NEWS

Live results
On the Norwegian Skating Associations website you'll find links to live results during the championship.
 
Drawing Sunday
500m ladies | 500m men

Media invasion
More than 200 meida representatives have been accreditated for the World Sprints. The press stands are nearly as crowded as during the 1994 Olympics. This overwhelming interest from the media reflects a pre-Olympic fever 20 days before the opening of the Games in Salt Lake City.

Crowded house
A capacity crowd of 6,300 provided an enthousiastic athmosphere during the first day of the championships. The organizers report that only 1000 tickets are left for Sunday's competitions, and they expect only a few hundred vacant seats when the first pair of the ladies' 500 meter starts at noon Sunday.
 
Ms. Bishop – speedskating fan
Among the many visitors in the Vikingschip this weekend is the Bishop of Hamar, Ms. Rosemarie Köhn. The Bishop is widely known as a red-hot skating fan. In the stadium are also the Governor of Hedmark province, Mr. Sigbjørn Johnsen, and the Mayor of Hamar, Mr. Einar Busterud. During the drawing in the new town hall of Hamar Friday evening, the Mayor also welcomed ISU representatives, team leaders and other guests.
 
From #17 to victory!
Belarussian skater Anzhelika Kotyuga advanced from 17th place on the first 1000 meter of last year's World Sprints to top of the podium this year. Although she has had some impressive results on the 1000 meter at the last world cup meets, her victory struck even the most die-hard experts with surprise.

200 volunteers
A majority of the more than 200 officials providing services for spectators, VIPs, meda, skaters and leaders, have been involved through Vikingskipets Venner – Friends of the Viking Ship –, an organization formed after the 1994 Olympics to secure a non-paid work force for the great variety of events at this famous arena. Many of the volunteers have been at disposal for the organizers since the 1993 World Allrounds
 

Dear friends of Speed Skating!
Hamar has been insolubly associated with speed skating traditions for more than a hundred years. The first international championship (European Championship) in Hamar was organized on the ice of Lake Mjøsa in 1894. In 1895 Hamar hosted the World Championship, which also took place on the natural frozen lake. Since then Hamar has been the arena for a great number of World and European Championships. Firstly on the lake, later at the decent Hamar Stadium, and in the last years in our modern national arena for speed skating, Vikingskipet.

For our Dutch speed skating friends it might be interesting to know that Hamar through many years, from 1954, even was the arena for the Dutch Championships. Legends like Kees Broekman, Gerhard Maarse, Wim de Graf and Henk van der Grift were proclaimed Dutch Champions in Hamar!

Traditions oblige. Hedmark Skating Association, as the organizer of the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships 2002, has been working hard for two years to make these championships match our proud history.

I am proud to wish friends of speed skating from far and near a cordial welcome to yet another World Championship in Hamar. This time the worlds fastest men and women, the sprinters, are going to find out who are the Champions.

Per H. Nordby
Chairman of Hedmark Skating Association

GREETINGS FROM
THE NORWEGIAN SKATING UNION

 

Looking forward to a great skating festival
- Our intention is to host the best skating event in the Viking Ship ever.
Chairman of Hedmark Skating Association, Per Nordby hopes the World Sprint Championships 2002 will be a great skating festival, and he is indeed looking forward to welcoming athletes, officials, spectators and other friends of ice speedskating to Hamar.  
 

Shimizu unveiled 
Former Norwegian skating ace Frode Rønning had the honour of unveiling a statue of the world's fastest skating sprinter ever, Hiroyasu Shimizu (right). The event took place at the August inline skating show in the streets of Hamar, starting the downcount to the World Sprint Championships in January. 

With 2000 spectators, the event was a great sucsess. Dutch female skater Wiete Cramer won the finale heat against Norwegian comeback skater Anette Tønsberg (above left). Norwegian Petter Andersen was the fastest male. 
 
READ MORE IN SKØYTESPORT (NORWEGIAN)