A 100 years ago today, the kingdom of Morocco had come to an agreement with France to relieve some of their crippling national debt, by allowing the French to occupy Casablanca and Oujda, also giving some military instruction to the Moroccans in return.
In Helsingfors, spring had arrived with beautiful sunshine and temperatures rising to 15 centigrades in the sun. The World Championship wasn’t quite such a world event as the European one at Viborg, as only 12 skaters from 5 nations had bothered to come. And now they no doubt expected another two days of parody on the melting ice. However, in the shade it was only 3 degrees, and down on the harbour ice, where a huge audience had gathered, the club had worked hard to drain away water, which resulted in some reasonably good times. Unfortunately I have no details other than the final results, so if anyone could provide any more, I’d be very grateful.
500m:
1.Oscar Mathisen 46,3 2.Martin Sæterhaug 47,8 3.Nikolaj Strunnikov 49,3 4.Väinö Wickström 49,5 5.Jussi Wiinikainen 49,7 6.Björn Damstén 49,8 7.Johan Vikander 49,9 8.Thomas Bohrer 50,3 9.Gunnar Strömstén 50,4 10.Magnus Johansen 51,0 11.Birger Carlsson 53,8 12.Jevgenij Burnov 54,5
At least the 500m this time went more according to plan, with Martin properly inserting himself between Oscar and the Russian. Now, in the 5000m, Strunnikov clocked 9.31,8 in an early pair. If he could only beat that, Oscar would increase his overall chances immensely, and with 9.30,6, very probably helped by chronometrically aided attendants among the audience, his intent was fulfilled. Another win now, and the championship would be his. And who could threaten him in the 1500, his world record distance? However, when Johansen skated 9.27,9 in a later pair, he sabotaged this plan. He probably would have been scolded by the team leders if there had been any such present. But after all he had to take care of his own chances as well. Last week in Viborg he could have won the whole thing but for the 5000 m which he now had secured. Martin, on the other hand, did his best to help Oscar in another pair, but missed by only a fifth of a second.
5000m:
1.Johansen 9.27,9 2.Mathisen 9.30,6 3.Strunnikov 9.31,8 4.Sæterhaug 9.32,0 5.Burnov 9.37,0 6.Vickström 9.44,0 7.Damstén 9.45,8 8.Strömstén 9.46,2 9.Wiinikainen 9.57,2 10.Bohrer 10.01,1 11.Carlsson 10.18,8
Overall:
1.Mathisen 3 2.Strunnikov og Sæterhaug 6 4.Wickström og Johansen 10 6.Damstén 13 7.Wiinikainen 14 8.Burnov og Strömstén 16 10.Bohrer 17 11.Carlsson 21