Poland wins SON2 Prague thriller as Aussies miss podium on countback

2026 FIM Speedway of Nations
SON2 – Prague

Poland regains SON2 crown in Prague thriller

Poland returned to the top of the FIM Speedway of Nations – SON2 podium in Prague on Friday night, winning a tense last-heat decider against Denmark to clinch the 2026 FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship.

Poland stands atop the 2026 SON2 podium in Prague ahead of Denmark and Germany.

The Poles went into heat 28 on 38 points, with Denmark still very much in the title hunt on 35. With the gold medal on the line, Wiktor Przyjemski and Bartosz Bańbor delivered under maximum pressure, defeating Bastian Pedersen and Villads Nagel 7-2 to seal victory at Marketa Stadium.

Poland celebrates the 2026 FIM Speedway of Nations SON2 title after a last-heat decider in Prague.

That final race lifted Poland to 45 points, eight clear of Denmark, with Przyjemski finishing as Poland’s top scorer on 24 and Bańbor adding 21. It was Poland’s 18th FIM Team Speedway Under-21 World Championship success, and a major bounce-back after Germany broke Poland’s long winning run in 2025.

For Przyjemski, the Prague result also marked a special personal farewell to SON2 competition. He turns 21 this weekend, making this his final appearance in the under-21 team world championship, and he now adds the 2026 Prague gold medal to SON2 titles won in Vojens in 2022, Riga in 2023 and Manchester in 2024.

The Polish skipper called the Prague victory his “sweetest” SON2 success, with the title only secured after the final heat of the night.

Bartosz Bańbor hits the Prague dirt during a dramatic night of SON2 racing at Marketa Stadium.

Bańbor also had to show plenty of nerve. He crashed out of Poland’s penultimate outing in heat 24 while battling Germany’s Mario Hausl, but recovered in time to partner Przyjemski in the decisive race. The pair then made the starts they needed and converted the last-heat decider into a gold-medal-clinching 7-2.

Denmark second again

Denmark had pushed Poland deep into the meeting and was still within three points heading into the final race. Villads Nagel led the Danish scorecard with 23 points, while Bastian Pedersen contributed 14.

Team Denmark heads through the Prague paddock before claiming silver in the 2026 SON2 final.

But heat 28 proved decisive. Denmark needed to outscore Poland to keep the fight alive, while Poland needed only to protect its advantage. Instead, Przyjemski and Bańbor made it emphatic, racing clear to give Poland a commanding final margin.

Villads Nagel and Bastian Pedersen with Denmark’s silver medals after finishing second in the 2026 SON2 final.

It left Denmark with silver for the second straight season, another strong result but one that will still sting after going so close to the title.

The SON2 team captains line up with the trophy before the 2026 Prague final.

Germany wins bronze on bonus points

The bronze-medal battle was even tighter, with Germany, Great Britain and Australia all finishing level on 33 points.

Beau Bailey heads a tight SON2 pack featuring Mitchell McDiarmid, Will Cairns and Luke Harrison in Prague.

That tie was settled on bonus points, awarded when a nation’s riders finished first and second, or second and third, in a heat. Germany got the verdict with five bonus points, ahead of Great Britain on three and Australia on two.

Mario Hausl led Germany’s bronze-medal campaign with 17 points, while Janek Konzack added 13 and Hannah Grunwald contributed three. Grunwald also made history as the first female rider in SON2 history, scoring her three points with a second place in heat 24 as Germany beat Poland 5-4 in one of the most important races of the night.

Australia’s SON2 squad of Beau Bailey, Tate Zischke and Mitchell McDiarmid watch the action from the Prague pits.

Aussies miss podium on countback

Australia’s young team came agonisingly close to a SON2 medal, finishing level with Germany and Great Britain on 33 points but ultimately classified fifth after the bonus-point countback.

Mitchell McDiarmid takes on Poland’s Wiktor Przyjemski and Bartosz Bańbor, with Tate Zischke also in the fight.

Mitchell McDiarmid led the Australian charge with 19 points, winning his opening ride and remaining a consistent threat throughout the 28-heat program.

Mitchell McDiarmid, Mario Hausl, Janek Konzack and Tate Zischke race through a turn during the 2026 FIM Speedway of Nations SON2.

Beau Bailey was also excellent, adding 14 points after being brought into the action, while Tate Zischke finished scoreless from his two rides.

Beau Bailey during the 2026 SON2 event in Prague.

The result means Australia matched the eventual bronze medallists on race points, but two bonus points were not enough to beat Germany’s five or Great Britain’s three in the tie-break.

Mitchell McDiarmid was Australia’s top scorer in the 2026 SON2 final at Prague’s Marketa Stadium.

Hosts Czech Republic finished sixth on 27 points, led by Adam Bubba Bednar with 23. Sweden was seventh on 23 points, while Ukraine finished eighth on 21, with Nazar Parnitskyi scoring all of his nation’s points.

Tate Zischke during the 2026 FIM Speedway of Nations SON2 in Prague.

2026 FIM Speedway of Nations
SON2 – Prague results

Rider scores are race points.
Bonus points were used only to separate teams tied on total points.

Bronze medal countback

More Speedway on MCNews

Catch up on more Australian and international speedway coverage from MCNews.com.au.

• Latest Speedway news on MCNews
• More FIM Speedway of Nations coverage
• Australia wins 2025 FIM Speedway of Nations in Poland
• Australia through to 2025 FIM Speedway of Nations final
• Australia names McDiarmid, Zischke and Bailey for Prague SON2 campaign
• Brady Kurtz misses 2025 FIM Speedway GP crown by a single point

Related: Madsen wins Prague Speedway GP as Brady Kurtz takes second

Heat-by-heat results

The order shown is first to fourth.
Team scores use SON2 heat scoring of 4-3-2-0.
Fd = fell/disqualified.