1897 World Allround Speed Skating Championships

International speed skating competition World Allround Speed Skating Championships Alfred Ingvald Naess circa 1900 wearing his skating medals.jpg 200 Alfred NæssParticipant of the 1897 World Championship Crystal Stadium, Montréal, Canada 5, 6 and 9 February 10 3 Jack McCulloch CAN 1896 Saint Petersburg 1898 Davos The 1897 World Allround Speed Skating Championships took place on 5, 6 and 9 February 1897 at the ice rink Crystal Stadium in Montréal, Canada. It was the first World championship outside of Europe. Canada had the honour of organizing this World championship because it was the first non-European member of the International Skating Union. Jaap Eden was the defending champion, but he stopped with ice skating after the 1896 season and did not defend his title. He started a career as a cyclist. The Norwegian Alfred Næss won the first distance (500 metres) and the Canadian Jack McCulloch the second distance (5000 metres). At the third distance (1500 metres), Næss and McCulloch dead-heated for the fastest time, meaning a skate-off was needed to decide who was the winner and still able to win three distances. After McCulloch won the skate-off, he won the 10000 metres, with only three others starting, and became World Champion. Two days later, officials discovered an error in measuring the 5000 metre course, meaning the competitors had skated 4200 metres: two laps too few. The results were annulled, and the next morning (9 February), the 5000 metres was re-skated, though some skaters had already left Canada, meaning only four skaters took part. McCulloch won again, and was confirmed as World Champion. Allround results PlaceAthleteCountry500m5000m1500m1500mSkate-off10000m5000mRe-skated Jack McCulloch 22px Canada 48.2 (2) 8:32.8 (1) 2:42.4 (1) 2:40.8 (1) 20:02.4 (1) 9:25.4 (1) NC2 John Davidson 22px Canada 50.2 (5) 8:52.6 (3) 2:47.4 (4) 20:43.4 (3) 10:00.6 (3) NC Julius Seyler 22px German Empire 48.6 (3)* 8:47.6 (2) 2:43.2 (3) 20:42.2 (2) NC C. Greene 22px Canada 49.2 (4) 8:52.8 (4) 2:48.6 (6) 21:23.4 (4) NC Alfred Næss 22px Norway 46.8 (1) 9:01.5 (7) 2:42.4 (1) 2:41.2 (2) NS NC Martinus Lørdahl 22px Norway 50.6 (6)* 8:55.0 (5) 2:52.4 (8)* NS 9:39.2 (2) NC W. Merrit 22px Canada 50.8 (7) 8:57.0 (6) 2:52.0 (7) NS NC Tom Moore 22px Canada 50.8 (7) 9:07.4 (8) 2:48.2 (5) NS NC A. Lee 22px Canada 56.0 (10) 9:39.2 (10) 3:08.8 (9) NS NF NC A. Pilkie 22px Canada 53.4 (9) 9:15.6 (9) NF NS * = Fell NC = Not classified NF = Not finished NS = Not started DQ = Disqualified Source: SpeedSkatingStats.comResults of the 1897 World Championship Allround Men http://www.speedskatingstats.com/index.php?file=championships&g=m&type=wchall&year=1897 SpeedSkatingStats.com 25 August 2012 Rules Four distances have to be skated: 500m 1500m 5000m 10000m One could only win the World Championships by winning at least three of the four distances, so there would be no World Champion if no skater won at least three distances. Silver and bronze medals were not awarded. References June 2017 World Allround Speed Skating Championships, 1897 1897 World Allround World Allround, 1897 Category:Sports competitions in Montreal World Allround Speed Category:1897 in winter sports Category:February 1897 in North America World Allround Speed Skating Championships Category:19th century in Montreal