Former Speedway GP winner Janusz Kolodziej has announced his retirement from the sport as he received the Golden Szczakiel at the PGE Ekstraliga Gala in Warsaw on Saturday.
The event brought together the stars of Poland’s top division, with six-time Speedway GP world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik crowned Polish Rider of the Year and new world champion Robert Lambert voted as Foreign Rider of the Year.
The night also saw Kolodziej bring the curtain down on his storied career, which saw him win three FIM Speedway World Cup gold medals, as well as the 2019 FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Prague. He also won four individual Polish Championships and eight Ekstraliga titles – five with Leszno and three with hometown team Tarnow.
After collecting the Golden Szczakiel - Speedway Ekstraliga's lifetime achievement award named in honour of Poland's first world champion Jerzy Szczakiel, Kolodziej admitted he will still get sideways on the training track, he says he racing career is at an end.
He said: “I've decided to end my sports career, and for now, that's the final decision. I plan to ride during training because it's difficult to completely detach myself from riding, but it's harder during matches because everyone expects the result. The decision is official, and I'm ending my career at the 2026 season.”
Lublin hero Zmarzlik won the vote for Polish Rider of the Year on 33.53 percent, beating Emil Sayfutdinov (24.49%) and SGP wild card Maciej Janowski (12.53%).
Torun skipper Lambert won the Foreign Rider of the Year vote on 40.08 percent after leading his side to a second straight PGE Ekstraliga championship, beating Danish racer Anders Thomsen (18.85%) and Michael Jepsen Jensen (11.62%).
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Speedway GP star Jepsen Jensen picked up the award for Race of the Season for his heroics in heat 13 of Grudziadz’s trip to Lublin on May 29.
Torun star Antoni Kawczynski was voted Junior of the Year, collecting 31.70 percent of the vote, beating Czech racer Adam Bubba Bednar (24.80%) and 2025 SGP2 champion Nazar Parnitskyi (15.77%).
Gorzow racer Bednar came out on top in the Surprise of the Season vote, narrowly winning on 39.05 percent ahead of Torun’s Norick Blodorn (37.47%), while Parnitskyi was third on 11.48 percent.
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Torun’s title-winning boss Piotr Baron comfortably claimed Coach of the Year with 49.16 percent of the vote, with Wroclaw team manager Piotr Protasiewicz second on 20.24% and Grudziadz’s Robert Kosciecha third on 8.23 percent.
Champions Torun were named Team of the Year, while relegated Czestochowa ended a tough season on a high by winning the Under-24 Team of the Year prize.
