MATCH REPORT: World Individual Finals day

Findon hosted the World Individual Finals day in Adelaide, South Australia on Saturday. Salisbury rider, Joel Chadwick, took home the top prize, but the day also saw Great Britain’s Brandon Whetton, Norman Venson and Macie Schmidt claim top prizes in their categories, along with Australia’s Jack Norman and Poland’s Zaneta Siemianowska.

JUNIOR

Following his disappointment in the 2015 Junior World Final on his home track at Wednesfield, Brandon Whetton put that behind him in tremendous fashion to win the 2017 title with 18 points.

Having won his first three races, he finished second behind Ed Morton in his third race meaning that he could afford to finish second in his final race in heat 20 to wrap it up.

Whetton did just that, finishing behind Leicester and Poland’s Damian Pelaczyk, whose victory in heat 20 gave him the runners-up spot. There was a tie between Jack Norman and Ed Morton for third after both riders finished with 16 points, and it was the Under 16 Boys World Champion, Norman, who won the run-off.

Brandon Whetton 18, Damian Pelaczyk 17, Jack Norman 16, Ed Morton 16, Jakub Kosciecha 15, Ewan Hancox 15, Patryk Katarzynski 13, Maciej Stefanski 12, Will Jeffery 12, Todd Clarke 12, Adam Watson 11, Carl Parfitt 12, Max Evans 12, Fraser Garnett 12, DJ Thompson 8, Szymon Tywczyński 6

WOMEN

The only Polish rider in the field, Zaneta Siemianowska, became the second Polish woman to be crowned Women’s World Champion after Anita Wlodarczyk had done so in 1999.

Siemianowska won her first four races meaning she could afford to finish second in her final race to wrap it up, which she did by finishing behind Letitia Collins in heat 19.

That win for Collins put her level on 18 points with her Le Fevre club mate Lucy Millikin, and those two would be joined by Under 16 Girls World Champion Macie Schmidt, who won heat 20 to set up the 3 way run-off for second and third, which was won by Schmidt ahead of Collins and Millikin.

Zaneta Siemianowska 19, Macie Schmidt 18, Letitia Collins 18, Lucy Millikin 18, Lauren Hookway 16, Holly Greenhalgh 12, Miriam Thompson 12, Lizzie Rigley 12, Laura Watson 12, Krissy Mines 11, Kayleigh Clarke 11, Michelle Whitehead 10, Charlie-Jane Herbert 10, Lauren Jacobs 9, Chloe Pearce 6, Delacia Pride 6

VETERANS

History was made in the 2017 Veterans World Final where Leicester’s Norman Venson became the first rider to regain the championship (as opposed to retaining it).

“Storm” dropped his only point to his Leicester team mate and 2015 World Veterans Champion Craig Marchant in his 4th race, but had to wait for the outcome of heat 19, when Mark Winwood needed a win to force a run-off for the title.

Winwood could only manage a 3rd place, which meant that Venson couldn’t be caught. Brad Hoppo finished as runner-up, just as he had in 2011 in the USA. Winwood and Marchant were tied for 3rd place on 17 points so they needed a run-off which was won by Marchant.

Norman Venson 19, Brad Hoppo 18, Craig Marchant 17, Mark Winwood 17, Paul White 16, Martyn Hollebon 14, Steve Harris 12, Mark Whitehead 12, Elliott Jones 12, Steve Mullinder 11, Mick Knowles 10, Eddie Ridley 10, Paddy Wenn 8, Bob Prince 8, Graham Kemp 8, Steve Jenkins 6

UNDER 16 GIRLS

The Under 16 Girls World Championship was the first of two new World Championships to be decided on World Finals day, and Poole’s Macie Schmidt became the inaugural champion with a faultless maximum.

Australia’s Holly Greenhalgh took the runner-up spot on 18 points, dropping her only points in her first race. Sheffield’s Niamh Morton, Ipswich’s Chloe Pearce and Australian rider Delacia Pride all tied on 17 points, necessitating a run-off for third place, which was won by Morton ahead of Pearce and Pride.

Macie Schmidt 20, Holly Greenhalgh 18, Niamh Morton 17, Chloe Pearce 17, Delacia Pride 17, Miriam Thompson 16, Emily Makepeace 14, Bethany Briggs 13, Sophie Mitchell 12, Georgia Ward 11

UNDER 16 BOYS

The Under 16 Boys World Championship was the second new World Championship to be decided on the day and needed a pre-qualifier, which took place the previous Saturday at Le Fevre to find the 16 finalists.

All 6 British riders who entered made the final, with the remaining riders all from Australia, and it was Jack Norman, racing in the first of 3 World Finals for him on the day, who took the title with a faultless maximum.

Australian Junior Test captain Matty Snowden took the runner-up spot with 18 points, dropping his points to Thomas Jansen in his first race and to Norman in his third race.

Poole’s Fraser Garnett was third, much to the delight of his supporters on the second bend. Horspath’s Will Jeffery missed out on a podium place when he finished third in his final ride, when a win would have given him second.

Jack Norman 20, Matty Snowden 18, Fraser Garnett 17, Will Jeffery 16, DJ Thompson 15, Devon Campbell 15, Ben Clarke 14, Max Evans 12, Aussie Jones 12, Josh Whetton 11, Jacob Pudney 10, Thomas Jansen 10, Michael Ratcliff 10, Braylan McDonald 8, Cooper Osborne 6, Seth Foster 6