GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN — Team USA went axe-to-axe with the best lumberjack athletes in the world last weekend in front of a raucous crowd of 3,000 at Partille Arena in Gothenburg, Sweden, for the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® 2022 World Championships.
Matt Cogar.
The U.S. team won a major upset over New Zealand, finishing second out of 20 countries, while Matt Cogar, seven-time United States Champion, placed second in a nail-biting finish during the Individual finals.
Every Second Matters
Brad De Losa of Australia edged out Matt Cogar (Grafton, West Virginia) for the Individual World Championship by one point in a thrilling finish to regain the title he first won in 2013.
Cogar stormed out of the blocks, taking an early lead with a blistering time of 18.59 seconds in the Underhand Chop. He also finished first in the Standing Block (15.70) and Springboard (48.94) in dominant fashion – more than 10 seconds faster than the closest competitor in Springboard. Stepping up to the last heat of the Hot Saw with a five-point lead, Cogar fell agonizingly short of the time to beat and earned his fourth silver medal.
Down Under for the Gold
Glen Gillam.
After a two-year absence, the Team World Championships returned in full force with Team Australia (AKA the “Choperoos”) walking away with the gold medal.
Twenty nations from around the world chopped and sawed their way through the exhilarating team event, which features four of the best athletes from each country running one discipline each in a relay-style elimination format.
Team USA featured an all-star roster consisting of Matt Slingerland, Matt Cogar, Jason Lentz, and North Fork’s own Nate Hodges. The Americans set up a blockbuster final with the Aussies after shocking the crowd by beating New Zealand in a closely contested semifinal.
Nate Hodges.
But the men from down under were unstoppable and axe-ace Glen Gillam delivered the decisive blow in the Standing Block Chop to ensure the Aussies retained their title, with a blistering time of 52.96 seconds.
World Championship returns to Germany in 2023
STIHL TIMBERSPORTS is excited to announce that next year the World Championships will be held in Stuttgart, Germany, at the Porsche-Arena on November 3-4, 2023.
Team Rankings (Top Three)
- Australia
- United States
- New Zealand
Individual Rankings (Top Three)
- Brad De Losa, Australia
- Matt Cogar, United States
- Marcel Dupuis, Canada
Relive all the action on the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS YouTube channel at youtube.com/c/STIHLTIMBERSPORTSUS/streams.
Full results can be found at data.stihl-timbersports.com.
About STIHL TIMBERSPORTS®
STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® is an international extreme sports competition series. Its roots lie in Australia and New Zealand as well as in Canada and the United States. Today, the world’s best athletes compete in national and international events featuring three axe disciplines and three sawing disciplines.
Springboard, Underhand Chop and Standing Block Chop are the classic axe disciplines; Single Buck (single-man cross-cut saw), Stock Saw (standard chain saw) and Hot Saw (tuned, customized chain saw with up to 80 horsepower) are the sawing disciplines. Athletes compete against each other and the clock.
For more information on the sport, the tools and the wood management please visit stihlusa.com/stihl-timbersports.
Check out this short video on Matt Cogar!
