On Saturday in Vojens, Denmark, Bartosz Zmarzlik may become the speedway world champion for the fourth time. It is enough for him to be more than 20 points ahead of his rivals after the competition to enjoy another triumph before the last tournament in Toruń.
This is very real, because the Pole has a 24-point advantage over the Swede Fredrik Lindgren and 33 points over the Slovak Martin Vaculik. Only these two still have a theoretical chance to overtake him, but it is unlikely. All the more so because Zmarzlik won four of this year’s eight qualifying rounds, and only once did he not make it to the finals.
The most successful Polish speedway rider likes to start on the natural track in Vojens. Last year he was the best here, he also won in 2019, and in 2021 he took second place. It is therefore possible that once again the fans who will come to the season-ending tournament in Toruń will only witness a “coronation”, without the emotions accompanying the competition for the gold medal. It was similar last year, when Zmarzlik secured the title in the penultimate round in Malilla. He did it on September 17, now he can “improve” himself by one day. In Toruń, the Pole won his first individual gold in 2019.
If Zmarzlik stands on the top step of the podium for the fourth time, he will join such speedway stars as New Zealander Barry Briggs, Dane Hans Nielsen and American Greg Han. Only the Swede Ove Fundin with five triumphs, his compatriot Tony Rickardsson and the New Zealander Ivan Mauger – six each, remain more successful.
However, on Saturday, the Pole may become the co-record holder in terms of the number of GP tournaments won. He has 22 wins and is only one behind the leader in this clification, Australian Jason Crump.
Patryk Dudek will also go to Vojens on Saturday, but the third Polish regular participant of the GP series, Maciej Janowski, will be missing, as he suffered a leg injury in the last league match. Janowski had already lost his chance to place in the “sixth” of the final World Championships clification, which gives him the right to start in next year’s series. Dudek is also doing poorly this year, as many as 28 points behind the sixth-placed Briton, Daniel Bewley.
British three-time world champion Tai Woffinden will also not appear in Denmark, as he suffered a broken arm on September 2 during the GP competition in Cardiff. Sparta Wrocław’s players will be replaced on Saturday by Czech Jan Kvech and German Kai Huckenbeck. Due to injury, Dane Anders Thomsen will miss the tournament for the second time in a row.
Saturday’s competition in Vojens starts at 19. The last tournament will take place on September 30 in Toruń.
(PAP)
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