Defending champion Martin Haarahiltunen continues his quest for a fourth successive FIM Ice Speedway World Championship powered by Anlas, Kineo and HKC Koopmann this coming weekend (April 4-6) when the final two points-scoring events of 2025 are staged at Heerenveen in the Netherlands.
This is a press release from the FIM…
- FIM Ice Speedway World Championship powered by Anlas, Kineo and HKC Koopmann to be decided in Heerenveen
- Reigning champion Martin Haarahiltunen defends four-point series lead
- Scandinavian stars lead the charge for coveted FIM gold medal
The 34-year-old Swede, who has dominated this incredibly specialized sport at the highest level since claiming his first title in 2022, heads to the impressive Thialf Ice Stadium for the deciding two days of racing with a slender four-point advantage following the opening weekend of action at Inzell in Germany in the middle of March.
With challengers queuing up to make their attempts at ending Haarahiltunen’s reign, his main opposition in Inzell came courtesy of three fellow Scandinavians, a German and a Dutchman and so close was the competition that following two hard-fought days in the Max Aicher Arena there were six separate podium finishers.
The bronze medallist from last season, Heikki Huusko was the only racer other than Haarahiltunen to make the Grand Final on both days in Inzell and his two-four finishes see him lying in second, just a point ahead of his fellow Finn Max Koivula. Also still firmly in contention and tied for fourth, Sweden’s Niclas Svensson and Germany-born Luca Bauer – who races with an Italian licence – are a further point adrift before a four-point gap to Jasper Iwema who will enjoy home advantage in Heerenveen.
Koivula won on the opening day in Inzell before a pair of disqualifications put him out of the running on day two when Haarahiltunen, who was fourth on the Saturday, put together an unbeaten run of five Heat wins before claiming victory in the Grand Final to move to the top of the points table.
After finishing second on the opening day, Svensson also missed Sunday’s Grand Final when he suffered two disqualifications in the Heat stages while Bauer backed up a solid fifth-place finish on the Saturday with third the next day, one position behind Iwema who recovered well from a disappointing Saturday performance.
While it is highly unlikely that the 2025 champion will come from outside of the current top-five, the remaining medals are very much up for grabs and there are a number of riders who failed to shine in Inzell who could still make their presence felt.
Germany’s Max Niedermaier, the championship runner-up in 2024, took two Heat wins on the opening day, but two disqualifications dropped him out of contention and despite recording four second-placed finishes and a victory in Sunday’s Heats he again failed to make the Grand Final.
In just his second season in the FIM Ice Speedway World Championship, rising Swedish star Filip Jäger impressed in Inzell with sixth on day two and will have his sights fixed on making a Grand Final and riders of the calibre of the Czech Republic’s Lukas Hutla and veteran Austrian Franky Zorn – a silver medalist in 2000 and again in 2023 – all have a point to prove. Sebastian Reitsma will hope to use home advantage to full effect, as will wild card rider Niek Schaap. Unfortunately, Finland’s Aki Ala-Riihimäki is injured and will not be able to race.
For more information on the 2025 FIM Ice Speedway World Championship, visit https://fim-icespeedway.com/
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