The Ice Speedway season is now under way with league racing and National championships having started in Russia before Christmas but the 2013 FIM Ice Speedway Gladiators World Championship officially starts next Saturday 19th January with the 2013 Challenge Round at the ICA Maxi Arena in Norrköping Sweden.
This meeting is the last opportunity that the ‘hopefuls’ will have to qualify for the Finals Series starting in Russia next month and to join the seven riders already seeded as a result of their performances last season. The draw for this meeting has now been made by FIM:
| 1 | Miroslaw Daniszewski | Poland |
| 2 | Antonín Klatovsky | Czech Republic |
| 3 | Max Niedermaier | Germany |
| 4 | Vitaly Khomitsevich | Russia |
| 5 | René Stellingwerf | The Netherlands |
| 6 | Franz Zorn | Austria |
| 7 | Per Anders Lindström (Wild card) | Sweden |
| 8 | Pavel Chaika | Russia |
| 9 | Günther Bauer | Germany |
| 10 | Stefan Pletschacher (Wild Card) | Germany |
| 11 | Tomi Tani | Finland |
| 12 | Stefan Svensson | Sweden |
| 13 | Sven Holstein | The Netherlands |
| 14 | Martin Leitner | Austria |
| 15 | Jan Klatovsky | Czech Republic |
| 16 | Eduard Krysov | Russia |
| 17 | Fredrik Olsson | Sweden |
| 18 | Andreas Bergström | Sweden |
Favourites seem likely to be the Russian Eduard Krysov who finished in 6th position in the championship last year and Austrian Franz Zorn who had a disappointing 9th place last season but impressed when winning the recent Falco Memorial meeting at this track with an unbeaten 15 point maximum. The Czech Klatovsky brothers also have experience at the top level and veteran Swede Stefan Svensson will have strong local support. The second Russian, Pavel Chaika who rides for the Blagoveshensk club at home is enjoying a good season to date and is expected to upset some of the more established riders.
The top 7 riders from this meeting will qualify for the Finals Series.
The Swedish Federation, SVEMO and the local Ulvarna SF club have sprung into action quickly and are working very hard to prepare for this event, having received the nomination only last week following the withdrawal of the original Austrian hosts. This is the most prestigious meeting ever to be held in Norrköping and they are confident that the organisation and track conditions will justify their appointment and be worthy of the long tradition of Ice Speedway in Scandinavia.
FIM Jury President is Andrjez Grodzki from Poland and Referee Britain’s Craig Ackroyd.
The meeting on Saturday will start at 17.00 local time.