1885 Professional Speed Skating World Championships
| Host City |
Oslo |
| Country |
 NOR |
| Held |
26 February 1885 |
| Competitors |
2 |
| Countries |
2 |
After his successful tour of North America, Axel Paulsen presented himself as “World Champion Speed and Figure Skater” and offered a purse of money to any skater to beat him in a distance between 3 and 100 miles. The challenge was picked up by Dutch skater Renke van der Zee, although he was specialized in shorter distances. In front of a large home crowd, the Norwegian won easily. This match might be considered the first speed skating world championship.
Events
| Event |
Gender |
Held |
Status |
Competitors |
Countries |
| 3 miles |
Men |
26 February 1885 |
Medal |
2 |
2 |
Medal table
| Pos |
Country |
🥇 Gold |
🥈 Silver |
🥉 Bronze |
Total |
| 1 |
Norway |
NOR |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| 2 |
Netherlands |
 NED |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
Medal winners