TNT Sports
Speedway of Nations 2024 final as it happened - Great Britain seal gold on home soil
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Published 13/07/2024 at 19:31 GMT+1
Hello and welcome to Eurosport's live coverage of the 2024 Speedway of Nations final. Great Britain, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Australia and Latvia will all be going for gold in what should be a thrilling affair. Join live coverage here and on discovery+ to follow along to see what country will come out on top and be crowned as the champions of the event.
Speedway - SON - Final - clip - Heat Grand final Lambert wins - Team GB are new Champions - short version 2min30
Image credit: TNT Sports
GREAT BRITAIN BEAT AUSTRALIA TO SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS TITLE
Great Britain (Robert Lambert, Dan Bewley, Tom Brennan, Simon Stead, Oliver Allen) clinched the Speedway of Nations title on home soil in Manchester, beating Australia (Jack Holder, Brady Kurtz, Max Fricke, Mark Lemon) in the Grand Final.
Lambert took the holeshot at tapes up and resisted pressure from Holder early on. Things got tight and while Lambert managed to stay in front, Bewley fell behind the Aussies.
However, he pulled off an incredible move, going wide and then timing the cutback perfectly to dive down the inside, and shot past into second. Bewley defended for his life and the British duo brought a 1-2 over the line to claim the trophy for the second time after 2021 where they triumphed at the same venue.
Australia had led after the heats and went straight into the Grand Final while Great Britain faced Sweden (Fredrik Lindgren, Jacob Thorssell, Oliver Berntzon, Morgan Andersson) in the qualifier.
While Lindgren stormed to the win, Lambert and Bewley managed to hold Thorssell at the back and progressed to the Grand Final while Sweden had to settle for bronze.
22:00 - THANK YOU AND GOODBYE
And that's it for the Speedway of Nations for another season - thank you for your company through tonight's action. It will be a wee while until the next Speedway Grand Prix - the paddock will take to Cardiff' Principality Stadium on 17 August for Round 7. See you then!
BEWLEY POST-RACE
"Twice in a row here! I rocked up in Gate 3, I didn't think much of it and I feel like this was one of the best starts of my career. Pretty fun race and the crowd is unbelievable.
"I sat in third behind Jack [Holder] and obviously he was trying to help his teammate out, so it's a real tough spot to be in. And I know how good Brady [Kurtz] is around here and around everywhere, they're two good riders.
"Brady [Kurtz] passed the two of us and I just nipped back up the inside. Sometimes when it's your night, the door will open for you.
"What a night! Thanks to the crowd, it's been pretty special throughout."
LAMBERT POST-RACE
"The track suited us tonight, it was all nice and smooth. And we enjoyed it, we stayed calm throughout and Dan [Bewley] and I did the business.
"[The 2022 SON defeat to Australia] was tough to take, but we repaid the compliment and managed to get gold. It's such an incredible feeling to get it twice in a row here in Manchester.
"It's been amazing to have the fans cheering on us down the back straight and home straight when we come to the start - I just want to say a big thanks to everyone who cheered on us throughout today and supported us."
BRENNAN POST-RACE
"[Lambert and Bewley] rode flawlessly tonight and it's amazing to be a part of it.
"It's a fantastic achievement, everyone worked really hard for this and to have the GB flag on my chest now feels really good."
ALLEN POST-RACE
"We trusted the process, we trusted what we were doing, Dan [Bewley] trusted himself which was important and we stuck with it.
"It was a nervous night because the score card was so tight; Germany were doing really well, Latvia were taking points off people … it was really close, nothing looked safe.
"But hats off to the boys, they were absolutely fantastic, Dan [Bewley], Robert [Lambert] and Tom [Brennan] and all of the mechanics and backroom staff.
"We worked really hard on this, so I'm over the moon, so pleased we are world champions again."
STEAD POST-RACE
"Unbelievable. I just want to say a big thank you to the boys for the unbelievable amount of effort they put in over the course of this week, it's a long week
"But also the process that we have, the work we do behind the scenes all throughout the season. We've been building and building on it and we'e trying to improve every year despite a couple of silvers.
"To cap that off with a gold Tonight, it's been superb and the reward for such an amount of effort."
GRAND FINAL - LAMBERT, BEWLEY, HOLDER, KURTZ
Lambert takes the holeshot and resists pressure from Holder. Things get tight, but Lambert manages to stay in front while Bewley falls behind the Aussies. However, he pulls off an incredible move down the inside to shoot past into second and makes it a British 1-2. He defends for his life and brings it home.
GRAND FINAL DRAW
GRAND FINAL QUALIFIER - LINDGREN, LAMBERT, BEWLEY. THORSSELL
Lambert beats Thorssell to the lead at lights out, but Lindgren makes the best of the outside line to shoot into P1. The Swede is up and away while the two Brits are locked together in second and third and manage to dispatch of Thorssell.
With that, Great Britain move on to the Grand Final while Sweden have to settle for third.
GRAND FINAL QUALIFIER DRAW
STANDINGS AFTER 21 HEATS
HEAT 21 - HOLDER, KURTZ, ZMARZLIK, KUBERA
Kubera claims the holeshot from the inside gate, but things get very tight between all four riders. Positions - and paint - are being swapped and Kurtz is first to impress properly with a brave move round the outside to dispatch of Zmarzlik. Holder too comes through and also claims his compatriot.
HEAT 20 - BEWLEY, LAMBERT, LEBEDEVS, KOLODINSKIS
Lambert can't miss the start tonight and sneaks past Lebedevs to tak the holeshot. Bewley though shoots past them both on the outside to make it a British 1-2 and the duo pulls away, leaving the Latvians without a chance.
HEAT 19 - LINDGREN, JENSEN, THORSSELL, MICHELSEN
Jensen slams the door shut on Thorssell to take the holeshot at tapes up, but Lindgren shoots round the outside to claim them both. The heat stretches out from there and the positions change no further.
HEAT 18 - HOLDER, HUCKENBECK, KURTZ, BLODORN
Holder makes a lovely start and is up and away while it's Huckenbeck versus Kurtz for second. The duo battle with Huckenbeck getting the better of the Aussie and attacks Holder in the late stages who just about hangs on. Blodorn never managed to recover from going wide early in the heat.
RIDER STANDINGS AFTER 17 HEATS
STANDINGS AFTER 17 HEATS
HEAT 17 - LAMBERT, BEWLEY, LINDGREN, THORSSELL
Lambert once more smashes the start and holds Lindgren behind him. Bewley finds incredible grip and also shoots past Lindgren to make it a 1-2. The heat stretches out from there.
HEAT 16 - KUBERA, ZMARZLIK, THOMSEN, MICHELSEN
Kubera takes the holeshot from the inside gate and things get tight behind him. Michelsen is forced way wide and is out of contention. Kubera looks comfortable in the lead while, behind, Zmarzlik slams his way past Thomsen into second and makes it a Polish 1-2 over the line.
HEAT 15 - LEBEDEVS, HUCKENBECK, KOLODINSKIS, BLODORN
Lovely start from Blodorn at tapes up, but he gets sandwiched by the Latvians who both shoot past. Huckenbeck recovers from going wide and claims his teammate. He reels in the Latvians and pulls off a great move round the outside on Kolodinskis. He challenges for the lead, but Lebedevs holds firm.
HEAT 14 - KURTZ, HOLDER, THORSSELL, LINDGREN
Excellent start again from Thorssell and he defends from Kurtz. However, Lindgren is down after having trying to avoid contact with Holder. He is up and walking but excluded from the heat.
Thorssell once more smashes the start at the restart but is swiftly beaten to the position by Kurtz when he leaves the door open on the back straight. Holder too capitalises and sneaks past to make it an Aussie 1-2 and the heat stretches out.
HEAT 13 - LAMBERT, KUBERA, BEWLEY, ZMARZLIK
Lambert slams the door shut on Kubera at tapes up but remains under pressure from the pole. However, Bewley is coming into form and also challenging in third. The positions do not change though and the top three remains as it was. Zmarzlik never looked in contention.
WHERE CAN I WATCH THE 2024 SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX AND SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS?
Eurosport and discovery+ will show live coverage of every round of 2024 Speedway Grand Prix action as well as the Speedway of Nations.
Every meeting, including qualifying, will be broadcast in full and will be accessible live-on-demand on discovery+ and Eurosport's digital platforms.
Eurosport.com will provide live coverage, reaction and video highlights of every single meeting.
STANDINGS AFTER 12 HEATS
HEAT 12 - KOLODINSKIS, JENSEN, MICHELSEN, LEBEDEVS
What a start from Jensen who shoots into the lead at tapes up with a fight for position behind. Lebedevs loses his bike and is thrown into the fence. He gets up and walks away, but he is excluded from the heat.
At the second time of asking, Jensen has an excellent start again, but Kolodinskis is on the charge and reels the Dane in. He makes a move stick and defends furiously from there to clinch the win. Michelsen never looked in contention in this heat.
HEAT 11 - KUBERA, BLODORN, HUCKENBECK, ZMARZLIK
Jump start from Zmarzlik who goes after Huckenbeck moves. He is excluded from the heat.
At the second time of asking, there is a problem with the tapes which are refusing to go up. Drama all around.
Third time lucky and it's Kubera who takes the holeshot from the inside. Blodorn meanwhile runs wide at the start and Huckenbeck too looks in some trouble as he loses momentum on the cutback. Kubera does all he can and wins the heat as the German duo makes up the positions.
HEAT 10 - LINDGREN, THORSSELL, KOSTIGOVS, LEBEDEVS
Lebedevs beats Thorssell to the holeshot, but Lindgren shoots round the outside and into P1. Thorssell sits paitently and pulls off an overtake on Lebedevs who also falls behind Kostigovs. Thorssell has to defend hard but holds on to the position for a Swedish 1-2.
HEAT 9 - MICHELSEN, HOLDER, KURTZ, THOMSEN
Holder takes the lead at tapes up, but Michelsen finds a shooting star line round the outside and fires into the lead. Kurtz, who had the door shut on him at the start, gets the better of Thomsen to move into third. The heat stretches out from there.
STANDINGS AFTER EIGHT HEATS
HEAT 8 - BEWLEY, LAMBERT, HUCKENBECK, BLODORN
Huckenbeck beats Lambert to the holeshot, but it's Bewley who shots down the inside and past them both. Lambert swiftly moves past Huckenbeck to make it a British 1-2 and the heat stretches out with no further position changes.
HEAT 7 - LINDGREN, THORSSELL, ZMARZLIK, KUBERA
Early double lead for Sweden as Thorssell takes the holeshot from the inside and Lindgren shoots up from the outside, taking P1 off his compatriot. Lindgren is up and away while Thorssell finds himself under attack from Zmarzlik who challenges until the very end, but the Swede defends hard.
HEAT 6 - HOLDER, LEBEDEVS, KURTZ, KOSTIGOVS
Holder hits the front from the inside gate and slams the door shut on Lebedevs who tries to claim the front from the outside. The first two positions are settled early on as Holder defends from Lebedevs and things stretch out, but the battle for third rages until the end, Kurtz and Kostigovs swapping the position several times with the Aussie coming out the better.
HEAT 5 - LAMBERT, THOMSEN, MICHELSEN, BEWLEY
Michelsen gets the holeshot from the inside, but both Thomsen and Lambert shoot past him. Meanwhile, an involuntary wheelie from Bewley sees him fall behind. Lambert attacks for the lead and pulls off an unreal move tight down the inside to clinch the win.
STANDINGS AFTER FOUR HEATS
HEAT 4 - BLODORN, LINDGREN, HUCKENBECK, THORSSELL
Thorssell looks to have the best start initially, but it's Blodorn who steals the holeshot. An excellent move from Lindgren sees him shot up into second followed by Huckenbeck who challenges hard. However, he can't find a way through and has to settle for third. There was no way back for Thorssell after being beaten at tapes up.
HEAT 3 - ZMARZLIK, LEBEDEVS, KUBERA, KOLODINSKIS
Terrific start from Zmarzlik on the outside and he beats Lebedevs to the holeshot. While Zmarzlik is up and away, Lebedevs is under attack from Kubera who attempts a last-corner overtake through the outside but can't find a way through. Kolodinskis completes the heat.
HEAT 2 - LAMBERT, KURTZ, HOLDER, BEWLEY
Lambert has the best start but is under immediate pressure from Kurtz. Holder follows in third and defends hard from Bewley. The heat stretches out from there and the order stays as it was with no overtakes.
HEAT 1 - HUCKENBECK, BLODORN, JENSEN, THOMSEN
Blistering start from Huckenbeck who claims the lead at the start. Jensen makes his way into second, but a mistake sees him fall into last place. Blodorn inherits the position and the lead changes hand between the two Germans a couple of times with Huckenbeck claiming P1 in the end. Behind, Jensen gets back past Thomsen but more thsn third is not on the cards.
18:55 - HEAT CARD
Here is how things are lining up today:
18:50 - WEATHER REPORT
It's pleasant temperatures in Manchester on 16 degrees Celsius. The skies look overcast, but we have no rain forecast.
18:47 - AUSTRALIA TEAM UPDATE
Early drama for Australia as news come in that Max Fricke will not be riding tonight for reasons so far undisclosed.
18:45 - GB "GUNNING FOR GOLD"
Great Britain are heading into their home event brimming with confidence and are looking for a second SON title, three years on from their success in 2021. Team manager Oliver Stead feels his Team has improved since last securing the title, despite second-place finishes in the 2022 event and the 2023 Speedway World Cup:
“The medals might not suggest we have made progress over the last two years, following up a gold with two silvers," Stead said. "But I believe we have been better over the last two years than when we actually won it.
“I think that bodes well for Saturday. We have taken strides in the right direction, and we are all excited about what’s to come on Saturday.”
Tai Woffinden was the fourth rider on the team in 2021, but he has been ruled out due to injury.
“It’s unfortunate to lose Tai,” Stead said. “But we are in a fortunate position that we have two more GP riders and also Tom, who is really stepping up and performing at this level.
“I was always confident we would have our strongest two out on the day. The fact we have such a strong three is really fortunate for us.
“We know what it’s all about. No longer is a bronze or silver good enough any more. People expect us to perform, which we have done over the past few years. We will be gunning for gold.”
18:40 - TEAM LINE-UPS
Some big names are among the challengers tonight. Here are your team line-ups:
Team A - GERMANY
1. Kai Huckenbeck ©
2. Norick Blödorn
3. Erik Riss
Team manager: Mathias Bartz
Team B - DENMARK
1. Mikkel Michelsen ©
2. Anders Thomsen
3. Rasmus Jensen
Team manager: Nicki Pedersen
Team C – GREAT BRITAIN
1. Robert Lambert ©
2. Dan Bewley
3. Tom Brennan
Team managers: Simon Stead and Oliver Allen
Team D - AUSTRALIA
1. Jack Holder ©
2. Max Fricke
3. Brady Kurtz
Team manager: Mark Lemon
Team E - LATVIA
1. Andzejs Lebedevs ©
2. Daniils Kolodinskis
3. Jevgenijs Kostigovs
Team manager: Vladimir Ribnikovs
Team F - POLAND
1. Dominik Kubera
2. Bartosz Zmarzlik ©
3. Patryk Dudek
Team manager: Rafal Dobrucki
Team G - SWEDEN
1. Fredrik Lindgren ©
2. Jacob Thorssell
3. Oliver Berntzon
Team manager: Morgan Andersson
18:35 - WHERE CAN I WATCH THE 2024 SPEEDWAY GRAND PRIX AND SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS?
Eurosport and discovery+ will show live coverage of every round of 2024 Speedway Grand Prix action as well as the Speedway of Nations.
Every meeting, including qualifying, will be broadcast in full and will be accessible live-on-demand on discovery+ and Eurosport's digital platforms.
Eurosport.com will provide live coverage, reaction and video highlights of every single meeting.
18:30 - HELLO AND WELCOME
Good evening and thank you for joining our live text coverage of the Speedway of Nations 2024 final. The ultimate test of team riding is back at Great Britain's National Speedway Stadium in Manchester; the last time we've been here in 2021, GB indeed took the world team title with an epic 5-4 win over Poland in the Grand Final. However, Australia took the glory at the SON in 2022, and Poland triumphed at last year's World Cup, meaning they go into tonight as the reigning world champions. Headlined by Grand Prix leader Bartosz Zmarzlik, Poland would dearly love to finally add a SON gold medal to their collection and make up for their 2021 Manchester heartbreak. Poland, GB and Australia must be among the favourites again tonight, but so are Denmark and Sweden - who will come out on top? We're about to find out!
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