UNSTOPPABLE DUTCHMAN KNOL STRIKES AS HE CHOPS PAST RIVALS TO CLAIM 2023 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® EUROPEAN TROPHY

31 July 2023 – Redmer Knol was crowned the 2023 European Trophy Champion yesterday, after a saw-some display of elite wood chopping and sawing axe-tion defeating Swede, Ferry Svan in a thrilling final encounter. Knol and Svan were joined on the podium by Czech Republic’s Matyáš Klíma who secured third place.

The European Trophy made its eagerly awaited return to the TIMBERSPORTS^® circuit, with 17 of the continent’s finest logger sports athletes competing not only for the European Trophy crown, but also for a place at the prestigious 2024 World Trophy. Following a preliminary Time Trial, 16 of the fastest athletes stood to their timbers in a knockout format in front of an electric crowd in Poznań, competing across four iconic TIMBERSPORTS^® disciplines back-to-back: Stock Saw, Underhand Chop, Single Buck and Standing Block Chop.

Groenwald makes early statement in opening heat
In the Round of 16, Poland’s youngster Szymon Groenwald surged ahead of Italian Andrea Rossi by clocking a decisive time of 1:10:35, thanks to the encouragement of the home crowd. Despite registering a personal best time of 1:36:10, Germany‘s Marcel Steinkämper came up short as the powerful Pole Michał Dubicki comfortably progressed to the next heat. Dutchman Redmer Knol and Swedes Emil Hansson and Ferry Svan came out on top in their respective Round of 16 duels, with Belgium’s Koen Martens and Czech Republic’s Matyáš Klíma also overcoming their head-to-heads to proceed into the quarter-finals. 

Experience pays the upper hand for Klíma
As the pace of axe-tion raised and the chips flied off, the quarter-finals saw Klíma deal with the pressure to take out the young gun Groenwald, and Knol overcame Martin Kalina (Czech Republic). In an exciting all Swedish encounter, Svan was too sharp for the defending champion Hansson, and Dubicki hammered through to get the better of Martens to move into the semi-final.

Knol leaves nothing on stage with personal best
Knol showed who’s boss as the Dutchman set a new personal best time of 1:11.22 to strike past Klíma. In a monumental match-up, Svan and Dubicki raised the screams of the crowd, going blow-for-blow, but it was the Swede who came out on top by a hair to set up a showdown with Knol, leaving Klíma and Dubicki to go head-to-head for Bronze.

Knol prevails in moment of truth
Klíma secured third spot after Dubicki unfortunately withdrew due to injury, as the partisan crowd showed their appreciation for their hometown hero. The final went down to the wire, with Svan and Knol stepping up with pure focus. Setting another personal best time of 1:07:78, Knol reigned, defeating Svan by a single blow to become the new European Trophy Champion. Redmer Knol, 2023 European Trophy Champion commented: “I felt quite comfortable; you know what you can do. You can beat some guys and sometimes they can beat you, but if you believe in what you do, it will be good.”

Top ten athletes qualify for the prestigious 2024 World Trophy
Besides the top four, Emil Hansson, Szymon Groenwald, Koen Martens, Martin Kalina, Austria’s Armin Kugler and Pierre Puybaret from France also secured a starting place at the 2024 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS^® World Trophy.