LIEBMANN SET FOR UNDER-24 EKSTRALIGA DEBUT WITH GORZOW

German racer Celina Liebmann looks set to mix it with the sport’s top young stars in 2023 after signing for Gorzow’s Under-24 Ekstraliga side.

The move was announced on International Women’s Day yesterday, which saw the German take over the @SpeedwayGP social media channels for the day, giving fans a glimpse behind the scenes of her preparations for 2023.

Liebmann made history in 2022 as the first female rider to appear in an FIM Speedway final series, when she scored three championship points as the FIM SGP2 of Czech Republic – Prague wild card last May. She also featured in the FIM SGP2 of Poland – Torun last October.

While she is no longer eligible for under-21 competition, the 21-year-old is still set to take a huge step forward in her career, with Gorzow handing her the chance to become the Under-24 Ekstraliga’s first female rider at Edward Jancarz Stadium.

Launched in 2022, the Under-24 Ekstraliga has handed young riders from all over the world a golden opportunity to show their class in the world’s biggest speedway nation, with some going on to land senior team places.

Finland’s Timi Salonen was one of its biggest success stories last year after starring for Gorzow and then taking the FIM Speedway of Nations by storm to lead his country into the Final at Vojens.

Stal Gorzow president Waldemar Sadowski is delighted to add to Liebmann to the squad. He told the club’s website: “Speedway has been known as a typically male sport, which is why we greatly appreciate the fact that there are women who are trying to change this pattern.

“The world is moving forward. More and more women are showing interest in motor sports. We don’t have to look far: Wiktor Jasiński’s sister, Karolina, successfully races motocross. At Stal Gorzow, everyone has equal chances, only the form of the rider matters.”

Liebmann is joined in Gorzow by the likes of Speedway GP stars Martin Vaculik and Anders Thomsen, who race for the club’s senior side in the PGE Ekstraliga.