BARTOSZ Zmarzlik has secured his third World title after winning the Swedish Grand Prix in Malilla on Saturday night.
The Polish star was confirmed as the new World Champion after nearest rival Leon Madsen suffered an engine failure in the first semi-final. After brief celebrations with his pits crew, Zmarzlik duly went out to win the second semi-final and then the final to crown a memorable night. In the deciding race, he led home Sweden's Freddie Lindgren, fellow countryman Maciej Janowski and Britain's Tai Woffinden. Zmarzlik said afterwards: "I don't really understand it now. I know what I have done, but I haven't got the full feeling now. Maybe I will understand it more tomorrow morning. I am very happy because I know now that I have won the championship and I have also won the round in Malilla." With just one round of the series to go in Torun on October 1, Zmarzlik holds an unassailable 31-point lead over Madsen, who is all but assured of the silver medal. The Dane is 17 points clear of Patryk Dudek, who has moved up to third, but there looks certain to be a real scrap for the bronze medal in Torun with only eight points separating five riders. Dudek (100) will face challenges from Robert Lambert (97), Dan Bewley (93), Lindgren (92) and Janowski (92). A third Brit, Woffinden (88), is not mathematically out of the equation either.
Malilla scorers: Bartosz Zmarzlik 20, Fredrik Lindgren 18, Maciej Janowski 16, Tai Woffinden 14, Martin Vaculik 12, Robert Lambert 11, Patryk Dudek 10, Leon Madsen 9, Jason Doyle 8, Mads Hansen 7, Jack Holder 6, Oliver Berntzon 5, Andrej Lebedev 4, Max Fricke 3, Dan Bewley 2, Pawel Przedpelski 1, Victor Palovaara (res) 0, Anton Karlsson (res) 0. World Championship standings: Bartosz Zmarzlik 148, Leon Madsen 117, Patryk Dudek 100, Robert Lambert 97, Dan Bewley 93, Fredrik Lindgren 92, Maciej Janowski 92, Tai Woffinden 88, Jason Doyle 76, Martin Vaculik 71, Mikkel Michelsen 70, Jack Holder 64, Max Fricke 52, Anders Thomsen 51, Pawel Przedpelski 29, Andrej Lebedev 16.
