The ice speedway European Championship final held in Varkaus on Saturday evening (21 February 2026) turned into a breathtaking thriller in front of nearly 2,000 spectators. The evening was packed with drama that culminated in Finnish celebrations.
Heat battles
Following strong performances in the heats, Finland’s Max Koivula and Sweden’s Niclas Svensson qualified directly for the final. The two remaining final places were claimed via the last-chance heat by Finland’s Heikki Huusko and Czech rider Lukas Hutla.
Koivula shot into the lead from the start, with Huusko on his heels, followed by Hutla and Svensson — who, however, made a riding error and crossed the wrong side of an inner-track marker line, resulting in his disqualification.
“Huusko’s superb racing line and nerve held all the way to the chequered flag”
Just as the first lap was completed, Koivula’s engine gave up the ghost and his ride came to an abrupt halt. Huusko moved into the lead with Hutla right behind, pressing the Finn hard. Even in the final corner of the last lap, Hutla attempted to pass the Finn but failed.
And so Heikki Huusko was crowned European Champion. The title is the first for Huusko, who works for Toyota’s WRC rally team in Jyväskylä, and naturally an unforgettable one. Hutla took the silver and Koivula was awarded the European Championship bronze.
The spikes are long and sharp
The European Championship final in Varkaus drew a surprisingly large crowd of nearly 2,000 people. A light snowfall and an increasingly rutted ice surface pushed the riders to their limits, but conditions were the same for everyone.
A few spectacular-looking crashes were witnessed, but fortunately no one appeared to be seriously hurt. All in all, it was a superb event that will go down in history as one of the fiercest battles.
Text: Tapio Vuori
Photo & Moto reportage