[theo_luddite]

A longer catchup than usual after Monday's post got wiped out.

We have a new leader (you may have noticed) in Shep and only a few points behind, AmChaff is our new tail-end Charlie (or Charlotte).

Points were awarded to SCO, SHEP, ritchie and myself after Bartosz Zmarzlik did just enough to pip Brady Kurtz to the FIM Speedway Grand Prix Title last Saturday at Vojens in Denmark. Kurtz did enough to win his 5th Grand Prix on the bounce by winning the Final but needed Zmarzlik to finish 3rd or 4th. After some jockeying for places on the first lap, Zmarzlik came out in 2nd place and held on for a 1 point win. We can argue where that one point difference came from all day long. Total points in the Grand Prix's only would have had them level. Zmarzlik came out of the Sprint Races with that one point difference but if you go all the way back to the first Sprint Race at the start of the season in Landshut, Germany, Zmarzlik was 1st and Kurtz was 2nd.

Zmarzlik now joins Speedway legends Ivan Mauger and Tony Rickardson on 6 wins each, though it wasn't a Grand Prix format back when Kiwi Mauger was the fastest guy on 2 wheels at shale shifting. Rickardson won the last of the old format World Championships in the mid 90's and won 5 of the next 10 in the current Grand Prix format.





Congrats also to Brit Dan Bewley who secured 3rd place by beating Freddie Lingren in the LCQ, but he couldn't help his Belle Vue team mate to the title.

In the RL Egg Chasing, Wakey's Wakefield caused a bit of an upset last weekend when they beat Hull KR to set up a final set of fixture's where another big win for Wigan v Leeds tonight could have seen them overhaul The Robins if they lost their final match at home to Warrington. That was played last night and Hull KR squeaked home 28-20. That means we've no points to award in this seasons prediction as Wigan were the last hope for a few of us.
Additionally Hull FC were beaten by Catalans at home last night and missed out on a potential play-off spot, so not a good night to be an Airlie Bird. Final fixtures tonight will decide the final play-off positions, though only Leeds and Leigh can now swap places.



Predicitions for the Super League Grand Final were set back in February at the start of the season, so no chance to change your mind now, but it looks like we're all in with at least half a chance of stopping Hull KR mopping up all the trophies this season.

The RL Championship has been won by York this season and their play-offs start tonight with Bradford v Featherstone and Oldham v Halifax, all looking to get through to semi-finals v Toulouse and York.



Both sets of play-off's follow the same theme. Maybe the EFL could learn something from this format though whether the outcome would be any different, who knows? The National League seems to use a similar format to decide the 2nd promoted club.

In the Ladies RU World Egg Chasing Chamionship we're at the Seni-Final Stage, with both games being played at Brizzle's Ashton Gate, tonight and tomorrow.



Other stuff we're not involved in.

World Championship Athletics has been going on all week in Japan and the Brits haven't been that great. Early in the week there were various long distance events like marathons that were great for insomniacs but coverage seems to be at respectable hours now, if you don't have to go to work. We've a Silver so far thanks to Jake Wightman, with big hope's for Keely Hodgkinson in the 800m and Katarina Johnson-Thompson in the Heptathlon but otherwise we're getting a few finalists who despite running, jumping, throwing their best, they obviously ain't on the same (ahem) supplements that some who have improved their bests are on. Or maybe we just don't train hard enough? There's something lacking in the sushi? Hmm. Comeback in 5-10 years time for the revised medal tables.

I'll do an update of our North 'mercan Sport predictions on Monday.

Have a good weekend folks.