1999 FIB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEN

Arkhangelsk, Russia, 30 January-7 February

Six countries participated in the tournament; Sweden, Russia, Finland, Norway, Kazakhstan and the United States in a tournament that was played in really cold weather, -30 to -40 C.

The teams played single games in the preliminary series. After a draw game, there was a penalty shootout, which did not affect the points, but determined the order of the teams in the final table. The top four survived medal games and the last two played the playoffs.

The games were disturbed by the frostbite that struck Arkhangelsk during the tournament, and during some games it was as much as -40 degrees Celsius. The group game between Russia and Sweden was for example played 4 x 15 minutes due to the temperature.

The host country, Russia, won the championship, finishing 5-0 with Finland in the final. The championship was Russia’s first world championship since the fall of USSR.

1 RUSSIA     2 FINLAND     3 SWEDEN

ALL GOAL SCORERS

13 goals
Hans Åström, Sweden
11 goals
Sergei Obuchov, Russia
9 goals
Pål Hansen, Norway
8 goals
Michael Carlsson, Sweden
7 goals
Andrei Stuk, Valery Gratchev and Igor Gapanovich, Russia
6 goals
Sami Laakkonen and Ari Holopainen, Finland
5 goals
Patrik Södergren, Magnus Muhrén and Jonas Claesson, Sweden, Thomas Moen, Norway, Mikhail Svechnikov, Russia, Sergei Ulanov and Andrei Marijashin, Kazakhstan
4 goals
Jonas Holgersson, Sweden, Samuli Niskanen, Jarno Väkiparta and Kimmo Huotelin, Finland
3 goals
Patrick Sandell, Sweden
2 goals
Andrei Timuchev, Kazakhstan, Marko Kilpeläinen, Tero Kumela and Tommy Österberg, Finland, Marcus Bergwall, Sweden, Nikolai Jarovitch and Jury Pogrebnoi, Russia, Ole Blom, Norway and Jasper Felder, USA
1 goal
Göran Rosendahl, Johan Olsson, Niklas Spångberg, Anders Hedlund and Per Fosshaug, Sweden, Jarl Overby, Tom Andersen, Erik Nordbrenden, Christer Lystad and Robert Arnesen, Norway, Leonid Beronev, Alexander Shavaldin, Nikolai Shavaldin and Dmitri Tchubinski, Kazakhstan, Heikki Hyvönen, Mika Sillgren, Mika Mutikainen and Jukka Ohtonen, Finland, Steve Nelson, Kurt Steinbergs and Eric Kyllönen, USA

BEST PLAYERS

Goal keeper
Thomas Arnesen, Norway

Defender
Viktor Shakalin, Russia

Midfielder
Samuli Niskanen, Finland

Forward
Igor Gapanovich, Russia