Ice Speedway
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Last year the Ice Speedway season was hindered by a mild winter in Europe and the outbreak of a never heard of before virus, COVID-19. The beginning of the global pandemic put a stop to the European Championship and put a premature end to the FIM Ice Speedway Gladiators World Championship series which would have taken place in Germany. 

This year the COVID-19 risks were known but have still played havoc with the world’s top ice speedway events. 

Europeans training in Sweden

Although the Swedish Ice Speedway  season was a complete non-starter, top club ÖMK Rundbana have been able to host the best of Europe’s riders enabling them to warm up for the World Championship- the only event they will participate in this season. 

So Luca Bauer (GER/ ITA), Jesper Iwema (NED), Franky Zorn (AUT), Jirka Wildt (CZE) as well Sweden’s Martin Haarahiltunen, Stefan and Niklas Svensson have all been training at the venue in Northern Sweden since January. 

However, the last few weeks have seen a number of hinderances nearly ruin the event completely.

Sweden will not participate 

Sweden’s Haarahiltunen was already ruled out with a serious injury to his elbow after a crash in training for the European championship took him out for the whole season. That brought 62 year old, veteran Stefan Svensson out of retirement to represent his country again alongside son, Niklas. 

The father/ son duo where duly selected to represent Sweden in the World Championship. However, on 5/2, just one week before the event, ÖMK Rundbana announced that the current Swedish travel restrictions to countries outside the EU has means the Svensson’s have been denied a visa to travel to Russia.

Berlin cancelled 

A further blow was struck 6/2 when the German authorities announced that Round 3 and 4 planned to take place in Berlin on 6 and 7 March will be cancelled for the second year in a row.

That leaves just the coming weekend in Togliatti left on the calendar. 

WADA ruling nearly cancels Togliatti 

But even that date had been in jeopardy in the fallout of the CAS decision in December between WADA and RUSADA. The FIM has gained permission to go against the ruling which states that no event made be held by a WADA affiliated organization in Russia for a period of two years. 

Russians and Ivanov the favourites

On the ice itself the double header on 13 and 14 February is expected to be be dominated by the host nation. Since 2010 only Russians have been on the medal podium and it was back in 2002 that a non-Russian last won the championship. 

Danii Ivanov is favourite to take his third title in a row, but will be challenged by last year’s medalists Dmitrii Khomitsevich and Dinar Valeev. Home fans will be hoping that 2011 and 2017 silver medalist, Igor Kononov, can return to winning ways and that wildcard and European bronze medallist, Nikita Toloknov, pictured, will be able to prove the pundits wrong. 

Austria’s Harald Simon will be hoping to emulate his 2020 performance as the highest scoring European, whilst Germany’s Johann Weber will also want to repeat his fourth place at Togliatti from last season. 

Full lineup: 

http://www.fim-live.com/en/library/download/208210/no_cache/1/