Denmark (42 points) claimed the gold medal in the European Team Speedway Championship for the first time in history. Poland finished second in the LOTTO European Team Speedway Championship Grand Final with 39 points, Sweden took third place with 26 points, while Latvia ended the competition in fourth with 25 points.
The White-and-Reds had won each of the previous four finals, but this time they were forced into a last-minute lineup change. Piotr Pawlicki suffered an injury during a league match on Friday, which ruled him out of the event in Rzeszów. Wiktor Przyjemski was called in as an emergency replacement.
The riders coached by Nicki Pedersen made a strong start to the tournament. In the opening series, the Danes twice finished in second place, while the Poles managed only one race win and twice finished at the back of the field. The hosts improved in the second series, with Bartosz Zmarzlik producing a brilliant move in Heat 8, fighting his way from third to first place. However, Denmark continued to look stronger and steadily increased their advantage. Latvia also showed improvement, winning two races thanks to Andzejs Lebedevs and Francis Gusts.
Key Moments
The third and fourth series proved decisive in Poland’s failed attempt to defend the title. Although the White-and-Reds began the third series with a win from Bartosz Bańbor in the Under-21 reserve riders’ race, they were unable to win another heat afterward.
At the start of the fourth series, Zmarzlik — riding as a tactical substitute in Heat 14 — suffered a mechanical failure, causing Poland to drop to third place. Not only did they fall behind Denmark, but also behind Sweden, who gained significant ground thanks to two wins from Fredrik Lindgren and another from Jacob Thorssell.
Later on, Zmarzlik and the outstanding Bańbor helped Poland recover, but Denmark remained the most consistent team throughout the meeting. After Heat 19, it became clear that nothing would stop the Danes from winning gold. Poland secured silver with a strong finish, while Sweden and Latvia battled for bronze until the very end. Ultimately, the “Three Crowns” team finished one point ahead.
Post-Race Reactions
“We functioned brilliantly as a team today, and that decided our success against a very strong Polish side, which makes us extremely happy. From the very first series, we wanted to show that we came to Rzeszów to win. The track conditions suited us well, and we are very pleased with the final result,” said Nicki Pedersen, manager of the Danish national team.
“For us, the final really started on Friday night, when one of our key riders dropped out of the lineup. We hoped to defend the gold medal, but every streak eventually comes to an end. Congratulations to Denmark. We need to look for positives, and silver is still something to be proud of. We are also very pleased with Bartek Bańbor’s performance,” summarized Poland coach Stanisław Chomski.
Results
1. Denmark – 42 pts
13. Frederik Jakobsen – 8 (1,1,2,2,2)
14. Rasmus Jensen – 12 (3,2,3,3,1)
15. Michael Jepsen Jensen – 10 (3,3,2,2,d)
16. Mikkel Michelsen – 7 (2,2,1,2,0)
20. Villads Nagel – 5 (2,3)
2. Poland – 39 pts
1. Bartosz Zmarzlik – 12 (3,3,1,d,3,2)
2. Przemysław Pawlicki – 8 (0,2,2,1,3)
3. Wiktor Przyjemski – 2 (0,2,0,-)
4. Bartłomiej Kowalski – 3 (2,0,1,-,-)
17. Bartosz Bańbor – 14 (3,3,2,3,3)
3. Sweden – 26 pts
5. Oliver Berntzon – 0 (0,0,-,0,0)
6. Fredrik Lindgren – 10 (3,1,3,3,0,0)
7. Kim Nilsson – 3 (1,0,1,0,1)
8. Jacob Thorssell – 11 (2,1,3,3,2)
18. Erik Persson – 2 (1,1)
4. Latvia – 25 pts
9. Andzejs Lebedevs – 12 (1,3,2,1,2,3)
10. Daniils Kolodinskis – 4 (0,1,0,2,1)
11. Jevgenijs Kostigovs – 3 (2,0,0,1)
12. Francis Gusts – 6 (1,3,0,1,1)
19. Emil Rimican – 0 (0,0)
