Last year, Celina Liebmann became the second woman to race in the Polish leagues after Sindy Weber started a match for Polonia Pila in 2019. But this year, on Friday 30 July, the 20 year old became the first woman in speedway history to score points in a Polish league match. She came in second place in Heat 2 behind fellow German, Norick Blödorn. He will represent the country at the Junior World Championships which start in their home nation on 4 September.
Liebmann is in her second year racing in eWinner 2 for German team, MSC Wölfe Wittstock, the Wolves, the club where Lukas Fienhage had a tremendous season in 2020. He is only two years older than Liebmann and, not surprisingly, she wants to emulate her former teammate.
So far she does not have an official heat average, but after six heats her score would be 0.333, “I am always happy when I can start in the league,” she tells us.
Like many other riders, she “caught” speedway from her family as her father was an ice speedway rider. She did at training session at the speedway track in Olching and is still racing for the club this season in the Bayern Cup as well as representing the Black Forest Eagles for the Team Cup.
But wasn’t it much harder to race in Poland’s famous third division than in Germany?
“It wasn't harder than I thought in the Polish league,” she says matter-of-factly, “I knew it was going to be tough, but you always need a challenge to get better. The best thing, of course, was that I'm the first woman to score points in the Polish league,” she adds with understandable pride. She goes on, “Now, I'm hoping for more appearances in the Polish league to get even better”.
Perhaps surprisingly, however, the 20 year old’s major goal for the season was not related to her performances in Poland but back home in Germany, “I've already achieved my goal for 2021. I wanted to be among the top six in the German U21 championship”.
That competition has already happened at her home track, Olching on 18 July. It was won by her Wittstock teammate, Lukas Baumann who, like second placed Blödern, has gone on to qualify for the Junior World Championships.
“I did it! I finished fifth,” she says triumphantly.
Liebmann is leading the way for woman in world of speedway. Let’s hope there are many following in her wake in our great sport.
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(N.B. The picture shows German rider, Kai Huckenbeck, who races for rival German club, Landshut who also compete in eWinner 2 league in Poland).
