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Olympiatravet

Olympiatravet (literally "The Olympic Trot") is an annual Group One harness event for trotters that is held at Åby Racetrack in Mölndal, 10 km south of Gothenburg, Sweden.[1] The event was carried through for the first time in 1979.[2] In 2009, the purse of the final was approximately US$326,000 (SEK2,750,000).[3]

Olympiatravet
Group One International race
B.B.S.Sugarlight after his victory in 2015.
LocationÅby Racetrack, Mölndal,
 Sweden
Inaugurated1979
Race typeHarness race for standardbred trotters
WebsiteOlympiatravet (Swedish)
Race information
Distance2,140 meters (1.33 miles)
TrackLeft-handed 1,000 meter track (0.62 mile)
QualificationVia invitations or qualifying races. 3 year-olds and up
Purse≈US$326,000

Collaboration with the Swedish olympic movement

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Olympiatravet is arranged by the Swedish Horse Racing Totalisator Board, ATG, together with The Swedish Olympic Committee, SOC. The Swedish olympic movement receives a share of the money gambled on the event. 90% of this share is kept by SOC, while the remaining 10% is given to Sveriges Handikappsförbund (SHIF) and athletes competing in the Paralympics. In total, Olympiatravet has brought the olympic movement over US$27 million (over SEK163 million), and in 2008 alone the amount was ≈US$1,767,000 (SEK10,500,000).[4] In 2009, another SEK 10,340,000 was handed over to SOC (SEK9.4 million) and SHIF (SEK940,000).[5]

In order to honour the winners, through the years, olympic athletes have visited the Olympiatravet Day as well as the tracks and days of the qualifying races. The winners in 2009, Triton Sund and his connections, were celebrated by, among others, olympic gold medalists Team Anette Norberg (curling) as well as cross-country skiing star Charlotte Kalla.[5]

Racing conditions

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The ten contestants can make the final in three ways - through qualifying races, via an invitation or by being the reigning champion of the event.[6] To race in the final, and thus both to enter the qualifying races and to come in contention for invitations, a horse must be of age three or above.[3]

In 2009, three qualifying races were carried out. The winners and runners-up of these races were awarded starts in Olympiatravet's final. The winner of Rommeheatet, a race a week before the Olympiatravet final, was also awarded a place in the final. To fill up the rest of the ten places in the final, Åby invites horses and offers them wild cards. In 2009, four such wild cards were handed out.[7]

Starting method and distance

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With the exceptions of 1980 and 1982, a motorized starting gate has been used to launch the race since the event began in 1979. The distance has always been 2,140 meters.[2]

Location

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The venue varied during the first years. The first Olympiatravet was held at Jägersro. The following editions were raced at either Solvalla (1980 and 1984) or Åby (1982), before the latter racetrack became the permanent host as from 1985.[2]

The 2009 Olympiatravet

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The final lap of Olympiatravet 2009.

From the three regular Olympiatravet qualification races, five horses progressed to the final: Colombian Necktie, Dig For Dollars, Global Investment, Torvald Palema and Triton Sund. Finders Keepers won the extra qualification race, Rommeheatet. The four wild cards were given to French duo Oiseau de Feux and L'Amiral Mauzun, as well as Garland Kronos and Adams Hall.[7][8] Swedish trainer Åke Svanstedt thus had three contenders in the race, three horses that won him a treble in the 2008 Olympiatravet: Adams Hall (2nd in 2008), Finders Keepers (3rd) and Torvald Palema (winner).[9]

In the first starting attempt, L'Amiral Mauzun had a mishap to his equipment. The horse started to scamper uncontrollably, and the attempt was called off. The French horse ran for almost 2,000 meters before he finally settled down. The veterinarian at Åby took the decision to take the French horse out of the race.[10]

The second starting attempt was successful. French Oiseau de Feux went to the front and kept a high pace (500m: 1:08.3 (km rate), 1000m: 1:10.0 (km rate)). He was followed by Torvald Palema, Colombian Necktie and Finders Keepers on the rail. On the outside, Garland Kronos was first, with Global Investment, Triton Sund and Dig For Dollars following him. Adams Hall was, after initially going off-stride, last. With approximately 700 meters to go, Triton Sund started to advance. He made good progress, and down the stretch, Triton Sund and Oiseau de Feux fought for the title. The Swedish stallion managed to win by a neck. Oiseau de Feux had a safe margin to Torvald Palema, who came in third, in front of Colombian Necktie and Adams Hall, who grabbed the last places in the money. Triton Sund was timed in 1:11.1/2,140m (km rate), which equalled the world record mark for middle distance races run on 1,000 meter tracks, a record set by French Jag de Bellouet in 2006.[11]

The 2009 Olympiatravet attendance of 17,401 meant a new record attendance for Åby Racetrack.[5]

Past winners

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Horses with most wins

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Sires with at least two different winning offsprings

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  • 3 - Texas (Copiad, Karate Chop, Grades Singing)
  • 3 - Viking Kronos (Thai Tanic, Triton Sund, Maharajah)
  • 2 - Alf Palema (Gidde Palema, Torvald Palema)[2]

Drivers with most wins

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Trainers with most wins

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Winner with lowest odds

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Winner with highest odds

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  • 39.45 - Einarsin (1984)[2]

Fastest winner

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  • 1:10.0 - Ringostarr Treb (2018)[2]

All winners of Olympiatravet

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Year Horse Driver Trainer Country of owner Odds of winner Winning time (km rate)
2019 Propulsion Örjan Kihlström Daniel Redén Sweden 1.41 (ATG) 1:10.9
2018 Ringostarr Treb Wilhelm Paal Jerry Riordan   Italy 3.61 1:10.0
2017 Lionel Göran Antonsen Daniel Redén   Norway 14.79 1:10.9
2016 Your Highness Björn Goop Fabrice Souloy   Sweden 6.21 1:10.9
2015 B.B.S. Sugarlight Peter Untersteiner Fredrik Solberg   Norway 8.89 1:10.7
2014 Solvato Veijo Heiskanen Veijo Heiskanen   Sweden 5.11 1:10.9
2013 Maharajah Örjan Kihlström Stefan Hultman   Sweden 2.80 1:11.0
2012 Commander Crowe Christophe Martens Fabrice Souloy   Sweden 5.14 1:12.2
2011 Brioni Joakim Lövgren Joakim Lövgren   Germany 8.43 1:11.4
2010 Copper Beech Conrad Lugauer Conrad Lugauer   Sweden 65.03 1:11.6
2009 Triton Sund Örjan Kihlström Stefan Hultman   Sweden 4.77 1:11.1
2008 Torvald Palema Åke Svanstedt Åke Svanstedt   Sweden 8.29 1:12.2
2007 Gentleman Thomas Uhrberg Kari Lähdekorpi   Sweden 11.20 1:12.8
2006 Thai Tanic Björn Goop Olle Goop   Norway 6.46 1:13.0
2005 Gidde Palema Åke Svanstedt Åke Svanstedt   Sweden 1.51 1:12.9
2004 Gidde Palema Åke Svanstedt Åke Svanstedt   Sweden 4.66 1:12.9
2003 Gidde Palema Åke Svanstedt Åke Svanstedt   Sweden 19.92 1:13.1
2002 Varenne Giampaolo Minnucci Jori Turja   Italy 1.13 1:12.4
2001 Etain Royal Jorma Kontio Pirjo Vauhkonen   Finland 1.25 1:13.2
2000 Varenne Giampaolo Minnucci Jori Turja   Italy 2.76 1:12.7
1999 Scandal Play Bo Eklöf Lars Marklund   Sweden 4.47 1:14.8
1998 Rival Damkaer Erik Adielsson Tommy Strandqvist   Sweden 16.66 1:16.2
1997 Scandal Play Bo Eklöf Lars Marklund   Sweden 7.37 1:13.7
1996 Copiad Erik Berglöf Erik Berglöf   Sweden 1.68 1:13.9
1995 Copiad Erik Berglöf Erik Berglöf   Sweden 1.51 1:13.6
1994 Queen L. Stig H. Johansson Stig H. Johansson   Sweden 2.55 1:13.8
1993 Queen L. Stig H. Johansson Stig H. Johansson   Sweden 2.94 1:14.3
1992 Bravo Sund Jorma Kontio Veijo Heiskanen   Sweden 9.25 1:14.3
1991 Karate Chop Bo Näslund Bo Näslund   Sweden 16.38 1:15.1
1990 Jet Ribb Hans G. Eriksson Per-Erik Eriksson   Sweden 6.77 1:14.6
1989 Callit Karl O. Johansson Karl O. Johansson   Sweden 1.39 1:14.9
1988 Sugarcane Hanover Gunnar Eggen Gunnar Eggen   United States 5.83 1:14.4
1987 Grades Singing Ulf Thoresen Herve Filion   Canada 3.32 1:15.4
1986 Utah Bulwark Stig H. Johansson Stig H. Johansson   Sweden 2.50 1:14.5
1985 Meadow Road Torbjörn Jansson Torbjörn Jansson   Sweden 2.52 1:15.5
1984 Einarsin Tapio Perttunen Tapio Perttunen   Finland 39.45 1:15.1
1982 Jana Bloc Ove R. Andersson Ove R. Andersson   Sweden 2.08 1:18.8
1980 Don Ego Stig H. Johansson Stig H. Johansson   Sweden 2.75 1:18.4
1979 Pershing Berndt Lindstedt Berndt Lindstedt   Sweden 1.20 1:17.9

[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Åbytravet - In English". abytravet.com. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Olympiatravet". qhurth.com (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  3. ^ a b "Travsport.se - Resultat - Olympiatravet". travsport.se. STC. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  4. ^ "Torvald Palema vann Olympiatravet – och den olympiska rörelsen fick 10,5 miljoner kronor". newsdesk.se (in Swedish). ATG. 2008-04-21. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
  5. ^ a b c "Triton Sund vann Olympiatravet – och den olympiska rörelsen fick 10,4 miljoner kronor". newsdesk.se (in Swedish). ATG. 2009-04-18. Retrieved 2009-04-21.
  6. ^ "Adams Hall till Olympiatravet". newsdesk.se (in Swedish). ATG. 2008-04-07. Retrieved 2009-02-23.
  7. ^ a b Källberg, Martin (2009-04-11). "Nio Olympia-klara". travronden.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  8. ^ Alm, Andreas (2009-04-12). "Svanstedt vann lottningen". travnet.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  9. ^ "Svanstedt med trio i Olympiatravet". corren.se (in Swedish). 2009-04-11. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  10. ^ "Dramatik föregick Olympiatravet". travronden.se (in Swedish). 2009-04-18. Retrieved 2013-09-14.
  11. ^ Ekmark, Christoffer (2009-04-18). "Triton på världsrekord!". travronden.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2009-04-19.
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