Poland were crowned FIM Team U21 World Champions for the sixth consecutive year on Friday at Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium after going 8 points clear of silver medallists Great Britain.
Supporters turned out in droves to support their nations in what was a very competitive night of speedway that produced the kind of action, thrills and spills for which the club’s fine track is renown.
The Powerful Poles went all-out to defend their hard-won title from last year and took an early advantage over host nation Britain, Denmark and Australia with an emphatic performance.
But the Brits were tenacious in their pursuit of the gold, despite their young age, with 16-year olds Leon Flint and Drew Kemp and 17-year old Kyle Bickley stepping up their game in the name of their country.
Young Lions captain Robert Lambert inspired his side to go one better than their bronze medal in 2018 and his side produced a performance to be proud of, with their efforts earning them sparkling silver.
And Denmark saw off a late comeback from Australia to take the bronze medal after a surge in fortunes for the young Aussies towards the business end of the night forced them to take action.
Great Britain skipper Robert Lambert said: “The boys put everything into their performance tonight.
“It was the first time we’ve ridden together as a team but the mood in the pits was very relaxed. We all had a good laugh and just tried to enjoy ourselves and I think that showed in our performance.
“Of course, we would’ve liked to get the gold and I’m sure there was some expectation for us to do that, but from a personal point of view I was so proud to see the boys get on the podium full stop.
“We got bronze last year and we’ve done one better than that this time. We’ve come away with a silver from a meeting in which there were four very strong teams so we can be proud of ourselves.”
The next action at the National Speedway Stadium is on July 22 when the Belle Vue Colts take on the Isle of Wight in the National League. Tickets available online at www.bellevue-speedway .com.
