When the FIM Speedway World Cup comes to Torun’s Marian Rose Motoarena in 2023, Polish superstar Bartosz Zmarzlik calls it “the greatest event for speedway”
MOTORSPORT WORLD CUP : In July of 2022, Zmarzlik plans to compete for his nation in the FIM Speedway of Nations in the Danish coastal city of Esbjerg. When the SWC returns in 2023, it will undoubtedly be a massive summer for the sport.
Between 2005 and 2017, Poland won the Ove Fundin Trophy eight times. Zmarzlik played on their 2016 and 2017 championship teams, and he is looking forward to the return of the tournament in July 2023.
The World Cup is the finest event for speedway, and for the riders, in my opinion. I won two of them. Being able to compete in a World Cup race is a dream come true, and I can’t wait.
Zmarzlik thinks that the Marian Rose Motoarena, which is one of the fairest race circuits in the sport, will ensure a highly competitive week of racing, despite the Poles’ home-field advantage.
All the speedway riders have been there many times, so Torun is a wonderful venue for the World Cup, he added. My view is that everyone has an equal shot.
Bartosz Zmarzlik
Zmarzlik finished second in the SON with the Polish team in 2021, and he also won five races in the FIM Speedway Grand Prix that year. It was a huge surprise to the Poles when the hosts Great Britain won the World Cup final in Manchester, 5-4.
The SON’s most dominant country in sports was therefore left with additional disappointment. Since the tournament began in 2018, the Poles have won three silver medals and one bronze medal, putting them on the podium every year.
Many people believe that Poland, a country flush with talented cyclists, would thrive under the SWC format. While only three riders (plus a reserve) may be chosen for the SON, in the SWC four can be chosen (plus a reserve under the age of 21).
Zmarzlik anticipates intense competition for roster spots at the resumption of the SWC and is relieved that Polish team manager Rafal Dobrucki will be making such calls for Torun.
To paraphrase what he really said: “I believe this is an issue for Rafal. I really want to do well for myself and Poland. My strategy is as follows, and we will see how it goes.
Tonight, at the famous Przeglad Sportowy gala in Warsaw, the Polish Athlete of 2021 will be named, and Zmarzlik is in the race for yet another top medal.
Torun’s Marian Rose Motoarena
In addition to Robert Lewandowski, a national football hero, and the Olympic gold medalists Dawid Tomala, Wojciech Nowicki, Anita Wlodarczyk, and the mixed 4 × 400m relay team, the SpeedwayGP hero is also a nominee. Other candidates for Poland’s version of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year include tennis greats Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz.