MAGIC SALUTES POLISH PAIR

Polish star Maciej Janowski hailed his compatriots for racing so close to Monster Energy FIM Speedway of Nations gold in his absence on Sunday.

Janowski was forced out of Final Day 2 after being left battered and bruised following a collision with Swedish under-21 Filip Hjelmland on Saturday, forcing boss Marek Cieslak to draft in Patryk Dudek.

Despite Bartosz Zmarzlik scoring 35 points from a possible 36 over two days to lead Poland into the Grand Final, they were pipped to gold by hosts Russia, who made it back-to-back Monster Energy SON wins.

Janowski paid tribute to Zmarzlik’s heroics and Dudek for bagging six points, despite coming into the Togliatti meeting with no practice.

He said: “They did a really good job and it was so close.  A final after a two-day meeting is a little bit of a lottery. I am very proud of the boys. They really put in 100 percent.

“Bartek lost only three points including the final and he was amazing. He was really good on this track. He found a good setup and really brought home a lot of points for Poland.

“Patryk didn’t have practice. He rode here in the GP Challenge in 2017, but he was in a really hard position before the meeting. After one heat, I think he found a good setup and then it was better and better. I think he did his job.”

Janowski revealed he was suffered in the days after Sunday’s crash. “I hurt my foot,” he said. “That’s the main thing – but also the shoulder, hips and collarbone. My whole body is very tired!”

Despite that knock, he hopes to practice soon, return to racing with PGE Ekstraliga side Wroclaw when they host Grudziadz on Sunday and then compete in the Betard Wroclaw SGP on August 3.

But he told Przeglad Sportowy: “I have to go home and rest for a while. I need a massage or something like that. I still have very stuck muscles and I need a few shoulder treatments.

“However, it seems to me that everything will be okay and I will be able to appear in the match on Sunday.”