Lebedev finishes sixth at Riga Grand Prix as Zmarzlik claims third win at Bikernieki
The eighth round of the FIM Speedway Grand Prix world championship took place at Riga's Bikernieki track, with Poland's Bartosz Zmarzlik winning while Latvia's leading rider Andzejs Lebedev placed sixth.
On Saturday, August 8, the Bikernieki track in Riga hosted the DeWALT FIM Speedway Grand Prix of Latvia – Riga, the eighth round of the 2026 FIM Speedway Grand Prix world championship season. Six-time world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik of Poland won the event, beating Robert Lambert of Great Britain and Brady Kurtz of Australia in the final. It was Zmarzlik's third career win at the Bikernieki circuit.
Latvia's Andzejs Lebedev qualified for the last-chance heat after the main program but finished second behind Kurtz there, missing out on a place in the final. He placed sixth overall in the Riga round, scoring 11 points. His day included a crash in heat 16, after which he was excluded from the rerun, though in his final qualifying heat he recovered from another fall to finish second and add seven points to his tally.
Latvia's second rider, Daniils Kolodinskis, who competed in Riga on a wildcard invitation, finished the event in 15th place with two points. A mechanical issue ended his first heat early, but he later picked up points, including holding off championship points leader Kurtz in his final race.
Overall standings
Following the Riga round, Zmarzlik reclaimed the championship lead with 129 points after eight rounds. Kurtz sits second with 125 points, and Lambert third with 119. Lebedev climbed to ninth in the overall standings after Riga, now on 60 points.
Lebedev said afterward that competing against the world's best riders is always difficult, as they quickly find the optimal line around the track, but thanked the home crowd for their support. Zmarzlik expressed happiness with the atmosphere in Riga and his performance.
The season's ninth round takes place on September 12 in Vojens, Denmark.
