ZMARZLIK'S SCANDINAVIAN DOUBLE DELIGHT

Polish icon Bartosz Zmarzlik admits his Scandinavian double was his 2022 Speedway GP highlight as he made more history by becoming the sport’s 12^th triple world champion.

The Lejonen racer picked up three Speedway GP victories on his way to the shale’s biggest prize this year, winning the opening round in Croatia on April 30, before reeling off back-to-back victories in Vojens on September 10 and Malilla on September 17 to seal his third gold medal in four seasons.

Zmarzlik’s win in Donji Kraljevec was arguably his most surprising as it’s a track the Polish champion openly admits isn’t his favourite.

While it was a triumph the 27-year-old enjoyed, Zmarzlik admits topping the box in Vojens to put himself within touching distance of the trophy and then sealing it in Malilla just seven days later made for a special week.

He said: “I remember Croatia well and I am very happy about this. I made a good start to the series, and it helped me get good results over the season.

“But I think Vojens was the best meeting of the season for me – Vojens and Malilla really. They were hard meetings, but I won the important heats.

“Everything was so perfect with my head and my bikes. It had been a long season, but Vojens and Malilla were in the last month of the season. By that point, I had many ideas of how to do it and this was important.”

Zmarzlik now has six Speedway GP medals to his name – three gold, two silver and one bronze – in just seven seasons on the sport’s biggest stage.

The 27-year-old is still young enough and hungry enough to add to this tally. But asked if he could surpass Tony Rickardsson and Ivan Mauger’s joint-record haul of six world titles, Zmarzlik will not put any pressure on his shoulders.

He said: “I hope there are a lot of years in the future ahead of me and how the results will be, I do not know. But I am doing everything to get good results. How many titles I will have next to my name, I don’t know. I am happy now because I have the three.

“You never know how many you will get, but I am very proud now. I am also very happy about having all the medals – three gold, two silver and one bronze in seven seasons in the GP, with only one season when I didn’t win a medal. I do not think ‘I must’, only ‘I can’. That is my idea. I love racing and I do everything I can to get good results.”

Zmarzlik, who is set to reveal his new Polish club next month, is now plotting his title defence for 2023. But he’s also understandably keen to get some rest before the action resumes.

He said: “There is a long time now before next season. In the winter, I just stay at home and come up with some new ideas and look at what I can do for next season. I do everything for this.

“What we do next season, we will see. But now I am happy about what I have done this season. In the winter, I will look at and prepare for next season with new dreams and ideas.

“Now the plan is to have a little bit of rest after the season. After the rest, I will get back to the hard work and preparing for the new season.”

The winter break hands Zmarzlik the perfect chance to enjoy some quality time with baby son Antek, who is already a big speedway fan.

He said: “I want to spend more time with him in the holidays, in the workshop and at home. Antek is a nice friend for me I feel. I spend my rest and fun time with him.”