Elgan
Pugh from Wales has been crowned the best lumberjack athlete in the country for
the fifth consecutive time at the 2019 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS British Championship,
after breaking his own national record in the final discipline, the Hot Saw.
Hosted
in the picturesque surroundings of Blenheim Palace, as part of BBC Countryfile
Live, the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS British Championship saw the top 12 lumberjack
athletes from all over Great Britain compete in a head-to-head race against
time across six disciplines.
Using an
axe, crosscut saw and chainsaw, competitors are awarded maximum points for the
fastest time in each discipline; Stock Saw, Underhand Chop, Single Buck,
Standing Block Chop, Springboard and Hot Saw.
In a
competition that saw competitors push themselves to the limit, 16 personal best
times were set which kept a packed crowd on the edge of their seats. Whilst
Elgan claimed the top spot, an ecstatic Johnny Lewis came in a close second
reaching the podium for the first time with Glen Penlington taking third
place.
Spike Milton, STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Global Sports
Director, said: “The British TIMBERSPORTS Championship pushes athletes to a new
level of performance and this year was no different with the competitors
showcasing the skill and technique required to compete on the biggest British
stage. Each athlete has completed a rigorous training programme in preparation
for this event and this was clear to see in what was an action packed and
stellar British TIMBERSPORT® Championship.
“We now
look forward to the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS World Championship in Prague, where we
have the difficult decision of choosing Team GB representatives from this great
pool of talent.”
Elgan
said of his victory: “To be crowned the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS British Champion is
a fantastic feeling and one I am very proud of. I have been training
intensively for this event and it’s great to see that it all paid off in the
end.”
To find out more about the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series please
visit https://blog.stihl.co.uk/timbersports/
