Speedway World Pairs Championship

Former motorcycle speedway event

World Pairs ChampionshipSport| Motorcycle speedway

|

Founded| 1968
Ceased| 1993
Replaced by| Speedway of Nations
Continent| World
Most titles| Hans Nielsen (7 times)
Denmark (8 times)

The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual motorcycle speedway event held annually in different countries.[1][2] The first competition was held in 1968, and the final competition was held in 1993.[3][4][5][6] In 1994, it was merged with the World Team Cup to create the Speedway World Cup, which held its final edition in 2017.

The concept of an international pairs championship was re-established in the form of the Speedway of Nations, held for the first time in 2018.[7]

## Rules

[edit]

The final was competed between seven national teams, and two riders represented each national team. Each pairing rode against each other once. The pair with the highest combined score were declared the Champions. From 1991, a third rider could act as a reserve.[8]

## Winners

[edit]

Year | Venue | Winners | Runner-up | 3rd place

|
|
|
|

1968 |  Kempten Speedway
Kempten  |  Sweden (24 pts)
Ove Fundin
Torbjörn Harrysson |  Great Britain (21 pts)
Geoff Mudge
Ray Wilson |  Norway (16 pts)
Odd Fossengen
Øyvind S. Berg
1969 |  Gubbängens IP
Stockholm  |  New Zealand (28 pts)
Ivan Mauger
Bob Andrews |  Sweden (27 pts)
Ove Fundin
Göte Nordin |  England (21 pts)
Nigel Boocock
Martin Ashby
1970 |  Malmö Stadion
Malmö  |  New Zealand (28 pts)
Ivan Mauger
Ronnie Moore |  Sweden (25 pts)
Ove Fundin
Bengt Jansson |  England (19 pts)
Nigel Boocock
Eric Boocock
1971 |  Rybnik Municipal Stadium
Rybnik  |  Poland (30 pts)
Andrzej Wyglenda
Jerzy Szczakiel |  New Zealand (25 pts)
Ivan Mauger
Barry Briggs |  Sweden (22 pts)
Anders Michanek
Bernt Persson
1972 |  Ryavallen
Borås  |  England (24+3 pts)
Ray Wilson
Terry Betts |  New Zealand (24+2 pts)
Ivan Mauger
Ronnie Moore |  Sweden B (22+3 pts)
Bernt Persson
Hasse Holmqvist
1973 |  Ryavallen
Borås  |  Sweden (24 pts)
Anders Michanek
Tommy Jansson |  Denmark (21+3 pts)
Ole Olsen
Kurt Bøgh |  Poland (21+2 pts)
Zenon Plech
Zbigniew Marcinkowski
1974 |  Hyde Road
Manchester  |  Sweden (28 pts)
Anders Michanek
Sören Sjösten |  Australia (23 pts)
John Boulger
Phil Crump |  New Zealand (21 pts)
Barry Briggs
Ivan Mauger
1975 |  Stadion Olimpijski
Wrocław  |  Sweden (24 pts)
Anders Michanek
Tommy Jansson |  Poland (23 pts)
Edward Jancarz
Piotr Bruzda |  Denmark (20+3 pts)
Ole Olsen
Jan Henningsen
1976 |  Snälltorpet
Eskilstuna  |  England (27 pts)
John Louis
Malcolm Simmons |  Denmark (24 pts)
Ole Olsen
Finn Thomsen |  Sweden (22 pts)
Bengt Jansson
Bernt Persson
1977 |  Hyde Road
Manchester  |  England (28 pts)
Peter Collins
Malcolm Simmons |  Sweden (18 pts)
Anders Michanek
Bernt Persson |  West Germany (18 pts)
Egon Müller
Hans Wassermann
1978 |  Stadion Śląski
Chorzów  |  England (24+3 pts)
Malcolm Simmons
Gordon Kennett |  New Zealand (24+2 pts)
Ivan Mauger
Larry Ross |  Denmark (21 pts)
Ole Olsen
Finn Thomsen
1979 |  Vojens Speedway Center
Vojens  |  Denmark (25 pts)
Ole Olsen
Hans Nielsen |  England (24 pts)
Malcolm Simmons
Michael Lee |  Poland (20 pts)
Edward Jancarz
Zenon Plech
1980 |  Matija Gubec Stadium
Krško |  England (29 pts)
Dave Jessup
Peter Collins |  Poland (22 pts)
Edward Jancarz
Zenon Plech |  Denmark (21 pts)
Ole Olsen
Hans Nielsen
1981 |  Stadion Śląski
Chorzów  |  United States (23 pts)
Bruce Penhall
Bobby Schwartz |  New Zealand (22 pts)
Ivan Mauger
Larry Ross |  Poland (21 pts)
Zenon Plech
Edward Jancarz
1982 |  Liverpool City Raceway
Sydney  |  United States (30 pts)
Bobby Schwartz
Dennis Sigalos |  England (22 pts)
Kenny Carter
Peter Collins |  Denmark (21 pts)
Hans Nielsen
Ole Olsen
1983 |  Ullevi
Gothenburg  |  England (25 pts)
Kenny Carter
Peter Collins |  Australia (24 pts)
Billy Sanders
Gary Guglielmi |  Denmark (19 pts)
Hans Nielsen
Erik Gundersen
1984 |  Santa Marina Stadium
Lonigo  |  England (27 pts)
Chris Morton
Peter Collins |  Denmark (25+3 pts)
Hans Nielsen
Erik Gundersen |  New Zealand (25+2 pts)
Ivan Mauger
Mitch Shirra
1985 |  Rybnik Municipal Stadium
Rybnik  |  Denmark (29 pts)
Erik Gundersen
Tommy Knudsen |  England (27 pts)
Kenny Carter
Kelvin Tatum |  United States (22 pts)
Bobby Schwartz
Shawn Moran
1986 |  Rottalstadion
Pocking  |  Denmark (46+5 pts)
Hans Nielsen
Erik Gundersen |  United States (46+4 pts)
Kelly Moran
Sam Ermolenko |  Czechoslovakia (32 pts)
Antonín Kasper Jr.
Roman Matoušek
1987 |  Svítkov Stadion
Pardubice  |  Denmark (52 pts)
Erik Gundersen
Hans Nielsen |  England (44 pts)
Simon Wigg
Kelvin Tatum |  United States (36 pts)
Sam Ermolenko
Kelly Moran
1988 |  Odsal Stadium
Bradford  |  Denmark (45 pts)
Hans Nielsen
Erik Gundersen |  England (41 pts)
Kelvin Tatum
Simon Cross |  United States (39 pts)
Shawn Moran
Sam Ermolenko
1989 |  Alfred Smoczyk Stadium
Leszno  |  Denmark (48 pts)
Hans Nielsen
Erik Gundersen |  Sweden (44 pts)
Jimmy Nilsen
Per Jonsson |  England (37 pts)
Kelvin Tatum
Paul Thorp
1990 |  Ellermühle Stadium
Landshut  |  Denmark (43 pts)
Jan O. Pedersen
Hans Nielsen |  Australia (41 pts)
Todd Wiltshire
Leigh Adams |  Hungary (33 pts)
Zoltán Adorján
Sándor Tihanyi
1991 |  Olimpia Poznań Stadium
Poznań  |  Denmark (28 pts)
Hans Nielsen
Jan O. Pedersen
Tommy Knudsen |  Sweden (24 pts)
Henrik Gustafsson
Jimmy Nilsen
Per Jonsson |  Norway (19 pts)
Lars Gunnestad
Einar Kyllingstad
Tor Einar Hielm
1992 |  Santa Marina Stadium
Lonigo  |  United States (23+3 pts)
Greg Hancock
Sam Ermolenko
Ronnie Correy |  England (23+2 pts)
Gary Havelock
Kelvin Tatum
Martin Dugard |  Sweden (22 pts)
Per Jonsson
Henrik Gustafsson
Tony Rickardsson
1993 |  Vojens Speedway Center
Vojens  |  Sweden (26 pts)
Tony Rickardsson
Per Jonsson
Henrik Gustafsson |  United States (23 pts)
Sam Ermolenko
Ronnie Correy
Greg Hancock |  Denmark (21 pts)
Hans Nielsen
Tommy Knudsen
Brian Karger

### Medal classification

[edit]

Pos | National Team | Total |  |  |

|
|
|
|
|

1. |  Denmark | 17  | 8 | 3 | 6
2. |  Great Britain/ England | 17  | 7 | 7 | 3
3. |  Sweden | 14  | 5 | 5 | 4
4. |  United States | 8  | 3 | 2 | 3
5. |  New Zealand | 8  | 2 | 4 | 2
6. |  Poland | 6  | 1 | 2 | 3
7. |  Australia | 3  | - | 3 | \-
8. |  Norway | 2  | - | - | 2
=9. |  Czechoslovakia | 1  | - | - | 1
=9. |  West Germany | 1  | - | - | 1
Pos | Rider | Team | Total |  |  |

|
|
|
|
|
|

1. | Hans Nielsen |  Denmark | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3
2. | Erik Gundersen |  Denmark | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1
3. | Peter Collins |  England | 5 | 4 | 1 |
4. | Anders Michanek |  Sweden | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1
5. | Malcolm Simmons |  England | 4 | 3 | 1 |
6. | Ivan Mauger |  New Zealand | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2
7. | Tommy Jansson |  Sweden | 3 | 2 | 1 |
8. | Bobby Schwartz |  United States | 3 | 2 |  | 1
9. | Jan O. Pedersen |  Denmark | 2 | 2 |  |
10. | Ole Olsen |  Denmark | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4

## See also

[edit]

* Motorcycle speedway
* Speedway of Nations, the current incarnation of the World Pairs Championship

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Best Pairs International Championship FIM". Historis Sportu Zuzlowego. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
2. ^ Bott, Richard (1980). The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4. Stanley Paul & Co Ltd. p. 99\. ISBN 0-09-141751-1.
3. ^ Rogers, Martin (1978). The Illustrated History of Speedway. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. p. 134\. ISBN 0-904584-45-3.
4. ^ Bott, Richard (1980). The Peter Collins Speedway Book No.4. Stanley Paul & Co Ltd. p. 99\. ISBN 0-09-141751-1.
5. ^ Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. pp. 27–28\. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
6. ^ Matthews/Morrison, Peter/Ian (1987). The Guinness Encyclopaedia of Sports Records and Results. Guinness Superlatives. p. 290\. ISBN 0-85112-492-5.
7. ^ "Speedway riders, history and results". wwosbackup. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
8. ^ "World Pairs Championship 1968-1993". Edinburgh Speedway. Retrieved 11 July 2021.

* v
* t
* e

World championships in pairs speedway

Speedway World Pairs Championship|

* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993

Speedway of Nations (SON)|

* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2024
* 2025

* List of Speedway World Pairs Championship medalists

* v
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* e

International speedway competitions

World|

* Individual (Grand Prix) (Qualification)
* Pairs (Speedway of Nations)
* World Team Cup (World Cup)
* Individual U-21
* Team U-21
* Individual U-16

Europe|

* Individual
* Pairs
* Team
* U21
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* Junior (team)

National Championships|

* Argentina
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* USA (AMA) / USA (SRA)

National Leagues|

* Denmark
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Ice speedway|

* World Championships: Individual
* Team
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Long track|

* World Championships: Individual
* Team

Former Championships|

* Australasian
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* Champions Cup (indiv)
* Champions' Cup (teams)
* Commonwealth
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* Nordic
* Overseas
* Star Riders'

Governing Bodies|

* World (FIM)
* FIM Europe

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