Paweł Bartkowiak wins speedway world championship

Eleven-year-old Paweł Bartkowiak has become a speedway world champion following a decisive final race in Workington. After finishing the main part of the competition with full points, Bartkowiak faced fellow Pole Sawin Turowski in a final heat to determine the gold medal winner.

The victory marks Bartkowiak as only the third Pole to achieve a world championship in this category. His path to the title included overcoming a significant injury, specifically a broken right femur, which required intensive physiotherapy during the winter months.

His father, Paweł Bartkowiak, noted that the young rider has been racing since the age of eight and a half. Despite the high costs of equipment, including motorcycles costing between 18,000 and 20,000 PLN, the family received external support to facilitate his participation in the championship.