Last night saw Sweden, Australia, Great Britain and Russia all battle it out in the SWC race-off for the chance to join Denmark and Poland in tomorrow's final. The race-off, like the final, was staged in Gorzow, Poland and the winners and runner's-up would make it to the final. Sweden were the only unchanged side from the initial events with Jonsson, Lindgren, Lindback, Davidsson and Jonasson all keeping their places. Davey Watt was a surprise omission from Australia's event one team but replaced Rory Schlein to ride alongside Crump, Holder, Batchelor and Ward. Unfortunately for Great Britain, Scott Nicholls had to pull out of the meeting due to family reasons, this meant that Lewis Bridger joined Harris, Woffinden, Barker and Kennett. Russia were able to field a full strength team for the race-off but Bandarenko and Darkin failed to keep their places, GP rider Emil Sayfutdinov joins the side but the other GP rider Artem Laguta still missed out. His brother Grigory does make the side with Denis Gizatulin joining alongside Povazhny and Gafurov, resembling the Russia team from two years ago.
Sweden got off to the best start with Jonsson taking the opening heat. Holder and Batchelor took heats two and three before Davidsson and Jonasson kept Sweden in contention. After five heats Australia lead on eleven points with Sweden second on ten despite winning more heats. Britain were third on five with Russia not making a good start on four.
Heat six saw Gafurov get excluded for having both of his wheels leave the track. There was no restart which meant that Lindgren kept his win but Britain's Kennett was promoted to third. Laguta won Russia's first heat in the seventh with Sayfutdinov quickly following it up. Heat nine saw Povazhny take out Jonsson and was subsequently excluded, Barker was able to win the restart for Britain's first victory of the night. Crump took heat ten to extend Australia's lead. After ten heats Australia led with twenty-two, Sweden remained second with seventeen, Russia had taken third with eleven and Britain were now last with ten.
Heat eleven had to be restarted due to an unsatisfactory start, but there seemed to be nothing wrong with it. Harris was playing Britain's joker and managed to finish second in the restart behind Davidsson. Holder took heat twelve with Jonsson taking heat thirteen. Britain overtook Russia with Harris securing the win in heat fourteen before Crump continued Australia's dominance. After fifteen heats Australia were on thirty-three, Sweden were now just four points ahead of third on twenty-three, Britain were now third on nineteen with Russia on fifteen.
Britain were handed a massive lifeline in heat sixteen as Lindgren squeezed out Woffinden, Woffinden couldn't stay on and ended up also causing Povazhny to crash. But it was Lindgren who was excluded and Woffinden took full advantage by winning the restart. But Sweden quickly regained the points as Lindback beat Harris to the chequered flag. Batchelor took heat eighteen but Barker managed to beat Davidsson into second, this was followed up by Laguta taking heat nineteen with Bridger beating Jonasson to third place. Sweden did have the gap cut to just two points but Jonsson won heat twenty with Kennett last to all but end Britain's hopes. After twenty heats Australia had forty-one, Sweden had thirty-two, Britain twenty-seven and Russia twenty-two.
Sayfutdinov took heat twenty-one with the joker to earn Russia six points to over-take Britain. Jonsson then did the same with Sweden's joker to ensure their place in tomorrow's final. Batchelor took heat twenty-three with Crump taking heat twenty-five. Heat twenty-four was restarted as Lindback false started but all four were able to restart, Sayfutdinov also took that heat. The result saw Australia win with fifty-one points, Sweden are also through with forty-four, Britain managed to keep third with thirty-three with Russia last on thirty.
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