PREVIEW: European Women’s Championship Final

Konrad Cinkowski from the Czestochowa club takes us through his preview of the Women’s European Championships Final.

The final of the Women’s Individual European Championships (29.07, 12:00, Sunday, Gmina Poczesna) might be the only tournament in cycle speedway where we’re not going to see a Polish competitor with any medal. With absence of Żaneta Siemianowska – competitors from England are favourites in this tournament.

Six months ago in Australia Siemianowska became a World Champion. That was putting her as one of the favourites for this tournament and many saw her already with a golden medal which she was able to won in 2014 in Bydgoszcz where she has beaten competitors like Charlie Jane Herbert or Michelle Whitehead (both England).

After a win in Australia Siemianowska decided to end her career and start a new chapter in her life, which meant a huge blow for Polish cycle speedway since she was the best competitor in Poland and for some time the only one coming from Poland.

In Poczesna we’re going to see four Polish competitors – Aleksandra Michalak, Izabella Krawczyk, Rozalia Modrzewska and Alicja Hamara. For all of them it will be a official debut in tournament like this. Some of them we’re participating in some friendly meetings but never started in official tournament either in Poland or world-wide.

Krawczyk seems the most experienced from Polish four – she rides the bicycle and start in cycling tournaments for couple of years already. Will this experience help her at Poczesna track? Hopefully she will be able to make a nice surprise for fans and surprise in for of any medal will be really nice to see.

Favourite in this tournament will be European Champion from 2016 – Lauren Hookway, who back then beaten Victoria Brown and Kristine Miles. Her biggest threat in this tournament should be Macie Schmidt who in December 2017 in Findon managed to get silver medal in Women’s World Championship in Open  category and gold in U-16.

In Poczesna we’re going to see a bronze medalist from U-16 Women’s World Championship –Niamh Morton, which shows that tournament is heavily packed with stars of women’s cycle speedway.

Starting list for Women’s IEC final (29.07.2018, 12:00, Sunday)

(1) Chloe Pearce (England)
(2) Niamh Morton (England)
(3) Charlie-Jane Herbert (England)
(4) Aleksandra Michalak (Poland)
(5) Emily Burges (England)
(6) Lucy Whitehead (England)
(7) Izabella Krawczyk (Poland)
(8) Elizabeth Rigley (England)
(9) Honey Whitehead (England)
(10) Gemma Hill (England)
(11) Michelle Whitehead (England)
(12) Rozalia Modrzewska (Poland)
(13) Alicja Hamara (Poland)
(14) Lauren Hookway (England)
(15) Laura Watson (England)
(16) Macie Schmidt (England)