# 1997 Speedway World Team Cup

The 1997 Speedway World Team Cup was the 38th edition of the FIM Speedway World Team Cup to determine the team world champions.
The final was held at the Stadion Żużlowy Centrum in Piła, Poland on 13 September. Denmark won their 11th title and Hans Nielsen won his 11th and final gold medal. Remarkably Nielsen had won his gold medals in a near twenty-year span from 1978 until 1997, cementing his place in history as arguably the best speedway rider of all time.

## First round

* 21 June 1997
* Matija Gubec Stadium, Krško
* Belarus and the Netherlands withdrew
| First | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth |
| Slovenia 38 Matej Ferjan 17 Izak Šantej 14 Gerhard Lekse 7 | Italy 29 Andrea Maida 16 Alessandro Dalla Valle 8 Simone Tadiello 5 | Austria 24 Toni Pilotto 12 Helmut Lercher 7 Andreas Bössner 5 | Croatia 16 Zlatko Krznaric 8 Krunoslav Zganec 6 Zeljko Feher 2 | France 11 Christophe Dubernard 7 Jerome Georges 2 Stephane Tresarrieu 2 |
* Slovenia and Italy to second round

## Second round

* 23 August 1997
* Gázvezeték Street Sports Complex, Debrecen
| Placing | Pair / Rider Name | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 1 | Czech Republic | 27 | | | | | | | 10 | | | | | | | 20 | | | | | | | 27 | |
| 1 | (3) Tomas Topinka | 11 | 2 | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | 3 | | | | 0 | | | 2 | | | |
| 1 | (4) Antonín Kasper Jr. | 16 | 3 | | | | 3 | | | | 3 | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | 3 | | | |
| 1 | (16) Václav Milík Sr. | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Hungary | 25 | | | | | | | 8 | | | | | | | 18 | | | | | | | 25 | |
| 2 | (11) Zoltán Adorján | 10 | | | 3 | | | | 3 | | | | 2 | | - | | | 1 | | | | | 1 | |
| 2 | (12) Laszlo Bodi | 5 | | | 1 | | | | 1 | | | | - | | 3 | | | - | | | | | - | |
| 2 | (20) Sándor Tihanyi | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | 2 | | | 3 | | | | | 2 | |
| 3 | Slovenia | 19 | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | | | 12 | | | | | | | 19 | |
| 3 | (7) Matej Ferjan | 14 | | 3 | | | | 3 | | | 0 | | | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | 3 | |
| 3 | (8) Izak Šantej | 5 | | 2 | | | | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | 0 | | | | 1 | | | 0 | |
| 3 | (18) Gerhard Lekse | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Norway | 15 | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | | | 15 | |
| 4 | (9) Kenneth Borgenhaug | 6 | | | 2 | | | 0 | | | | 1 | | 0 | | | 1 | | | | | 2 | | |
| 4 | (10) Tryggve Jensen | 9 | | | 0 | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | 1 | | | 3 | | | | | 0 | | |
| 4 | (19) - | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Ukraine | 15 | | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | 11 | | | | | | | 15 | |
| 5 | (13) Vladimir Kolody | 5 | | | | 0 | | | 0 | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | E | | 0 | | | |
| 5 | (14) Igor Marko | 10 | | | | 3 | | | 2 | | | 0 | | | | 1 | | | 3 | | 1 | | | |
| 5 | (21) Aleksandr Lyatosinsky | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Italy | 14 | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | 10 | | | | | | | 14 | |
| 6 | (1) Andrea Maida | 10 | 1 | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | E | | | | 2 | | | 2 | | | | |
| 6 | (2) Alesandro Dalla Valle | 4 | E | | | 1 | | | | 2 | | | 1 | | | | 0 | | | 0 | | | | |
| 6 | (15) Alessandro Milanese | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Latvia | 11 | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | 11 | |
| 7 | (5) Nikolay Kokin | 7 | | 1 | | | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | E | | | | 1 | | | 3 | | |
| 7 | (6) Aleksandr Biznya | 4 | | E | | | 0 | | | 0 | | | | | 1 | | | | 2 | | | 1 | | |
| 7 | (17) - | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Placing | Pair / Rider Name | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fell ns - non-starter • nc - non-classify
| gate A - inside | gate B | gate C | gate D - outside |
* Czech Republic and Hungary to World final

## World Final

* 13 September 1997
* Stadion Żużlowy Centrum, Piła
| Placing | Pair / Rider Name | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 1 | Denmark | 27 | | | | | | | 9 | | | | | | | 19 | | | | | | | 27 | |
| 1 | (1) Hans Nielsen | 14 | 3 | | | 3 | | | | 2 | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | 2 | | | | |
| 1 | (2) Tommy Knudsen | 13 | 1 | | | 2 | | | | 3 | | | 3 | | | | 1 | | | 3 | | | | |
| 1 | (15) Jesper B. Jensen | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Poland | 25 | | | | | | | 7 | | | | | | | 15 | | | | | | | 25 | |
| 2 | (3) Tomasz Gollob | 13 | 2 | | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | 3 | | | |
| 2 | (4) Jacek Krzyzaniak | 0 | 0 | | | | - | | | | - | | | - | | | | - | | | - | | | |
| 2 | (16) Piotr Protasiewicz | 12 | | | | | 3 | | | | 3 | | | 1 | | | | 3 | | | 2 | | | |
| 3 | Sweden | 21 | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | 13 | | | | | | | 21 | |
| 3 | (9) Tony Rickardsson | 17 | | | 2 | | | 3 | | | | 3 | | 3 | | | 3 | | | | | 3 | | |
| 3 | (10) Jimmy Nilsen | 3 | | | 1 | | | 0 | | | | - | | - | | | - | | | | | 2 | | |
| 3 | (19) Peter Karlsson | 1 | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | E | | | 0 | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Germany | 17 | | | | | | | 8 | | | | | | | 14 | | | | | | | 17 | |
| 4 | (7) Robert Barth | 9 | | 3 | | | | 1 | | | E | | | | | 3 | | | | E | | | 2 | |
| 4 | (8) Robbie Kessler | 8 | | 2 | | | | 2 | | | 1 | | | | | 2 | | | | 1 | | | E | |
| 4 | (18) Gerd Riss | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Czech Republic | 16 | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | 12 | | | | | | | 16 | |
| 5 | (11) Tomas Topinka | 10 | | | 3 | | | | 3 | | | | 1 | | 2 | | | 1 | | | | | F | |
| 5 | (12) Antonín Kasper Jr. | 6 | | | 0 | | | | - | | | | 0 | | 3 | | | 0 | | | | | 3 | |
| 5 | (20) Václav Milík Sr. | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Russia | 10 | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | 7 | | | | | | | 10 | |
| 6 | (13) Roman Povazhny | 7 | | | | F | | | 1 | | | 2 | | | | 1 | | | 2 | | 1 | | | |
| 6 | (14) Rinat Mardanshin | 3 | | | | 1 | | | 2 | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | - | | - | | | |
| 6 | (21) Sergey Yeroshin | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | X | | 0 | | | |
| 7 | Hungary | 9 | | | | | | | 2 | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | 9 | |
| 7 | (5) Zoltán Adorján | 3 | | 0 | | | 0 | | | - | | | | | - | | | | 3 | | | 0 | | |
| 7 | (6) Sándor Tihanyi | 6 | | 1 | | | 1 | | | 1 | | | | | 1 | | | | 1 | | | 1 | | |
| 7 | (17) Laszlo Bodi | 0 | | | | | | | | 0 | | | | | 0 | | | | | | | | | |
| Placing | Pair / Rider Name | Total | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
m - exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance • t - exclusion for touching the tapes • x - other exclusion • e - retired or mechanical failure • f - fell ns - non-starter • nc - non-classify
| gate A - inside | gate B | gate C | gate D - outside |