Top 10 Men Speed Skaters of the Year 2012

"New year" often rhymes with "rankings". Let's play along and rank the 10 speed skaters who left a mark on 2012. Detailed hit list…

Par alfathor
Publié le 3 janvier 2013 - Mis à jour le 2 novembre 2020 - 22143 Lectures - 0 commentaire(s)

1) Pedro Causil (Columbia)

Columbian Pedro Causil offered one of the first gold medals of the 2012 Speed Skating World Championships to his country. It was the beginning of a long series of medals for one of the fastest skaters in the world.

The South American champion is mostly know by name in Europe but his hit list would deserve to be better known. Pedro Causil ended up 8th at the « most medalled athletes » ranking during the 2010 World Games. He won the title of South American champion in Medellin in 2010.

2012 World Championships hit list:

World Champion: 300m on track in 24.765
World Champion: 3000m relay on track
World Vice-Champion: 500m on track
World Vice-Champion: 1000m on track
World Vice-Champion: 200m on road in 16.127

2) Bart Swings (Belgium)

Bart Swings remains one of the best skaters of his generation. He combined with talent the winter ice season with the roller-skating summer season. He won several marathons this year under the colors of Powerslide. He lived up to his reputation with numerous titles at the European Championships and two world titles.

2012 World Championships hit list:

World Champion: 20km elimination race on road
World Champion: 5000m relay on track
World Champion: marathon
3rd: elimination race on track
7th: 3000m relay on track

2012 European Championships hit list:

European Champion: 500m on track

But also…

Winner of the Dijon Marathon (world cup)
Winner of the European Cup
Winner of the Criterium of Gross-Gerau
Winner of Heerde
Winner of Mechelen
Winner of the Semi-Marathon in Berlin
Winner of the Berlin X-Race
Winner of the 24h Le Mans (team)

3) Yann Guyader (France)

Yann Guyader did not take part in the European and World Championships of speed skating with the French Team, since he did not do the French Championships. However, once again in 2012, he won all the national and international cups he took part in, under the colors or EOSkates, showing that he is still the boss in marathons.

2012 hit list

Winner of the World Inline Cup (marathon world cup)
Winner of the French Inline Cup (marathon French cup)
Winner of the German Inline Cup (marathon German cup)
Winner of the International Trophy of the 3 Tracks
Winner of Rennes sur Roulettes (world cup)
Winner of Incheon Marathon (world cup)
2nd at the Jeonju Marathon (world cup)
2nd at the Dijon Marathon (world cup)
3rd at the Cologne Marathon

4) Peter Michael (New Zealand)

The New Zealander did a great year, following in the footsteps of his famous predecessors with dignity.

Fast on his wheels, he won two world champion titles in Italy.

Meter Michael also managed great feats in marathons where he always finished at a good ranking, even without team mate, like in Berlin where he made his way to the 4th place during a massive sprint.

2012 World Championships hit list

World Champion: 1000m on track
World Champion: elimination race on track
5th: 5000m relay on road
6th: 3000m relay on track
6th: 10km point race on road

But also…

4th at the Berlin Marathon
Winner of the Lugdunum Contest Marathon

5) Ioseba Fernandez (Spain)

Ioseba Fernandez left his mark on the World Championships in breaking his own records, both on road and track.
In April, he had already broken the 300m world record with 23.938 on the U.D.C. Txantrea track in Pampelune (Navarre, Spain).

At the World Championships, he broke the 200m world record which he had already broken a few hours before during the qualifiers. The Spanish skater then lift the spell of the 2011 World Championships where he had broken the series world record but had missed the final.

2012 World Championships hit list

World Champion: 200m on road
World Recordman: 200m on road with 15.879
World Vice-Champion: 300m on track with 24.774

6) Ewen Fernandez (France)

The French has been on the upswing for a few years. Ewen Fernandez was first consecrated in 2011 when he won the Berlin marathon in solo. He did it again in 2012 with his team mate Bart Swings (Powerslide Matter).

At the World Championships in Italy, his victory on the 10km point race under the pouring rain crowned him at the highest level. He managed a wonderful team work with his team mate Alexis Contin.

Ewen also took the 3rd place of the Marathon after getting in the slipstream of Bart Swings.

2012 hit list

World Champion: 10km point race on road
World Champion: 15km elimination race on road
3rd: World Championship Marathon in San Benedetto

But also…

Winner of the Berlin Marathon
3rd at the Dijon Marathon (world cup)

7) Fabio Francolini (Italy)

Fabio Francolini performed at home for the World Championships this year… with huge pressure on his shoulders! He won several titles thanks to his top speed at the end of races.

He won 3 titles at the European Championships in Szeged (Hungary).

European Championships hit list

European Champion: 10.000m point/elimination race on track
European Champion: 15.000m elimination race on track
European Champion: 3.000m relay on track
European Vice-Champion: 1.000m on track

World Championships hit list

World Vice-Champion: 20km elimination race on road
World Vice-Champion: 5000m relay on road
4th: 3000m relay on track
4th: 1000m on track
4th: marathon
7th: 10km point race on road

At the World Championships, Fabio Francolini seized the gold medal on the 10.000m point and elimination races after a tough fight with bart Swings, Peter Michael and the two French team mates Ewen Fernandez and Alexis Contin.

8) Severin Widmer (Switzerland)

Swiss Severin Widmer is a discreet skater who performs in the Swiss Skate Team on big international marathons. The Swiss Federation strangely chose to exclude all the skaters of the team from the World Championships whereas they were great hopes for medals.

Severin Widmer used to be in the shadow of skaters such as Nicolas Iten, but he switched to a higher gear and won big races in 2012.

2012 hit list

Winner of the Frankfurt Marathon
Winner of the Cologne Marathon
Winner of the German Inline Cup (team)
2nd of the German Inline Cup
2nd of the Marathon in Coblence (German Inline Cup)
2nd of the Marathon in Geisingen (German Inline Cup)
3rd of the Transroller (marathon French Cup)
4th of the Semi-Marathon in Berlin (German Inline Cup)
4th of the X-Race (German Inline Cup)

9) Michel Mulder (Netherlands)

Dutch Michel Mulder stood out on ice and in roller skating this year.

2012 World Championships hit list

World Champion: 500m on road in 42.040
3rd: 300m on road in 16.151

2012 European Championships hit list

6 Silver Medals (including 2 relays)
6 Bronze Medals (including 3 relays)

2012 Ice hit list

World Vice-Champion: 500m
Winner of the 500m during the World Cup in Berlin, March 2012
Silver medal at the 500m during the World Cup of Heerenveen, March 2012

10) Andres Munoz (Columbia)

The skater is a skillful athlete and quite a sprint specialist. He always ranks well on races he takes part in. For example, he finished World Champion of the 500m on track in front of compatriot Pedro Causil, but also managed to get a World Vice-Champion title at the marathon on the last day in San-Benedetto.