# Speedway World Pairs Championship

The Speedway World Pairs Championship was an annual motorcycle speedway event held annually in different countries. The first competition was held in 1968, and the final competition was held in 1993. In 1994, it was merged with the World Team Cup to create the Speedway World Cup, which held its final edition in 2017.
The concept of an international pairs championship was re-established in the form of the Speedway of Nations, held for the first time in 2018.

## Rules

The final was competed between seven national teams, and two riders represented each national team. Each pairing rode against each other once. The pair with the highest combined score were declared the Champions. From 1991, a third rider could act as a reserve.

## Winners

| Year | Venue | Winners | Runner-up | 3rd place |
| 1968 | Kempten Speedway Kempten | Sweden (24 pts) Ove Fundin Torbjörn Harrysson | Great Britain (21 pts) Geoff Mudge Ray Wilson | Norway (16 pts) Odd Fossengen Øyvind S. Berg |
| 1969 | Gubbängens IP Stockholm | New Zealand (28 pts) Ivan Mauger Bob Andrews | Sweden (27 pts) Ove Fundin Göte Nordin | England (21 pts) Nigel Boocock Martin Ashby |
| 1970 | Malmö Stadion Malmö | New Zealand (28 pts) Ivan Mauger Ronnie Moore | Sweden (25 pts) Ove Fundin Bengt Jansson | England (19 pts) Nigel Boocock Eric Boocock |
| 1971 | Rybnik Municipal Stadium Rybnik | Poland (30 pts) Andrzej Wyglenda Jerzy Szczakiel | New Zealand (25 pts) Ivan Mauger Barry Briggs | Sweden (22 pts) Anders Michanek Bernt Persson |
| 1972 | Ryavallen Borås | England (24+3 pts) Ray Wilson Terry Betts | New Zealand (24+2 pts) Ivan Mauger Ronnie Moore | Sweden B (22+3 pts) Bernt Persson Hasse Holmqvist |
| 1973 | Ryavallen Borås | Sweden (24 pts) Anders Michanek Tommy Jansson | Denmark (21+3 pts) Ole Olsen Kurt Bøgh | Poland (21+2 pts) Zenon Plech Zbigniew Marcinkowski |
| 1974 | Hyde Road Manchester | Sweden (28 pts) Anders Michanek Sören Sjösten | Australia (23 pts) John Boulger Phil Crump | New Zealand (21 pts) Barry Briggs Ivan Mauger |
| 1975 | Stadion Olimpijski Wrocław | Sweden (24 pts) Anders Michanek Tommy Jansson | Poland (23 pts) Edward Jancarz Piotr Bruzda | Denmark (20+3 pts) Ole Olsen Jan Henningsen |
| 1976 | Snälltorpet Eskilstuna | England (27 pts) John Louis Malcolm Simmons | Denmark (24 pts) Ole Olsen Finn Thomsen | Sweden (22 pts) Bengt Jansson Bernt Persson |
| 1977 | Hyde Road Manchester | England (28 pts) Peter Collins Malcolm Simmons | Sweden (18 pts) Anders Michanek Bernt Persson | West Germany (18 pts) Egon Müller Hans Wassermann |
| 1978 | Stadion Śląski Chorzów | England (24+3 pts) Malcolm Simmons Gordon Kennett | New Zealand (24+2 pts) Ivan Mauger Larry Ross | Denmark (21 pts) Ole Olsen Finn Thomsen |
| 1979 | Vojens Speedway Center Vojens | Denmark (25 pts) Ole Olsen Hans Nielsen | England (24 pts) Malcolm Simmons Michael Lee | Poland (20 pts) Edward Jancarz Zenon Plech |
| 1980 | Matija Gubec Stadium Krško | England (29 pts) Dave Jessup Peter Collins | Poland (22 pts) Edward Jancarz Zenon Plech | Denmark (21 pts) Ole Olsen Hans Nielsen |
| 1981 | Stadion Śląski Chorzów | United States (23 pts) Bruce Penhall Bobby Schwartz | New Zealand (22 pts) Ivan Mauger Larry Ross | Poland (21 pts) Zenon Plech Edward Jancarz |
| 1982 | Liverpool City Raceway Sydney | United States (30 pts) Bobby Schwartz Dennis Sigalos | England (22 pts) Kenny Carter Peter Collins | Denmark (21 pts) Hans Nielsen Ole Olsen |
| 1983 | Ullevi Gothenburg | England (25 pts) Kenny Carter Peter Collins | Australia (24 pts) Billy Sanders Gary Guglielmi | Denmark (19 pts) Hans Nielsen Erik Gundersen |
| 1984 | Santa Marina Stadium Lonigo | England (27 pts) Chris Morton Peter Collins | Denmark (25+3 pts) Hans Nielsen Erik Gundersen | New Zealand (25+2 pts) Ivan Mauger Mitch Shirra |
| 1985 | Rybnik Municipal Stadium Rybnik | Denmark (29 pts) Erik Gundersen Tommy Knudsen | England (27 pts) Kenny Carter Kelvin Tatum | United States (22 pts) Bobby Schwartz Shawn Moran |
| 1986 | Rottalstadion Pocking | Denmark (46+5 pts) Hans Nielsen Erik Gundersen | United States (46+4 pts) Kelly Moran Sam Ermolenko | Czechoslovakia (32 pts) Antonín Kasper Jr. Roman Matoušek |
| 1987 | Svítkov Stadion Pardubice | Denmark (52 pts) Erik Gundersen Hans Nielsen | England (44 pts) Simon Wigg Kelvin Tatum | United States (36 pts) Sam Ermolenko Kelly Moran |
| 1988 | Odsal Stadium Bradford | Denmark (45 pts) Hans Nielsen Erik Gundersen | England (41 pts) Kelvin Tatum Simon Cross | United States (39 pts) Shawn Moran Sam Ermolenko |
| 1989 | Alfred Smoczyk Stadium Leszno | Denmark (48 pts) Hans Nielsen Erik Gundersen | Sweden (44 pts) Jimmy Nilsen Per Jonsson | England (37 pts) Kelvin Tatum Paul Thorp |
| 1990 | Ellermühle Stadium Landshut | Denmark (43 pts) Jan O. Pedersen Hans Nielsen | Australia (41 pts) Todd Wiltshire Leigh Adams | Hungary (33 pts) Zoltán Adorján Sándor Tihanyi |
| 1991 | Olimpia Poznań Stadium Poznań | Denmark (28 pts) Hans Nielsen Jan O. Pedersen Tommy Knudsen | Sweden (24 pts) Henrik Gustafsson Jimmy Nilsen Per Jonsson | Norway (19 pts) Lars Gunnestad Einar Kyllingstad Tor Einar Hielm |
| 1992 | Santa Marina Stadium Lonigo | United States (23+3 pts) Greg Hancock Sam Ermolenko Ronnie Correy | England (23+2 pts) Gary Havelock Kelvin Tatum Martin Dugard | Sweden (22 pts) Per Jonsson Henrik Gustafsson Tony Rickardsson |
| 1993 | Vojens Speedway Center Vojens | Sweden (26 pts) Tony Rickardsson Per Jonsson Henrik Gustafsson | United States (23 pts) Sam Ermolenko Ronnie Correy Greg Hancock | Denmark (21 pts) Hans Nielsen Tommy Knudsen Brian Karger |

### Medal classification

| Pos | National Team | Total | | | |
| 1. | Denmark | 17 | 8 | 3 | 6 |
| 2. | Great Britain/ England | 17 | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| 3. | Sweden | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 4. | United States | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| 5. | New Zealand | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 6. | Poland | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 7. | Australia | 3 | - | 3 | - |
| 8. | Norway | 2 | - | - | 2 |
| =9. | Czechoslovakia | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| =9. | West Germany | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| Pos | Rider | Team | Total | | | |
| 1. | Hans Nielsen | Denmark | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 |
| 2. | Erik Gundersen | Denmark | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 3. | Peter Collins | England | 5 | 4 | 1 | |
| 4. | Anders Michanek | Sweden | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 5. | Malcolm Simmons | England | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| 6. | Ivan Mauger | New Zealand | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 7. | Tommy Jansson | Sweden | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 8. | Bobby Schwartz | United States | 3 | 2 | | 1 |
| 9. | Jan O. Pedersen | Denmark | 2 | 2 | | |
| 10. | Ole Olsen | Denmark | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 |