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 1897
Competitors	10 from 3 nations
Medalists 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; he stopped with ice skating after the 1896 season and did not defend his title. He started a career as 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 skated both the fastest time; a skate-off was needed to decide who was the winner and was still able to win three distances. McCulloch won the skate-off and had to win the 10000 meter to become world champion. McCulloch won the 10000 meters (there were only three other participants) and became World champion.

They found out that the 5000 meter was too short, they had skated two rounds less than needed. On 9 February, that mistake was corrected by re-skating the 5000 meters. Some skaters had already left and so it was skated by only four skaters. McCulloch won again and was then World champion for real.

Allround results

Place	Athlete	Country	500m	5000m	1500m	1500m Skate-off	10000m	5000m Re-skated
01 !	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