GERMAN RACER CELINA LIEBMANN AIMS TO INSPIRE MORE FEMALE STARS ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

German history maker Celina Liebmann hopes to inspire more women to be part of FIM Speedway as she celebrates today’s International Women’s Day by taking over the @SpeedwayGP social media channels.

Women play a crucial role in the sport, with FIM Speedway led by championships director Laura Manciet since Discovery Sports Events took over as global promoter for the 2022 season.

The FIM Speedway GP of Croatia – Donji Kraljevec is organised by Darija Pavlic, who is also part of the FIM Track Racing Commission (CCP), and she served as 2022 FIM Speedway of Nations Jury President. Meanwhile, Lydia Robin is the FIM Track Racing Commission’s co-ordinator.

More and more women are sampling the sport, with the FIM staging the second edition of their ground-breaking ATPI Women’s Speedway Academy in Manchester from August 4-5 – with triple world champion Jason Crump, FIM Speedway race director Phil Morris and former British champion Rory Schlein among the coaches.

Liebmann became the first female rider to appear in an FIM Speedway final series last year, when she raced as a wild card in the 2022 FIM SGP2 of Czech Republic – Prague on May 27.

The 21-year-old defied some difficult conditions following heavy rain showers to score three championship points with a very smooth and intelligent debut performance, before also taking one ride as a track reserve at the 2022 FIM SGP2 of Poland – Torun on September 30.

Her efforts in the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship (SGP2) cemented Liebmann’s status as the sport’s top female rider, and it’s a position she is keen to use to inspire more women on to the track.

She said: “As the best woman in the world, I can say that it is a great feeling to be the figurehead for all women in speedway. I get a lot of attention because of all what I did last year, and I always want to use that to show my best again.”

Liebmann only hopes her appearances alongside the sport’s top under-21 stars in 2022 will inspire more female riders to give racing a try, with her compatriot Hannah Grunwald already making rapid progress in the junior categories.

Asked for her advice for any female stars seeking to give speedway a try, Liebmann said: “I can recommend it to everyone! If you work hard and give it your all, you can achieve anything you want, and I am always available for tips and help.

“Women can do the sport just as well as boys and at the end of the day, we all have a helmet on and want three points. It doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman, so put on your helmet and off you go!”

This year’s ATPI Women’s Speedway Academy aims to build on the success of the 2022 event in Deidenbergen, Germany, with the two-day masterclass covering all aspects of racing from on-track techniques, nutrition and physical preparation to machine maintenance and setup.

The event is open to female riders from all around the world and of all abilities aged 16 or above.

Janika Judeika, FIM Women in Motorcycling commission director, said: “The FIM Women in Motorcycling commission is proud to support the 2023 edition of the ATPI Women’s Speedway Academy taking place in Manchester in collaboration with the FIM Track Racing commission.

“After a very successful 2022 training event, we’re excited to help even more female riders develop their skills and knowledge in this discipline and build on last year’s experience to deliver even stronger, more impactful and geographically diverse training.

“Our commission aims to develop the sport and the activities for women – the talented riders, motivated organisers and devoted colleagues make working for this aim a true pleasure! I thank everyone involved in this project and look forward to seeing it come to life in August.”

While the Manchester event could be the start of an exciting speedway career for a number of female stars, Liebmann looks forward to giving some insight into her own racing journey via the @SpeedwayGP social media accounts as FIM Speedway joins the world in marking International Women’s Day.

She said: “I am very honoured to represent the sport on International Women’s Day. It is always a great pleasure to work with the SGP people.

“I look forward to showing you a part of my life. I will reveal one of my rituals and tell you a bit about my daily routine. Be curious about my two super cute dogs, my bike preparations and much more … Look forward to it and check it out!”