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.

World Pairs Championship
SportMotorcycle speedway
Founded1968
Ceased1993
Replaced bySpeedway of Nations
ContinentWorld
Most titlesHans Nielsen (7 times)
Denmark (8 times)

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

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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

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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

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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

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References

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  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.