Nordic TIMBERSPORTS® history was written when the 2023 World Championship was decided
The Porsche-Arena, Stuttgart, hosted the World Championships in TIMBERSPORTS® 2023 over the weekend of November 3–4. During Friday's team competition, the Swedish national team placed ninth, while Norway took a step up from last year to tenth place. However, it was 22-year-old Swede Emil Hansson who stole the headlines during Saturday's individual competition, where he shocked the big nations and took home Sweden's and the Nordic region's first ever silver medal.
– I can't find words, I didn't expect this when I woke up today. I'm very happy with a second place - it's crazy that I am only 22 years old and standing on the podium with a silver! says Emil Hansson.
Over the weekend, the TIMBERSPORTS® World Championship 2023 was held, in Stuttgart, Germany. Sweden's Emil Hansson made his WC debut last year in Gothenburg and entered the Porsche Arena with more experience and as fourth in the European ranking. When the dust and sawdust had settled after the individual competition, Hansson had fought his way to a historic second place in this year's world championships and shook the world elite along the way. The silver medal is the Nordics' first ever podium finish in an individual TIMBERSPORTS® world championship and also the first time a Nordic athlete qualifies for the final round. World champion was Jamie Head from Australia. The bronze went to Germany and Danny Martin.
In the WC's individual competition, the athletes must complete the disciplines Underhand Chop, Stock Saw and Standing Block Chop. Athletes receive points based on their speed and only the top eight advance to the second round, where the Single Buck and Springboard events await. The six athletes with the highest points from the first two rounds advance to the third and final round, where crowd favorite Hot Saw awaits. Here, too, the highest points are awarded to those who saw the fastest, and the athlete who has accumulated the most points in total after all rounds wins the competition.
Swedish disappointment in the team competition
The evening before, the team competition in the WC was decided, where Sweden and Norway represented the Nordic countries. The team competition means that the four disciplines Stock Saw, Underhand Chop, Single Buck and Standing Block Chop must be cut in order and in the fastest possible time, with one athlete at each station. Sweden was pitted against Switzerland in the first round of the competition. After a thrilling battle, Sweden was eliminated from the team competition with a time of 1:02:07 – after a costly mistake in the Single Buck.
– The goal was to get under the minute but the cookie broke off in Single Buck and it cost us a few seconds. Had that not happened, we would have been under the minute, says team captain Calle Svadling.
– It's important not to be too eager, but it's very difficult in this atmosphere when the audience is cheering, adds Ferry Svan.
The Norwegian team steps up
The Norwegian national team showed perseverance and promising progress in the championship. After making it to the first round of the competition via "last chance", the journey ended against the great nation of New Zealand - despite a strong time of 1:09.59. This meant that Norway ended up in tenth place in the competition, just behind the Swedish national team, and that the Norwegians improved by a full five places compared to the 2022 team competition.
World champions in the team competition were once again Australia, who won their fourth consecutive WC gold. Just like last year, the Australians travel home with double gold. A total of 13,000 spectators watched the WC 2023.
Watch the live broadcasts from the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® WC 2023 here.
For full results from Individual World Championship 2023, read more here.
For full results from the Team World Championship 2023, read more here.
