Olympic Winter Games 2002 / Ice Hockey (Men) / Qualification

→ Main article : Men's Olympic Ice Hockey Tournament 2002

The qualification for the men's 2002 Olympic ice hockey tournament took place between September 1999 and February 2001. Before that, eight of the 14 participants had already qualified directly through their placements at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano and the 1999 World Cup and did not have to play another qualifying tournament. The six remaining places were played in a multi-stage system and finally won by the national teams of Germany , France , Latvia , Austria , Belarus and the Ukraine . The Japanese, Italian and Kazakh national teams, all of which were represented at the games four years ago, however, missed the qualification.

Overview

competition	place	date	sub- contractor	viewers total	Games	O
Qualification group A	Oslo	0Feb 8, 2001 - Feb 11, 2001	4th	8,439	6th	1.406
Qualification group B	Klagenfurt am Wörthersee	0Feb 8, 2001 - Feb 11, 2001	4th	8,700	6th	1,450
Pre-qualification group 1	Ljubljana	Feb 10, 2000 - Feb 13, 2000	4th	8,193	6th	1,365
Pre-qualification group 2	Tallinn	Feb 10, 2000 - Feb 13, 2000	4th		6th
Pre-qualification group 3	Danzig	Feb 10, 2000 - Feb 13, 2000	4th		6th
Pre-qualification group 4	Rødovre Odense	Feb 10, 2000 - Feb 13, 2000	4th		6th
Regional pre-qualification Asia	Aomori	05th Sep 1999	2	1,550	1	1,550
Regional pre-qualification Europe	Sofia	Dec 11, 1999 - Dec 12, 1999	2		2

Direct qualification

The first six nations of the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano qualified directly for the tournament . In addition, there were the two best-placed teams at the A World Cup in 1999 that had not already qualified through the Olympic Winter Games:

rank	country	World Cup group
1	Czech Republic	A.
2	Russia	A.
3	Finland	A.
4th	Canada	A.
5	Sweden	A.
6th	United States	A.
7th	Slovakia	A.
8th	Switzerland	A.
9	Belarus	A.
10	Austria	A.
11	Latvia	A.
12	Norway	A.
13	Italy	A.
14th	Ukraine	A.
15th	France	A.
16	Japan	A.
17th	Denmark	B.
18th	Great Britain	B.
19th	Kazakhstan	B.
20th	Germany	B.

mode

The national teams from the ninth place in the 1999 World Cup played between September 1999 and February 2001 the six remaining places in qualifying tournaments. A total of 22 countries registered for the six tournaments and two pre-qualification duels.

A total of four teams took part in the regional pre-qualifiers in Asia and Europe. The two winners of the duels reached the pre-qualification, where they met the 14 teams that had occupied ranks 13 to 27 at the 1999 World Championships. The only exception was Japan, which had to go through the regional pre-qualification in Asia. In the end, the field of participants in the first round consisted of four A, eight B and four C World Cup participants, who were divided into four groups of four teams and completed a single round.

The four group winners of the first round reached the final qualifying round and met the four teams that had finished ninth to twelfth in the 1999 World Cup. Once again, two groups of four played a single round, from which the top three qualified for the Olympic tournament.

Regional pre-qualification

The pre-qualifiers took place between September and December 1999 in both Europe and Asia. There the two remaining free places in the first qualifying round were awarded.

Asia

As part of the Far East qualification for the 2000 World Cup in Aomori , Japan , the game between hosts Japan and the People's Republic of China on September 5, 1999 was also rated as a qualifier for the first qualifying round of the Winter Olympics. Japan clearly prevailed 5-0 and was then placed in Group 4 as the fifth best of the qualified first round teams.

View of the Winter Sports Palace in Sofia (right)

September 5, 1999

Japan

5: 0 (2: 0, 2: 0, 1: 0)

People's Republic of China

City Sports Complex, Aomori Spectators: 1,550

Europe

Since Yugoslavia had been excluded from the World Cup in 1999 due to the Kosovo crisis, but the boycott measures had meanwhile been lifted and Croatia had failed to register a team for the qualification, there were two elimination matches in the run-up to the first qualifying round in December 1999 between Yugoslavia and Bulgaria , the weakest reported team in Group C, took place in the Bulgarian capital Sofia .

Yugoslavia won both games in the 4,600-seat Winter Sports Palace Sofia with an overall result of 14:10 and thus reached the pre-qualification, where it was grouped as the worst team on the seeding list in Group 1.

December 11, 1999

Bulgaria

6: 7 (2: 0, 2: 3, 2: 4)

Yugoslavia

Winter Sports Palace, Sofia

December 12, 1999

Bulgaria

4: 7 (2: 1, 1: 3, 1: 3)

Yugoslavia

Winter Sports Palace, Sofia

Pre-qualification

The pre-qualification took place from February 10th to 13th, 2000. The teams that had finished the 1999 World Championships in positions 13 to 15 and 1 - Japan, being 16th in the A World Cup, had only qualified for the field of 16 participants through the Asia qualification - as group heads. These were Italy, France, Ukraine and Denmark. Slovenia and Estonia with the capitals Ljubljana and Tallinn , Gdansk in Poland and Denmark with the cities of Odense and Rødovre acted as organizers . Denmark was the only group leader to host a tournament.

The respective winner of each group ultimately qualified for the qualifying round.

Group 1

Olympic qualification, group 1
Number of nations	4th
Qualifier	Germany
Venue (s)	Ljubljana , Slovenia
opening	February 10, 2000
Final day	February 13, 2000
spectator	8,193 (1,365 per game)
Gates	55 (9.17 per game)
Awards
Top scorer	Maurizio Mansi Tomaž Vnuk (6 points each)

The Group 1 games were played in Hala Tivoli in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana , the 4,500-seat home ground of HDD Olimpija Ljubljana from the Slovenska hokejska liga .

In Group 1, the three seeded teams from Italy, Germany and Slovenia met the qualifiers from Yugoslavia. Italy went into the tournament as the clear favorite - as the top-seeded team in the first round due to their placement at the World Cup last year - while Germany, whose national team had been in crisis since they missed qualifying for the A World Cup in 1999 , were only given outsider opportunities. On the first two days of the tournament Italy showed no nakedness and, after clear victories over hosts Slovenia and Yugoslavia, were at the top of the table with a goal difference of 20: 0. Germany had meanwhile preserved its chances and also defeated both teams. Due to the poorer goal difference of 19: 2 compared to the Italians, a win in the direct comparison was necessary in the final tournament game, while Italy a draw was enough to reach the second round. After the early German lead, the favored Italians were able to equalize with the final third and looked like the tournament winner until eight seconds before the end of the game, before Germany scored the winning goal eight seconds before the final siren and thus qualified as group winners for the second round.

At the end of the tournament, the Italian Maurizio Mansi and the Slovenian Tomaž Vnuk were in the lead with six scorer points each, including two goals. The German Tino Boos and the Slovenian Ivo Jan were the top scorers of the tournament with four goals each, all of which they scored in one game. A total of 8,193 spectators attended the six qualifying games, which corresponds to an average of 1,365 per game.

venue

Ljubljana , Slovenia

Ljubljana Venue of the qualification

Venue

Hala Tivoli Capacity: 4,500

Facade of the Hala Tivoli

February 10, 2000 3:30 p.m. (local time)

Germany L. Soccio (5:27) J. Benda (7:17) T. Boos (13:16) J. Molling (14:18) T. Boos (15:40) T. Boos (22:30) T Boos (23:16) J. Benda (23:40) T. Abstreiter (35:29) T. Dolak (36:40) J. Rumrich (42:54) G. Zajankala (43:17) F. Brännström (48:57) K. Kathan (55:34)

14: 0 (5: 0, 5: 0, 4: 0) game report

Yugoslavia

Hala Tivoli, Ljubljana Spectators: 253

February 10, 2000 7:30 p.m.

Slovenia

0: 7 (0: 1, 0: 2, 0: 4)

Italy D. Felicetti (19:05) C. Biafore (24:35) V. Sacratini (39:34) M. Mansi (46:07) M. Chitaroni (49:27) S. Margoni (52:53) A. Iob (59:33)

Hala Tivoli, Ljubljana Spectators: 3,200

February 12, 2000 3:30 p.m.

Italy R. Ramoser (2:57) R. Ramoser (7:05) R. Ramoser (7:47) M. De Angelis (13:54) A. Chelodi (18:56) V. Sacratini (25:06) F. Fontanive (28:33) A. Iob (34:54) M. Mansi (37:06) M. Chitaroni (37:16) C. Biafore (41:33) L. Topatigh (51:48) G. Comploi (52:50)

13: 0 (5: 0, 5: 0, 3: 0)

Yugoslavia

Hala Tivoli, Ljubljana Spectators: 315

February 12, 2000 7:30 p.m.

Germany C. Straube (3:04) T. Abstreiter (25:37) J. Rumrich (43:19) J. Rumrich (46:52) T. Dolak (53:03)

5: 2 (1: 0, 1: 2, 3: 0) game report

Slovenia T. Vnuk (28:25) N. Zupančič (34:49)

Hala Tivoli, Ljubljana Spectators: 2,800

February 13, 2000 3:30 p.m.

Yugoslavia

0:11 (0: 1, 0: 4, 0: 6)

Slovenia I. Jan (15:59) B. Kunčič (22:16) I. Jan (23:22) I. Jan (34:15) T. Vnuk (37:19) M. Šivic (41:15) M . Šivic (49:49) P. Rožič (50:18) J. Vnuk (51:27) M. Cerar (53:08) I. Jan (54:29)

Hala Tivoli, Ljubljana Spectators: 652

February 13, 2000 7:30 p.m.

Italy G. Busillo (47:25)

1: 2 (0: 1, 0: 0, 1: 1) game report

Germany F. Brännström (2:16) M. Lüdemann (59:52)

Hala Tivoli, Ljubljana Spectators: 973

Pl.		Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	Points
1.	Germany	3	3	0	0	21: 03	6-0
2.	Italy	3	2	0	1	21: 02	4: 2
3.	Slovenia	3	1	0	2	13:12	2: 4
4th	Yugoslavia	3	0	0	3	00:38	0: 6

Abbreviations: Pl. = Place, Sp = games, S = wins, U = draws, N = defeats
Explanations: Qualifier for the second round

Group 2

Olympic qualification, group 2
Number of nations	4th
Qualifier	Ukraine
Venue (s)	Tallinn , Estonia
opening	February 10, 2000
Final day	February 13, 2000
Gates	49 (8.17 per game)

The qualifying tournament of group 2 took place in the Estonian capital Tallinn . There, the newly built Haabersti Jäähall, with a capacity of 750 spectators, served as the venue for the six tournament games.

In addition to the Estonian hosts, two other national teams from Eastern Europe participated in the B and C World Cups, Kazakhstan and Lithuania. In addition, there was another former Soviet republic , Ukraine , which, however, belonged to the A-World Championship and was therefore the favorite to win the tournament. On the first day of the match, Ukraine and Kazakhstan underpinned their ambitions and clearly won against the two Baltic states. However, Kazakhstan's hopes suffered on the second day of the tournament when they surprisingly lost to Estonia. Meanwhile, Ukraine also won their second game, so the Kazakhs ultimately needed a victory by four goals difference in the direct duel on the final day. Due to the poor goal difference in the direct duels, Estonia no longer had a chance of reaching the second round. Kazakhstan eventually defeated Ukraine, but the 5-3 win was two goals short, allowing the Ukrainian team to advance to the next qualifying round. It had the best goal difference in the comparison of the three teams with the same points.

venue

Tallinn , Estonia

Tallinn Venue of the qualification

Venue

Haabersti Jäähall Capacity: 750

Exterior view of the Haabersti Jäähall

February 10, 2000 3:00 p.m. (local time)

Kazakhstan

13: 2 (1: 1, 7: 0, 5: 1)

Lithuania

Haabersti Jäähall, Tallinn

February 10, 2000 7:00 p.m.

Estonia

0: 5 (0: 2, 0: 2, 0: 1)

Ukraine

Haabersti Jäähall, Tallinn

February 11, 2000 3:00 p.m.

Ukraine

3: 1 (1: 0, 1: 0, 1: 1)

Lithuania

Haabersti Jäähall, Tallinn

February 11, 2000 7:00 p.m.

Kazakhstan

2: 4 (1: 0, 0: 2, 1: 2)

Estonia

Haabersti Jäähall, Tallinn

February 13, 2000 12:00 p.m.

Ukraine

3: 5 (0: 2, 2: 1, 1: 2)

Kazakhstan

Haabersti Jäähall, Tallinn

February 13, 2000 4:00 p.m.

Lithuania

2: 9 (1: 6, 1: 2, 0: 1)

Estonia

Haabersti Jäähall, Tallinn

Pl.		Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	Points
1.	Ukraine	3	2	0	1	11: 06	4: 2
2.	Kazakhstan	3	2	0	1	20: 09	4: 2
3.	Estonia	3	2	0	1	13: 09	4: 2
4th	Lithuania	3	0	0	3	05:25	0: 6

Abbreviations: Pl. = Place, Sp = games, S = wins, U = draws, N = defeats
Explanations: Qualifier for the second round

Group 3

Olympic qualification, group 3
Number of nations	4th
Qualifier	France
Venue (s)	Gdansk , Poland
opening	February 10, 2000
Final day	February 13, 2000
Gates	49 (8.17 per game)

The group 3 tournament was held in the Polish coastal city of Gdansk , where the 5,000-seat Hala Olivia was the venue for the qualifying matches.

In the qualifying group, France was the only participant of the A World Cup. There were also three teams from the B and C world championships, Great Britain, Poland and Romania. The favored French sat at the top of the table after the first two days of the tournament and clear victories over Poland and Romania. They also benefited from the victory of the Polish hosts over the British who entered the tournament with outsider chances on matchday two. From a purely arithmetical point of view, France was enough to draw in a direct comparison with the British team, but won - albeit narrowly - 5: 4 and thus confidently booked the ticket for the second qualifying round in February 2001.

venue

Gdansk , Poland

Danzig Venue of the qualification

Venue

Hala Olivia Capacity: 5,000

Exterior view of Hala Olivia

February 10, 2000 4:00 p.m. (local time)

Great Britain

4: 0 (2: 0, 2: 0, 0: 0)

Romania

Hala Olivia, Gdansk

February 10, 2000 8:00 p.m.

Poland

2: 5 (0: 1, 2: 3, 0: 1)

France

Hala Olivia, Gdansk

February 11, 2000 4:00 p.m.

France

9: 1 (3: 1, 3: 0, 3: 0)

Romania

Hala Olivia, Gdansk

February 11, 2000 8:00 p.m.

Great Britain

2: 4 (0: 1, 1: 2, 1: 1)

Poland

Hala Olivia, Gdansk

February 13, 2000 3:00 p.m.

France

5: 4 (1: 1, 4: 2, 0: 1)

Great Britain

Hala Olivia, Gdansk

February 13, 2000 7:00 p.m.

Romania

2:11 (2: 1, 0: 5, 0: 5)

Poland

Hala Olivia, Gdansk

Pl.		Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	Points
1.	France	3	3	0	0	19: 07	6-0
2.	Poland	3	2	0	1	17: 09	4: 2
3.	Great Britain	3	1	0	2	10: 09	2: 4
4th	Romania	3	0	0	3	03:24	0: 6

Abbreviations: Pl. = Place, Sp = games, S = wins, U = draws, N = defeats
Explanations: Qualifier for the second round

Group 4

Olympic qualification, group 4
Number of nations	4th
Qualifier	Denmark
Venue (s)	Rødovre & Odense , Denmark
opening	February 10, 2000
Final day	February 13, 2000
Gates	45 (7.50 per game)

Venues

Rødovre & Odense , Denmark

Odense Rødovre Qualification venues

Venues

Rødovre Skøjte Arena Capacity: 3,600

Interior view of the Rødovre Skøjte Arena

Odense Isstadion Capacity: 3,280

Exterior view of the Odense Isstadion

Group 4 qualifiers were held in Rødovre , a suburb of the capital Copenhagen , and in Odense , 160 kilometers away . Both venues had hosted the 1999 B World Cup in the previous year . The venues were the Rødovre Skøjte Arena with 3,600 seats and the Odense Isstadion , in which a game was played on the first and third day of the tournament, with a capacity of 3,280 spectators.

Group 4 with B world champions and hosts Denmark as well as Asia qualifiers and A World Cup participants Japan was the most balanced group at the top, while Hungary and the Netherlands were given little chance from the B and C world championships. Both Denmark and Japan saved themselves with wins on the first two match days. Nevertheless, Japan was at the top of the table before the last and decisive group game against the Danes due to the better goal difference. The hosts therefore needed a victory over the Asians, which was possible after leading 2-0 and 3-1. Shortly after the beginning of the final section, however, the Japanese equalized the game. Denmark then scored four goals in about 13 minutes and eventually secured one of the four vacancies in the second qualifying round.

February 10, 2000 7:00 p.m. (local time)

Japan

7: 1 (4: 0, 2: 1, 1: 0)

Hungary

Rødovre Skøjte Arena, Rødovre

February 10, 2000 7:00 p.m.

Netherlands D. Livingston (1:37)

1: 3 (1: 2, 0: 0, 0: 1) match report

Denmark K. Staal (14:46) R. Larsen (16:11) J. Nielsen (52:51)

Odense Isstadion, Odense spectators: 2,583

February 12, 2000 2 p.m.

Denmark B. Nordby Andersen (12:05) J. Nielsen (18:39) R. Larsen (19:29) B. Nordby Andersen (30:06) M. Green (50:12) B. Nordby Andersen (52: 46)

6: 3 (3: 1, 1: 0, 2: 2) game report

Hungary L. Orsó (1:28) L. Orsó (54:42) B. Ladányi (58:08)

Rødovre Skøjte Arena, Rødovre spectators: 1,000

February 12, 2000 5:30 p.m.

Japan

5: 3 (2: 1, 2: 0, 1: 2)

Netherlands

Rødovre Skøjte Arena, Rødovre

February 13, 2000 3:30 p.m.

Hungary

1: 5 (0: 3, 0: 1, 1: 1)

Netherlands

Odense Isstadion, Odense

February 13, 2000 3:30 p.m.

Denmark M. Green (3:30) J. Nielsen (16:11) R. Larsen (27:08) M. Gray (44:21) K. Staal (50:18) M. True (51:24) K Staal (57:29)

7: 3 (2: 1, 1: 1, 4: 1) game report

Japan C. Yule (14:44) Y. Kabayama (37:00) T. Yamanaka (43:51)

Rødovre Skøjte Arena, Rødovre spectators: 2,793

Pl.		Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	Points
1.	Denmark	3	3	0	0	16: 07	6-0
2.	Japan	3	2	0	1	15:11	4: 2
3.	Netherlands	3	1	0	2	09: 09	2: 4
4th	Hungary	3	0	0	3	05:18	0: 6

Abbreviations: Pl. = Place, Sp = games, S = wins, U = draws, N = defeats
Explanations: Qualifier for the second round

Qualifying round

The qualifying round took place from February 8-11, 2001. While the Belarusian team and Austria - ninth and tenth in the A-World Cup in 1999 - served as group heads of the two tournaments, the Austrians made use of their resulting home rights and hosted the group B tournament in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee . The group A tournament was awarded to Norway, where two halls were played in the capital Oslo . The tournament, organized by the Austrian Ice Hockey Association , took place in the Klagenfurt town hall, while the Jordal Amfi and Furuset Forum served as venues in Oslo .

The first three teams in each group ultimately qualified for the Olympic ice hockey tournament.

Group A

Olympic qualification, group A.
Number of nations	4th
Qualifiers	Germany Belarus Ukraine
Venue (s)	Oslo , Norway
opening	February 8, 2001
Final day	February 11, 2001
spectator	8,439 (1,406 per game)
Gates	36 (6.00 per game)
Awards
Top scorer	Klaus Kathan (7 points)

Group A games were played at Jordal Amfi in the Norwegian capital, Oslo , the 5,000-seat home ground of Vålerenga Ishockey from the Eliteserien . Only one game on the final day was played in the neighboring Furuset Forum with a capacity of 2,050 seats.

In Group A, the two seeded teams from Belarus and Norway met the two qualifiers Germany and Ukraine. On the first day of the match, Germany, which was the only team to have belonged to the B group at the World Cup last year, took the first step towards a successful qualification with a 6-4 win over hosts Norway. At the same time, the two Eastern European group participants parted with a 2-2 draw. On the second match day, both Ukraine and Germany booked their Olympic tickets with additional points. The direct duel between the two teams on the final day, which the Germans won 3-1, was therefore of no sporting value. The third and final qualifying place was finally decided in the clash between Norway and Belarus, with the hosts only able to qualify with one win after two defeats at the beginning, while the Belarusians were still undefeated after two draws. After a goalless first third Belarus were able to shoot out a 4-0 at the beginning of the middle section, which meant the basis for the later 7-3 victory and the successful qualification for Salt Lake City.

At the end of the tournament, the German Klaus Kathan was ahead of the scorer with seven points. His teammate Leonard Soccio also achieved just as many points scorer . Kathan was also the tournament's top scorer with four goals. A total of 8,439 spectators attended the six qualifying games, which corresponds to an average of 1,406 per game.

venue

Oslo , Norway

Oslo Venue of the qualification

Venues

Jordal Amfi Capacity: 5,000

Exterior view of the Jordal Amfi

Furuset Forum Capacity: 2,050

Exterior view of the Furuset Forum

February 8, 2001 4:00 p.m. (local time)

Ukraine V. Shakhraychuk (6:49) V. Shakhraychuk (45:22)

2: 2 (1: 2, 0: 0, 1: 0)

Belarus A. Skabelka (0:29) A. Antonenka (1:40)

Jordal Amfi, Oslo Spectators: 460

February 8, 2001 8:00 p.m.

Norway P.-Å. Skrøder (20:19) P. Johnsen (30:58) M. Ask (44:53) M. Ask (47:38)

4: 6 (0: 0, 2: 2, 2: 4) game report

Germany K. Kathan (23:14) A. Loth (35:26) K. Kathan (41:03) L. Soccio (48:27) K. Kathan (54:01) K. Kathan (59:21)

Jordal Amfi, Oslo Spectators: 2.845

February 10, 2001 1:30 p.m.

Norway P.-Å. Skrøder (28:22)

1: 5 (0: 1, 1: 2, 0: 2)

Ukraine O. Matwijtschuk (1:49) D. Markowskyj (32:00) W. Schyrjajew (32:35) W. Schyrjajew (45:58) O. Synkow (46:45)

Jordal Amfi, Oslo spectators: 2,522

February 10, 2001 6:30 p.m.

Belarus A. Andryjeuski (8:58)

1: 1 (1: 1, 0: 0, 0: 0) game report

Germany F. Brännström (10:24)

Jordal Amfi, Oslo spectators: 510

February 11, 2001 2:45 p.m.

Germany F. Brännström (10:26) L. Soccio (19:10) M. Lüdemann (30:27)

3: 1 (2: 1, 1: 0, 0: 0) game report

Ukraine K. Kasjantschuk (9:35)

Furuset Forum, Oslo Spectators: 317

February 11, 2001 3:30 p.m.

Belarus D. Staraszenka (21:09) K. Kalzou (23:22) A. Antonenka (25:11) A. Chmyl (27:11) W. Karachun (43:39) K. Kalzou (54:20) A. . Kawaljou (56:52)

7: 3 (0: 0, 4: 2, 3: 1)

Norway T. Magnussen (27:38) Mat. Trygg (39:00) Mat. Trygg (55:30)

Jordal Amfi, Oslo spectators: 1,785

Pl.		Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	Points
1.	Germany	3	2	1	0	10: 06	5: 1
2.	Belarus	3	1	2	0	10: 06	4: 2
3.	Ukraine	3	1	1	1	08: 06	3: 3
4th	Norway	3	0	0	3	08:18	0: 6

Abbreviations: Pl. = Place, Sp = games, S = victories, U = draws, N = defeats
Explanations: Qualifier for the Olympic Winter Games

Group B

Olympic qualification, group B
Number of nations	4th
Qualifiers	Latvia France Austria
Venue (s)	Klagenfurt am Wörthersee , Austria
opening	February 8, 2001
Final day	February 11, 2001
spectator	8,700 (1,450 per game)
Gates	32 (5.33 per game)
Awards
Top scorer	Gerald Ressmann (6 points)

The group B tournament was held in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee , Austria . The Klagenfurt City Hall , which can accommodate a maximum of 5,088 spectators, served as a venue.

Like group A, group B with the seeded teams from Austria and Latvia as well as the qualifiers France and Denmark consisted of three A-World Cup participants and one team from the B-World Cup. In contrast to Group A, the three favored teams were able to prevail without any problems. On the first day of the match, Latvia topped the table with a 4-2 win over Denmark. Meanwhile, hosts Austria and France parted with a 3-3 draw. The draw between Latvia and France on the second day of the tournament and the Austrian victory over the Danes meant that Austria and Latvia went into the direct duel on the final day as already qualified teams. Only France needed a point in the game against Denmark to qualify. With a narrow 2-1 victory, the French finally reached the Olympic ice hockey tournament as the third team in the group.

The best scorer of the tournament was the Austrian Gerald Ressmann with six scorer points - all of them assists. His compatriot Christoph Brandner was the top scorer in the qualifying group with four goals. A total of 8,700 spectators attended the six qualifying games, which corresponds to an average of 1,450 per game.

venue

Klagenfurt am Wörthersee , Austria

Klagenfurt am Wörthersee Venue of the qualification

Venue

Stadthalle Klagenfurt Capacity: 5,088

Exterior view of the ice sports center

February 8, 2001 4:00 p.m. (local time)

Latvia V. Ignatjevs (20:56) H. Vītoliņš (34:23) V. Fanduls (47:46) A. Kerčs (54:50)

4: 2 (0: 2, 2: 0, 2: 0)

Denmark J. Nielsen (9:13) J. Duus (15:51)

Stadthalle, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee Spectators: 500

February 8, 2001 7:30 p.m.

France J. Zwikel (14:23) M. Rozenthal (40:40) A. Briand (59:26)

3: 3 (1: 1, 0: 1, 2: 1)

Austria C. Perthaler (18:26) C. Brandner (33:40) C. Brandner (43:16)

Stadthalle, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee Spectators: 2,000

February 10, 2001 4:00 p.m.

Latvia V. Ignatjevs (27:56)

1: 1 (0: 1, 1: 0, 0: 0)

France A. Briand (9:40)

Stadthalle, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee Spectators: 1,500

February 10, 2001 7:30 p.m.

Austria H. Lindner (3:34) W. Kromp (16:28) C. Perthaler (26:18) H. Hohenberger (44:43) C. Brandner (57:07) P. Pilloni (59:30)

6: 2 (2: 1, 1: 0, 3: 1)

Denmark D. Jensen (7:00) M. True (46:53)

Stadthalle, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee Spectators: 3,000

February 11, 2001 4:00 p.m.

Denmark K. Staal (56:04)

1: 2 (0: 0, 0: 1, 1: 1)

France F. Rozenthal (30:37) A. Briand (59:49)

Stadthalle, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee Spectators: 500

February 11, 2001 7:30 p.m.

Austria O. Setzinger (32:04) W. Kromp (33:40) C. Brandner (41:13)

3: 4 (0: 1, 2: 2, 1: 1)

Latvia A. Beļavskis (6:04) V. Ignatjevs (21:53) A. Cipruss (22:42) J. Opuļskis (46:19)

Stadthalle, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee Spectators: 2,200

Pl.		Sp	S.	U	N	Gates	Points
1.	Latvia	3	2	1	0	09: 06	5: 1
2.	France	3	1	2	0	06: 05	4: 2
3.	Austria	3	1	1	1	12: 09	3: 3
4th	Denmark	3	0	0	3	05:12	0: 6

Abbreviations: Pl. = Place, Sp = games, S = victories, U = draws, N = defeats
Explanations: Qualifier for the Olympic Winter Games

Web links

• Overview of the qualifying tournaments of the first round at iihf.com
• Overview of the qualifying tournaments of the second round at iihf.com
• Qualification tournaments at passionhockey.com
• Newsletter with the results of the first qualifying round

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} iihf.com, 2002 Olympic Winter Games, Salt Lake City - Qualification System and Competition Format to the Men's Tournament