4 98 29.Ejnar Sørensen 2.34,0 08 29.Sigurd Mathisen 2.34,4 06 30.Rudolf Røhne 2.34,2 04 30.Alf Horne 2.34,2 08
This is the distance suffering the most damage from the championship. The world had really seen a new way to skate the 1500 m. Julius Seyler for example found himself relegated from 5th to 15th place! Of the 14 best times, only four had not been skated this weekend. Still only Hermann Kleeberg had been cicked out of the top 30. He was replaced by two: Jean Pettersson and our excellent Danish friend Ejnar Sørensen.
Thankful for any corrections/additions/deletions.