TIMBERSPORTS® World Trophy & RWCH 2024: Svan, Hansson, and Pedersen in Tough Heats Against the World's Elite
Over the weekend, both the TIMBERSPORTS® World Trophy and Rookie World Championship took place in Milan, Italy, at the Allianz Convention Centre. Swedes Emil Hansson and Ferry Svan, along with Dane Esben Pedersen, stood for and faced tough competition from the world's best athletes.
On Saturday evening, the TIMBERSPORTS® World Trophy was held, where professional athletes Emil Hansson and Ferry Svan represented Sweden. They delivered very close heats, finishing just seconds behind the favorite nations, the USA and New Zealand. Among a total of 16 top athletes, with a new world record and several personal bests, Hansson secured a Nordic record and a fifth place, followed by Svan in sixth place.
After qualifying and winning the first elimination round, Ferry Svan faced reigning champion Jack Jordan in the quarterfinals. Svan's time of 1:04.03 was not enough to beat New Zealand's Jordan, who later won the competition and set a new world record in the Trophy format of 52.53 seconds.
"I am both satisfied and a bit disappointed, of course – mainly because I didn't progress further. I aimed higher, but the competition was tough. I felt a bit rusty in the first rounds, but then it all came together as we went along. Now we have the Nordic Cup next weekend, so I’m heading back home to recharge, repack the gear, and head out again," says Ferry Svan.
Emil Hansson also advanced from the first round but faced American star Matt Cogar in the quarterfinals. Hansson finished the last event just one second behind Cogar, with a time that became both his personal best and a Nordic record (1:00.10 seconds).
"There’s always something you can improve in your performance, but I am incredibly satisfied with my last race and the competition overall. We’re getting closer and closer each year – next year we’ll get them. It’s a good start to this season, and with a personal best, I feel that my form is strong," says Emil Hansson.
Tough Competition in the Rookie World Championship
On Saturday afternoon, the Rookie World Championship took place, where Danish athlete Esben Pedersen competed against eleven of the world's top rising stars for the world champion title. After the first discipline, Underhand Chop, followed by a misjudgment in the Stock Saw discipline, Pedersen was disqualified, resulting in a tough journey through the championship. After intense competition and challenging events, Pedersen placed twelfth.
"It is, of course, a big disappointment. I have prepared and trained well, and it’s unfortunate that I couldn’t show my best today. This was my last competition as a Rookie, but now I am really looking forward to moving up to the Pro class and continuing to develop there," says Esben Pedersen.
In the end, Australia's Matt Coffey emerged as the winner of this year's junior world championship. The silver medal went to Belgium's Kamiel Van Raemdonck, and the bronze went to New Zealand's Cleveland Cherry. For Pedersen, this was his last competition in the Rookie class, as he now moves up to the Pro category. His next competition will be the Nordic Cup, June 1-2 in Sweden.
All competition results from the World Trophy 2024 and Rookie World Championship 2024 are available here.
Watch the live broadcasts of the competitions afterwards here.
