Bartosz_Zmarzlik

Bartosz Zmarzlik

Bartosz Zmarzlik

Polish speedway rider (born 1995)

Bartosz Zmarzlik (Polish: ['bartɔʂ ˈzmarzlik] ⓘ; born 12 April 1995) is a Polish motorcycle speedway rider, a four-time World Champion (2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023), three-time World Team Champion (2016, 2017, 2023), World Junior Champion (2015) and European Junior Champion (2012). He is the third Polish rider in history, after Jerzy Szczakiel and Tomasz Gollob, to win an individual World Championship title.[1]

Quick Facts Born, Nationality ...
Quick Facts Medal record Representing Poland Speedway World Championship 2019 2020 2022 2023 2018 2021 2016, Representing Poland ...

He was awarded the Order of Polonia Restituta, V class in 2019[2] and won the Polish Sports Personality of the Year title in 2020 becoming the second speedway rider to achieve this.[3]

Life and career

Zmarzlik in 2011
Zmarzlik in 2015
Zmarzlik in 2016

Born in Szczecin, Poland, Zmarzlik is the younger brother of former speedway rider Paweł Zmarzlik. Bartosz first came to the attention of the British speedway public when he was granted a wild card to race in the 2012 Speedway Grand Prix of Poland on 23 June. It was his first appearance in the Grand Prix series. He performed exceptionally well and became the youngest rider to ever appear on the podium in a Speedway Grand Prix, aged just 17 years and 72 days. He finished third that day scoring a grand total of 13 points.[4] Zmarzlik made his British league debut in 2014, agreeing a short-term deal to ride for the Birmingham Brummies to cover the injured Adam Skornicki. However, he withdrew from the team shortly after due to illness and the track was rough.[5]

In September 2015, during the Speedway Grand Prix Qualification he won the GP Challenge, which ensured that he claimed a permanent slot for the 2016 Grand Prix.[6] He duly rode in 2016 Grand Prix as a permanent rider for the first time in his career, taking third place in the standings.[7] The following season he took fifth,[8] and in 2018 he took second behind multiple World Champion Tai Woffinden.[9]

He signed to ride for Slangerup in the Danish league in 2019.[10] In 2020, he was voted the Polish Sports Personality of the Year. On 3 October 2020, Zmarzlik won his second Speedway World Championship, becoming the first rider to clinch back to back titles since Nicki Pedersen in 2007-08. On 11 July 2021 he became Polish individual champion.[11] In 2021 he took second place in the World Championship, gathering 189 points through whole season with Russian rider Artem Laguta taking the win.[12]

Zmarzlik won his third World Championship title in 2022 after securing the 2002 title. He won the Championship with ease, collecting 166 points, which was of 33 points clear of his nearest rival and included three grand prix wins in Croatia, Denmark and Sweden.[13] He also became the first rider since 2002 to successfully defend the Polish national title.[14]

In 2023, he experienced a stellar season, culminating in his fourth World title. He won his second successive European Team Speedway Championship[15] and then won three of the first five Grand Prix of the season in Goričan, Teterow and Gorzów respectively. In July, he was part of the Polish team that won the gold medal in the 2023 Speedway World Cup final[16] and then he secured a fourth Grand Prix win in Latvia, which equalled the 22 career Grand Prix wins of fellow Pole Tomasz Gollob.[17] Despite being disqualified from the Danish Grand Prix for wearing the wrong leathers, he won the final round in Toruń, to win his fourth world title and equalled Jason Crump's record of five Grand Prix wins in one season. Additionally, he also won his third consecutive Polish Championship.[18]

Major results

World individual Championship

Grand Prix wins

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Bartłomiej Wnuk (5 October 2019). "ZMARZLIK SPEŁNIŁ POLSKI SEN O ZŁOCIE! ZOSTAŁ MISTRZEM ŚWIATA JAK GOLLOB I SZCZAKIEL". przegladsportowy.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  2. [2]
    "Mistrz świata odznaczony Krzyżem Kawalerskim Orderu Odrodzenia Polski!". 10 October 2019.
  3. [3]
    Maksym Jaworski (4 January 2020). "Żużlowiec po raz drugi! Wielki triumf Zmarzlika w Plebiscycie "PS"". przegasportowy.onet.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  4. [4]
    "Martin's Magical Debut".
  5. [5]
    Pearson, Nigel (25 June 2014). "End of the road for Bartosz Zmarzlik". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  6. [6]
    "HISTORICAL LIST OF RESULTS 1995-2013 Speedway Grand Prix - Qualifications". Speedway History. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  7. [7]
    "British Speedway Archive Website". www.speedwaygbarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  8. [8]
    "British Speedway Archive Website". www.speedwaygbarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  9. [9]
    "British Speedway Archive Website". www.speedwaygbarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  10. [10]
    "Zmarzlik Signs Danish League Deal", speedwaygp.com, 14 December 2018. Retrieved 14 December 2018
  11. [11]
    "Zmarzlik doczekał się tytułu. Szybciej został mistrzem świata". TVN24.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  12. [12]
    "FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Championship | FIM". www.fim-moto.com. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  13. [13]
    "2022 Speedway Grand Prix results". FIM. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  14. [14]
    "Speedway from Around the Globe - Poland". Speedway Star. 10 September 2022. p. 44.
  15. [15]
    "2023 European Team Speedway Championship FINAL". FIM. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  16. [16]
    "POLAND WIN SPEEDWAY WORLD CUP AHEAD OF GREAT BRITAIN AS MACIEJ JANOWSKI BEATS ROBERT LAMBERT IN DECISIVE HEAT 20". Eurosport. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  17. [17]
    "POLISH HERO ZMARZLIK EQUALS IDOL GOLLOB'S TALLY OF 22 SPEEDWAY GP WINS IN RIGA". FIM. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  18. [18]
    "BARTOSZ ZMARZLIK WINS 2023 SGP CHAMPIONSHIP WITH VICTORY IN TORUN, FREDRIK LINDGREN FINISHES SECOND". Eurosport. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
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