Polish speedway riders took only sixth place in the world team championships. The Speedway of Nations competition in Vojens, Denmark, was won by the Australians, who defeated the defending champions, the British, in the final. The bronze medal was won by the Swedes.
The white and red team scored 26 points in seven races. The team consisted of Bartosz Zmarzlik (20 points), Patryk Dudek (2) and Maciej Janowski (4), who replaced Dudek in the middle of the competition.
The Poles were only ahead of the Finns, who were by far the weakest in the field.
Here’s how our 7️⃣ nations finished the night… ?
? Australia ??
? @GBSpeedwayTeam ??
? Sweden ??#SpeedwayOfNations pic.twitter.com/1eDROQGcxf— FIM Speedway of Nations (@SpeedwayGP) July 30, 2022
In the final, the Australians beat the British, who had the most points after the regular phase and advanced to the decisive race directly (Australia – after a winning barrage against Sweden), by as much as 7:2.
The 2018 Speedway of Nations competition replaced the World Team Cup, in which the red and white riders were very successful. In the new format, which is more like a pairs tournament, the Poles have not yet stood on the top step of the podium, although they are always among the favourites. They have won three silver and one bronze medal.
The title was defended by the British, while the best in the three previous editions Russia (2018, 2019, 2020) was unable to compete due to the country’s armed aggression against Ukraine.
Polish speedway riders qualified for Saturday’s finals of the Speedway of Nations competition in Vojens, but only after a barrier race, in which they defeated the Germans. The Australians and, unexpectedly, the Finns gained direct promotion.
Bartosz Zmarzlik, Maciej Janowski and Patryk Dudek were among the favourites to compete for the title of the best team in the world. Meanwhile, they disappointed in the semifinals. They scored four victories in six races, losing to the Finns and Australians. They accumulated 31 points, which gave them third place and, following the regulations, forced them into a bar clash with fourth-place Germany (30). They won it confidently at 7:2 and will face the chance to fight for medals on Saturday.
Final standings of Semi-Final 1… ??#SpeedwayOfNations pic.twitter.com/e4vkcehDOp
— FIM Speedway of Nations (@SpeedwayGP) July 27, 2022
The best on Wednesday turned out to be the Australians (35 points), who were just one point ahead of the sensationally ridden Finns Timo Lahtiegi and Timi Salonen. German Kai Huckenbeck also performed brilliantly, being the only one to win four races. However, in the barrage, he had to acknowledge the superiority of Dudek and Zmarzlik.
2022 FIM Speedway of Nations 2
SON2 World Championship 1️⃣5️⃣ for Poland – their ninth in a row! ???#SON2 #SpeedwayOfNations pic.twitter.com/08NDbSWSwh
— FIM Speedway of Nations (@SpeedwayGP) July 29, 2022
That’s one happy team! ?#SON2 #SpeedwayOfNations pic.twitter.com/LwWFp4jz5r
— FIM Speedway of Nations (@SpeedwayGP) July 29, 2022