World champion Zmarzlik toughs it out to win third Speedway GP of season

‘The mark of a champion!’ – Zmarzlik clinches third Speedway GP victory of the season

World champion Bartosz Zmarzlik came through a tough evening to take his third FIM Speedway Grand Prix victory of the season.

The Polish star was the final qualifier for the semi-finals and then finished second to qualify for the final.

However, Zmarzlik was not to be denied in the final, seeing off an early challenge from Leon Madsen to send the Polish home crowd wild.

“I’m very happy because I’m always hungry for the heats and for the final,” Zmarzlik said on Eurosport. “After the first three heats I didn’t feel too fast. But I had a good think about the set-ups and made a plan for the semi-final.

“In the semi-final I believed that it was possible.”

Madsen was left trailing behind in second and Dan Bewley completed the podium on the night.

British rider Bewley came through controversy on the night after being excluded from a heat following a crash.

‘Just simply wrong!’ – Controversial decision as Bewley excluded after ‘high-speed’ crash

However, Bewley came roaring back to clinch a semi-final spot and beat Zmarzlik in their semi-final before clinching a podium spot on the night and fourth overall.

Fellow British rider Robert Lambert was left sweating in the overall standings after failing to qualify through the heats into the semi-finals.

That opened the door for Sweden’s Fredrik Lindgren to snatch silver medal overall out of his hands in the final round.

Lindgren went into the final knowing that a second in the final grand prix of the season would catapult him above Lambert into second overall.

However, from the outside gate Lindgren lacked the speed required to finish on the podium finishing fourth on the night and third overall.

A semi-final spot for Australian Jack Holder was enough for him to move up into the top six overall and secure a place in the series next season, along with Martin Vaculik who finished fifth overall.

Stream the 2024 Speedway Grand Prix season live and ad-free on discovery+ with live race action also on Eurosport 2.