Polish hero Wiktor Przyjemski admits his 2026 FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 – Prague victory was his sweetest of all as he won a last-heat decider to regain the FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship on Friday.
Przyjemski won SON2 for a fourth time in five seasons, shepherding teammate Bartosz Banbor home brilliantly for a 7-2 win in a last-heat showdown with Denmark to seal victory on 45 points.
Danish stars Villads Nagel, Bastian Pedersen and Mikkel Andersen were forced to settle for silver for a second straight season on 37.
Meanwhile 2025 SON2 winners Germany followed up their shock victory in Torun as Mario Hausl, Janek Konzack and 2025 FIM Women’s Speedway Gold Trophy winner Hannah Grunwald came out on top of a three-way tie with Great Britain and Australia to win bronze on 33 points.
But the night belonged to Poland. Przyjemski and Banbor teamed up to win SON2 at Manchester’s National Speedway Stadium in 2024, and the former Lublin teammates were elated to win gold again. Przyjemski, who turns 21 on Saturday, raced his final SON2 event in Prague. He was pleased to add to the under-21 team titles he won in Vojens (2022), Riga (2023) and Manchester (2024).
He said: “I am very proud. I need to thank my teammates because they worked hard for it. It’s an early gift for my birthday tomorrow. This is the fourth time I have won, and this is the sweetest one because a last-heat decider was a crucial part of the deal.
“Last year, we couldn’t do it because I was injured and Bartosz didn’t compete in Torun. But over the two years we spent together at Lublin, we have understood each other very well on the track. We were a good pairing, and that’s why we have the chemistry. It helps in this competition.”
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Banbor suffered a fall in Poland’s penultimate ride in heat 24 as he battled German star Hausl. He held his nerve to bounce back and join Przyjemski for a title-clinching 7-2 in heat 28, and he was pleased to land another world title with his country.
He said: “I am feeling great. It has been a really tough day for me, especially after the crash. I had many, many nerves in the last-heat decider and many emotions. But I am really proud of myself that I won this thing again with Wiktor. Last year, we couldn’t race, but this year we brought the gold back.
“I get on really well with Wiktor. He rides the inside line very well and I prefer the outside. That’s why we get on together. Wiktor always looks for me, checks if I am there and leaves me some space. It was a great two years with him, winning these gold medals. I will miss him in SON2!”
Danish skipper Nagel scored 23 points for the Danes, while Bastian Pedersen picked up 14. Nagel was visibly gutted to see his side forced to make do with the silver medals for a second straight season.
He said: “It was a tough one tonight. It’s never easy to beat the Poles. We got the silver medal. Overall, it’s okay. I am still disappointed, but it is what it is. I did all I could, as you saw on the track, and a silver medal is better than nothing, I guess.
“We were a few points away from gold, but you need the luck sometimes. We didn’t get it, and it is what it is. The Poles beat us. They are just good riders. They have a gold medal because they are the best. But we’ll keep trying and pushing.”
Germany found themselves deadlocked on 33 points with GB and Australia, meaning the bronze-medal fight was decided on bonus points – with one awarded for every race in which teammates finished first and second or second and third together.
With Germany winning five of their heats 5-4, this saw them finish third overall, with GB placed fourth after registering three bonus points, while Australia was placed fifth with two.
German skipper Hausl, who scored 17 points, was elated to be rewarded for a day of top teamwork with Konzack (13) and Grunwald, who became the first female rider in SON2 history as she scored three points, finishing second in heat 24.
A delighted Hausl said: “I got a great result with my teammates today. It’s always a teamwork day when you race in SON2. It’s great to be back on the stage again.
“Last year we won SON2, so third place is great. In 2025, we had Norick Blodorn, and Hannah was also with us then in Torun.
“Last year Norick was the one who brought the points for us and today I was the man who brought the most points. Janek also did a great job and my heat with Hannah was okay too.”
The world-championship action continues with the FIM Speedway GP of Czech Republic – Prague as Marketa Stadium marks its 30th straight season of SGP action on Saturday. Tickets are still available HERE now.
2026 FIM SPEEDWAY OF NATIONS – SON2 – PRAGUE SCORES:
1. POLAND 45: 1. Wiktor Przyjemski 24, 2. Bartosz Banbor 21, 3. Kevin Malkiewicz DNR.
2. DENMARK 37: 1. Villads Nagel 23, 2. Bastian Pedersen 14, 3. Mikkel Andersen 0.
3. GERMANY 33: 1. Janek Konzack 13, 2. Mario Hausl 17, 3. Hannah Grunwald 3.
4. GREAT BRITAIN 33: 1. Luke Harrison 12, 2. Will Cairns 18, 3. Cooper Rushen 3.
5. AUSTRALIA 33: 1. Mitchell McDiarmid 19, 2. Tate Zischke 0, 3. Beau Bailey 14.
6. CZECH REPUBLIC 27: 1. Adam Bubba Bednar 23, 2. Adam Nejezchleba 4, 3. Bruno Belan DNR.
7. SWEDEN 23: 1. Rasmus Karlsson 16, 2. Sammy Van Dyck 2, 3. Erik Persson 5.
8. UKRAINE 21: 1. Roman Kapustin 0, 2. Nazar Parnitskyi 21, 3. Danko Hladkovskyi 0.