Top four finish for axemen

The New Zealand team finished just out of the medals in fourth place out of a 10-strong field at the weekend’s Stihl Timbersports World Championship in Stuttgart, Germany.

Individual event competitor Jack Jordan from Taumarunui also finished mid-field.

Australia, USA and Canada completed the podium in that order.  

New Zealand finished third behind Australia and USA last year, and last won the teams title in 2017.

The team event involves teams battling against each other in a knockout format across four disciplines: Stock Saw, Single Buck, Underhand Chop and Standing Block Chop.

In the 12-strong individual event field, King Country axeman Jack Jordan was well-positioned in the top third for much of the competition, but a poor showing in the springboard discipline saw him finish seventh overall.

It was the 27-year-old farmer’s first appearance at an individual world championship of the more traditional, long-form format across six different wood-chopping and sawing disciplines.

Jack already holds the world record for the faster-format Stihl Timbersports World Trophy competition that he won in June in the Netherlands.

He earned the right to be the sole New Zealand representative in the individual competition at these World Championships after he topped a 10-strong field at the NZ National Stihl Timbersports finals in March this year.

Australian Jamie Head made it a double victory for Australia by also winning the individual competition.

The 2023 New Zealand team consisted of Jack Jordan, Taumarunui; Bobby Dowling, Southland; Nathan McDonald, Auckland; Chris Lord, Ōtorohonga; and Mathew Gower, Taranaki.