1897 World Allround Speed Skating Championships

World Allround Speed Skating Championships
Alfred Næss Participant of the 1897 World Championship
Venue	Crystal Stadium, Montréal, Canada
Dates	5, 6 and 9 February
Competitors	10 from 3 nations
Medalist men
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 meters) and the Canadian Jack McCulloch the second distance (5000 meters). At the third distance (1500 meters), 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 meters, with only three others starting, and became World Champion.

Two days later, officials discovered an error in measuring the 5000 meter course, meaning the competitors had skated 4200 meters: two laps too few.

The results were annulled, and the next morning (9 February), the 5000 meters 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

Place	Athlete	Country	500m	5000m	1500m	1500m Skate-off	10000m	5000m Re-skated
	Jack McCulloch	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	Canada	50.2 (5)	8:52.6 (3)	2:47.4 (4)		20:43.4 (3)	10:00.6 (3)
NC	Julius Seyler	German Empire	48.6 (3)*	8:47.6 (2)	2:43.2 (3)		20:42.2 (2)
NC	C. Greene	Canada	49.2 (4)	8:52.8 (4)	2:48.6 (6)		21:23.4 (4)
NC	Alfred Næss	Norway	46.8 (1)	9:01.5 (7)	2:42.4 (1)	2:41.2 (2)	NS
NC	Martinus Lørdahl	Norway	50.6 (6)*	8:55.0 (5)	2:52.4 (8)*		NS	9:39.2 (2)
NC	W. Merrit	Canada	50.8 (7)	8:57.0 (6)	2:52.0 (7)		NS
NC	Tom Moore	Canada	50.8 (7)	9:07.4 (8)	2:48.2 (5)		NS
NC	A. Lee	Canada	56.0 (10)	9:39.2 (10)	3:08.8 (9)		NS	NF
NC	A. Pilkie	Canada	53.4 (9)	9:15.6 (9)	NF		NS

* = Fell

NC = Not classified

NF = Not finished

NS = Not started

DQ = Disqualified

Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com^[1]

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