Jerzy Szczakiel
Polish speedway rider (1949–2020)
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Key Takeaways
- Jerzy Szczakiel (28 January 1949 – 1 September 2020) was a Polish speedway rider.
- Career Jerzy Szczakiel first appeared in a World Final in 1970 at the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław, Poland where he was a reserve for the Final but did not ride on the day.
- Szczakiel's next (and last) World Final was in 1973 at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów, Poland.
- He won the title after a run-off with the defending champion Ivan Mauger of New Zealand after both riders tied on 13 points.
- Fellow countryman Zenon Plech finished third.
Jerzy Szczakiel (28 January 1949 – 1 September 2020) was a Polish speedway rider. He was one of three Polish nationals to have won the Speedway World Championship, the others being 2010 World champion Tomasz Gollob and the 2019 Speedway Grand Prix winner and 2019 World Champion, Bartosz Zmarzlik.
Career
Jerzy Szczakiel first appeared in a World Final in 1970 at the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław, Poland where he was a reserve for the Final but did not ride on the day. He rode in the World Final in 1971 at the Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he failed to score in his five rides. Szczakiel's next (and last) World Final was in 1973 at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów, Poland. In front of the largest crowd in world speedway history (estimated to be around 130,000), he scored 13 points, winning his first 3 rides and finishing 2nd in his last two. He won the title after a run-off with the defending champion Ivan Mauger of New Zealand after both riders tied on 13 points. Mauger fell in the run-off, leaving Szczakiel to finish unchallenged and win the championship. Fellow countryman Zenon Plech finished third. Before the meeting, Szczakiel was considered a rank outsider to win the championship with all eyes on Mauger, 1971 champion Ole Olsen, Plech and Swede Anders Michanek.
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