2012 European Speed Skating Championships

The competition took place at the City Park Ice Rink, an outdoor artificial skating rink situated in the downtown of Budapest. Prior to the championships, the rink went through a renovation and modernization for a fee of 4.7 billion Hungarian Forint (approximately €16 million), of which 3 billion came from the European Regional Development Fund. As a result, the main building was restored to its 19th-century look, the ice surface was expanded by 15 percent and a {{convert|210|km|mi}} embedded cooling system was laid down as well.{{cite web|url=http://www.hir24.hu/belfold/2011/12/13/kinyit-a-varosligeti-mujegpalya/|title=Kinyit a Városligeti Műjégpálya|publisher=hir24.hu|date=13 December 2011|accessdate=5 January 2012|language=Hungarian}} The races were held on a standard track of 400 meters with outer curves of 29 meters and inner curves of 25 meters radii. Both racing lanes were 4 meters wide, with an additional inside training track of the similar width.

A provisional list of competitors and staff had to be presented until 19 December 2011, while the final deadline of applications for the European Championships was closed on 3 January 2012. Every European member federation of the International Skating Union (ISU), whose racer met the qualification criteria were eligible to delegate one participant to the event, and, according to the rules of the ISU,{{cite web|url=http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4844-203082-220305-167852-0-file,00.pdf|title=Special Regulations and Technical Rules – Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating|publisher=International Skating Union (ISU)|quote=Rule 208, paragraph 5c: Subject to paragraph 3 of this Rule, the maximum entry quota for each Member in the regional qualifying event is four (4) Ladies and four (4) Men, with exceptions as stated below. The entry quotas for each Member will be determined according to the results in the preceding qualifying event as follows: Members without Skaters among the 20 best: 1 Competitor; Members with at least 1 Skater among the 20 best: 2 Competitors; Members with at least 2 Skaters among the 16 best: 3 Competitors; Members with at least 3 Skaters among the 12 best: 4 competitors.|accessdate=6 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120204034005/http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4844-203082-220305-167852-0-file,00.pdf|archive-date=2012-02-04|url-status=dead}} the following nations had the right to enter additional competitors in virtue of their results in the previous continental event:

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• Women:
• 4 competitors: Netherlands
• 3 competitors: Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Poland, Russia
• 2 competitors: Austria, Belarus

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• Men:
• 4 competitors: Netherlands, Norway
• 3 competitors: Poland, Russia
• 2 competitors: Belarus, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Sweden

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Eventually 54 competitors from 18 nations registered officially for the championships, not including the substitutes, in the following distribution:{{cite web|url=http://webprogram.eu/essc2012/docs/FE.pdf|title=Final Entries|publisher=Essent ISU European Speed Skating Championships 2012 official website|date=3 January 2012|accessdate=5 January 2012}}

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• {{AUT}} (2)
• {{BLR}} (2)
• {{BEL}} (3)
• {{CZE}} (3)
• {{DEN}} (1)
• {{FIN}} (1)
• {{FRA}} (2)
• {{GER}} (5)
• {{HUN}} (1)
• {{ITA}} (2)
• {{LAT}} (1)
• {{NED}} (8)
• {{NOR}} (7)
• {{POL}} (6)
• {{ROU}} (1)
• {{RUS}} (6)
• {{SWE}} (1)
• {{SUI}} (2)

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Although registered for the event, Kaitlyn McGregor from Switzerland and Joel Eriksson from Sweden did not participate at the European Championships.

The women's European Championship were held over three days, with the 500 metres and the 3000 metres event in the first day, followed by the 1500 metres event on the second day. Skaters were awarded points according to their times, and the twelve best placed competitors after the second day were eligible to participate in the 5000 metres closing event on the last day of the championship.

The first fourteen skaters earned a spot for their countries for the 2012 World Allround Championships, which means that the Netherlands got four, Russia, Germany Norway and Poland three and the Czech Republic one place.

The entries for the 2013 European Championships were also determined using the results of the European Championships. Countries with at least three skaters in the first twelve earned four entry positions (Netherlands), countries with at least two skaters in the first sixteen earned three quotas (Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Poland, Russia), and countries with at least one skater in the first twenty earned two places for the next continental championship (Austria, Belgium). All other European ISU members have the right to delegate one skater, subject to the qualifying time limits are met.

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The men's event took place on Saturday and Sunday, with the 500 metres and the 5000 metres race at the first day and the 1500 and 10,000 meters final race in the second day. After the first day, the best 24 out of the 29 skaters got the change to participate in the 5000 meters event, while the best 12 competitors after three events took part in the 10,000 meters race.

According to the ISU rules, the fourteen best placed skaters won for their country an entry spots for the 2012 Allround World Championships. Based on the final result, the Netherlands earned four places for the World event, Norway and Poland got two, and Belgium, France, Germany, Latvia and Russia got one each.

The places for the 2013 Allround European Championships were also distributed using the classification of the European Championships. Countries with at least three skaters in the first twelve earned four spots (Netherlands), countries with at least two skaters in the first sixteen earned three (Norway and Poland), and countries with at least one skater in the first twenty earned two starting places (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Russia). All other European ISU members have got one spot, subject to the time limits set are met.

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• 2012 World Allround Speed Skating Championships

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Official website|http://www.essc2012.hu/}}

{{European Speed Skating Championships}}

European Championships

Category:European Speed Skating Championships

European, 2012

Category:International sports competitions in Budapest

Category:2012 in Hungarian sport