Gerd Riss
{{Short description|German speedway rider}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| name = Gerd Riss
| image =
| nationality = German
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|3|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = Bad Wurzach, West Germany
| career1 = Germany
| career2 = Krumbach
| years2 = 1983–1984
| career3 = Pocking
| years3 = 1987
| career4 = Landshut
| years4 = 1988–1992
| career5 = Diedenbergen
| years5 = 1995–2004
| career6 = Great Britain
| career7 = Poole Pirates
| years7 = 1984
| career8 = Wolverhampton Wolves
| years8 = 1985
| career9 = Ipswich Witches
| years9 = 1988
| career10 = Poland
| career11 = Bydgoszcz
| years11 = 1999
| indivyear1 = 1991, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009
| indivhonour1 = Long Track World champion
| indivyear2 = 1987, 1990
| indivhonour2 = Continental champion
| indivyear3 = 1986
| indivhonour3 = West German champion
| indivyear4 = 1992, 1994, 1996
| indivhonour4 = German champion
| indivyear5 = 1988
| indivhonour5 = West German Longtrack champion
| indivyear6 = 1991, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009
| indivhonour6 = German Longtrack champion
| teamyear1 = 2007, 2008, 2009
| teamhonour1 = Team Long Track World Championship
| teamyear2 = 1998, 2001
| teamhonour2 = German Championship
}}
Gerd Riss (born 17 March 1965) is a German former speedway rider. He competed in motorcycle speedway and longtrack racing.{{cite book|last=Montague|first=Trevor|title=The A-Z of Sport|year=2004|page=528|publisher=Little, Brown|isbn=0-316-72645-1}} He is an eight-times World longtrack champion.{{cite web|url=https://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/2378/gerd-riss |title=Gerd Riss |publisher=Grasstrack GB |accessdate=17 March 2024}} He also earned 22 international caps for the West German national speedway team and 12 international caps for the German national speedway team.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=Ultimate Rider Index, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=17 March 2024}}
Career
Riss reached his first world longtrack final in 1984, finishing a creditable sixth behind Erik Gundersen, at the Sandbahn Rennen Herxheim in Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz, Germany.{{cite web|url=http://www.speedway.org/history/84.htm#1984|title=Speedway and Longtrack|publisher=Speedway.org|access-date=17 March 2024}} He rode for MC Krumbach in 1983 and 1984 and started for the first time in the British leagues when he joined Poole Pirates for the 1984 British League season.{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/1984record.pdf |title=1984 season |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=17 March 2024}} Riss joined Wolverhampton Wolves in 1985 but left mid-way through the season.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002139/19850621/055/0051 |title=battle of the Pairs |website=Sports Argus |date=29 June 1985 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=24 August 2024}}
Riss consistently reached the World longtrack final every year from 1984 until 1997 and in 1987 also appeared in the 1987 Individual Speedway World Championship final at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam.
Riss represented his country in four consecutive Speedway World Pairs Championship finals from 1988 until 1991{{cite web|url=https://www.historyspeedway.nstrefa.pl/mspar.php |title=Best Pairs International Championship FIM|website=Historis Sportu Zuzlowego |access-date=17 March 2024}} and was a member of German national team at the 2001 Speedway World Cup.
He cemented his place as being arguably the second best longtrack rider in the world behind Simon Wigg by winning the crown in 1991 and 1996. When the world championships of both the conventional oval and longtrack switched to a Grand Prix series, riders found it virtually impossible to compete in both. Riss decided to concentrate on longtrack and the decision paid dividends because he dominated longtrack speedway, winning six more world titles in 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009, to set a record of eight championship wins. Only Robert Barth prevented him from claiming more during the period.
In 2014, He was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.{{cite web|url=http://www.fim-live.com/en/fim/the-federation/distinctions/fim-legends/ |title=FIM Legends |publisher=fim-live.com |access-date=April 20, 2020}}
Results
= World final appearances =
== Individual World Championship/Grand Prix ==
- 1987 - {{Flagicon|NED}} Amsterdam, Olympic Stadium - 10th - 12pts
- 1989 - {{Flagicon|GER}} Munich, Olympic Stadium - 9th - 5pts
- 1991 - {{Flagicon|SWE}} Gothenburg, Ullevi - 16th - 1pt
- 1993 - {{Flagicon|GER}} Pocking, Rottalstadion - 11th - 6pts
- 1995 - series - 17th - 16pts
- 1996 - series - 19th - 12pts
- 1998 - series - 25th - 6pts
== World Pairs Championship ==
- 1988 - {{Flagicon|ENG}} Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Tommy Dunker) - 8th - 21pts (17)
- 1989 - {{flagicon|POL}} Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (with Karl Maier) - 4th - 36pts (14)
- 1990 - {{flagicon|FRG}} Landshut, Ellermühle Stadium (with Klaus Lausch) - 9th - 15pts (0)
- 1991 - {{flagicon|POL}} Poznań, Olimpia Poznań Stadium (with Klaus Lausch - 4th - 18pts (9)
== World Under-21 Championship ==
- 1985 - {{flagicon|GER}} Abensberg, Abensberg Motorstadion - 5th - 9pts
- 1986 - {{flagicon|USSR}} Rivne, Rivne Speedway Stadium - 13th - 4pts
== World Longtrack Championship ==
- 1984 {{flagicon|FRG}} Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz (6th) 13pts
- 1985 {{flagicon|DEN}} Esbjerg (8th) 15pts
- 1986 {{flagicon|FRG}} Pfarrkirchen (4th) 17pts
- 1987 {{flagicon|FRG}} Mühldorf (9th) 9pts
- 1988 {{flagicon|FRG}} Scheeßel (5th) 26pts
- 1989 {{flagicon|TCH}} Mariánské Lázně (11th) 12pts
- 1990 {{flagicon|GER}} Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz (14th) 9pts
- 1991 {{flagicon|CZE}} Mariánské Lázně (Champion) 24pts
- 1992 {{flagicon|GER}} Pfarrkirchen (4th) 18pts
- 1993 {{flagicon|GER}} Mühldorf (16th) 5pts
- 1994 {{flagicon|CZE}} Mariánské Lázně (Third) 17pts
- 1995 {{flagicon|GER}} Scheeßel (Did not ride)
- 1996 {{flagicon|GER}} Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz (Champion) 25pts
- 1998 4 app (4th) 59pts
- 1999 5 app (Champion) 115pts
- 2000 1 app (18th) 17pts
- 2001 4 app (Champion) 95pts
- 2002 5 app (Third) 89pts
- 2003 6 app (Third) 98pts
- 2004 5 app (Champion) 103pts
- 2005 4 app (Second) 75pts
- 2006 3 app (Third) 50pts
- 2007 3 app (Champion) 53pts
- 2008 4 app (Champion) 79pts
- 2009 5 app (Champion) 126pts
- 2010 3 app (13th) 53pts
== Best Grand-Prix results ==
- {{flagicon|GER}} Berghaupten First 1999
- {{flagicon|GER}} Bielefeld First 2004, Second 2002, Third 2003
- {{flagicon|ENG}} Collier Street First 2001, Third 2003
- {{flagicon|NED}} Eenrum Second 1999
- {{flagicon|GER}} Harsewinkel Third 2000
- {{flagicon|GER}} Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz First 2001, 2009
- {{flagicon|GER}} Jübek First 1999
- {{flagicon|CZE}} Mariánské Lázně First 2009, Second 2008
- {{flagicon|FRA}} Marmande First 2009, Second 1999, 2007, Third 2006
- {{flagicon|FRA}} Morizès First 2008, Second 2001, 2004
- {{flagicon|GER}} Mühldorf First 1998, 1999, 2005, Third 2003
- {{flagicon|NZL}} New Plymouth First 2004, Second 2003
- {{flagicon|GER}} Parchim First 2001, 2002, 2005
- {{flagicon|GER}} Pfarrkirchen Second 2004, 2007
- {{flagicon|GER}} Scheeßel Second 1998
- {{flagicon|FRA}} Saint-Macaire Second 2010, Third 2008
- {{flagicon|GER}} Vechta First 2009
= Other results =
West Germany Longtrack Championship
- 1985 {{flagicon|GER}} Pfarrkirchen (6th)
- 1986 {{flagicon|GER}} Jübek (4th)
- 1987 {{flagicon|GER}} Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz (5th)
- 1988 {{flagicon|GER}} Pfarrkirchen (Champion)
- 1989 {{flagicon|GER}} Harsewinkel (4th)
German Championship
- 1991 {{flagicon|GER}} Mühldorf (Champion)
- 1992 {{flagicon|GER}} Scheeßel (Third)
- 1993 {{flagicon|GER}} Jübek (Second)
- 1994 {{flagicon|GER}} Vilshofen (Second)
- 1995 {{flagicon|GER}} Pfarrkirchen (Champion)
- 1996 {{flagicon|GER}} Scheeßel (Champion)
- 1997 {{flagicon|GER}} Lüdinghausen (Champion)
- 1998 {{flagicon|GER}} Pfarrkirchen (Champion)
- 1999 {{flagicon|GER}} Herxheim bei Landau/Pfalz (Second)
- 2001 {{flagicon|GER}} Berghaupten (Second)
- 2002 {{flagicon|GER}} Harsewinkel (Champion)
- 2003 {{flagicon|GER}} Lüdinghausen (Second)
- 2004 {{flagicon|GER}} Mühldorf (Champion)
- 2006 {{flagicon|GER}} Berghaupten (4th)
- 2007 {{flagicon|GER}} Mulmshorn (Champion)
- 2008 {{flagicon|GER}} Pfarrkirchen (Second)
- 2009 {{flagicon|GER}} Mühldorf (Champion)
Grasstrack European Championship
Family
Both of his sons Erik Riss and Mark Riss ride at the highest level.{{cite web |url=http://www.speedwaygb.co.uk/extras/content/content.php?content.342|title=Rider index|website=Speedway GB|access-date=20 June 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riss, Gerd}}
Category:German speedway riders
Category:West German speedway riders
Category:Polonia Bydgoszcz riders
Category:Expatriate speedway riders in Poland
Category:German expatriate sportspeople in Poland
Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:Individual Speedway Long Track World Championship riders
Category:German expatriate sportspeople in England