– Damn, how nice, wow! shouts Oliver Berntzon after the long-awaited SM gold.
– There have been so many attempts and so many failures. I don’t know what to say, wonderful. Right now it feels absolutely fantastic, continues a victorious Berntzon for SVT Sport.
After the 5-1 victory in the 13th heat, Mateusz Cierniak and Kacper Woryna rode around with Lion flags in celebration. There was a hug party inside the court and the golden hats went forward before the final could continue in front of 6,375 people.
The victory was written at 49-41 after 15 heats, which over two games was 96-84.
The lions from Gislaved won two years in a row in 2008 and 2009 but have not won any more SM gold since then – until tonight.
The lions got off to a great start when they won the first heat 5-1. Mateusz Cierniak started last, but managed to pass tire drivers Brady Kurtz and Timo Lahti already in the second corner on the first lap.
The Danish had equalized in the fourth heat
The Pole managed to win the heat ahead of teammate Dominik Kubera and give the team a flying start – when they led by eight points in total, but the gold was far from secured.
After the fourth heat, the Danish led 14-10 and it was exactly the same overall (the Lions won the first meeting 47-43).
When five-time world champion Bartosz Zmarzlik won the eighth heat, his first win of the evening, ahead of Oliver Berntzon, the Lions took a 28-20 lead, twelve points up and an iron grip on the SC gold.
– I am very happy after waiting far too long to become Swedish champion. I am very proud, says Zmarzlik, who as recently as Saturday became world champion at home in Torun.
– Yes, it is very close to being given with two gold medals, says Zmarzlik, who hopes to drive for Gislaved next season as well.
The Dacians made a match of it for a while but admitted defeat.
– Of course you are disappointed, but they crushed us. If we were to succeed here, we had to perform at our highest level. We were in the race when we led by four points but then we couldn’t take it and the energy ran out and I take my hat off to them and a well-deserved SM gold, says the Danish team manager Mikael Teurnberg.