British youngster Archie Rolph will fly the flag for Great Britain on Friday night as he lines up in the Beckhoff FIM SGP3 Final in Wroclaw, Poland.
The prestigious event, which crowns the FIM Speedway Youth World Champion for riders under the age of 16 on 250cc machinery, takes place at the famous Olympic Stadium just 24 hours before the DEWALT FIM Speedway GP of Poland.
Rolph booked his place in the Final with an impressive third-place finish in Semi-Final 2 at Pardubice in the Czech Republic, finishing behind highly-rated Polish duo Franciszek Szczyrba and Dawid Oscenda. The Chelmsford-based rider now gets the opportunity to test himself against the best young speedway talent from around the world.
The British prospect trains regularly with ROWE Motor Oil Premiership champions Ipswich and is also part of the academy programme run by Witches team manager Paul Hurry and HG Aerospace. His progress this season has been impressive, and qualification for the World Championship Final marks another significant milestone in his development.
While much of the pre-event attention will focus on the strong Polish challenge led by reigning European 250cc Champion Szczyrba and runner-up Oscenda, Rolph heads into the event with confidence after his podium finish in qualification.
The 16-rider field features competitors from 10 nations, including former SGP4 champions Brady Landon of the USA and Denmark’s Elias Jamil Jensen, alongside unbeaten Semi-Final 1 winner Marek Ziman of Slovakia.
Australia’s Cooper Antone also makes his SGP3 Final debut, while Latvia, Ukraine, Sweden and Germany are all represented in what promises to be a highly competitive contest for youth speedway’s biggest prize.
More than 2,000 spectators are expected to attend the event at Wroclaw’s iconic Olympic Stadium, with the world’s best young riders aiming to take the next step towards a future career at Speedway GP level.
For Rolph, Friday’s Final presents an opportunity to showcase British speedway on the world stage and continue his rise amongst the sport’s most exciting young prospects.
Feature Image by Petr Makusev
