The 1997 event was held as a test event for M-Wave in preparation for the 1998 Winter Olympics. The women's medalists were Gunda Niemann - gold, Claudia Pechstein - silver, and Tonny de Jong - bronze. The men's medalists were Ids Postma - gold, Keiji Shirahata - silver, and Frank Dittrich - bronze.
The 1997 event served as a test run for M-Wave ahead of the 1998 Winter Olympics. The women's medalists were Gunda Niemann, Claudia Pechstein, and Tonny de Jong.  In the men's competition, Ids Postma, Keiji Shirahata, and Frank Dittrich won gold, silver, and bronze respectively.