Australian duo Tayla Street and Ruby Chapman produced scintillating performances in the 2026 FIM Women’s Speedway World Cup (WSWC) and revamped FIM Women’s Speedway Gold Trophy (WSGT) in Croatia on July 4.
After two heat victories to set the cast amongst the pigeons, Street then finished fourth in the final of the WSWC – upgraded from Gold Trophy status by the FIM for the first time – behind German powerhouses Hannah Grunwald and Celina Liebmann and Slovakian Anna Hajkova. It was a two-spot improvement for Street on her sixth-place finish in the 2025 WSGT.
Chapman was also in fantastic form as she completed the 2026 WSGT – for under 16-year-olds on 250cc machinery – in second position behind undefeated Brit Demi Blu Harris.
“I didn’t quite have the speed in the final, but after only 14 months on a 500cc laydown solo, to finish fourth in the world is something I’m pretty bloody proud of,” said Street.
“A huge thank you to everyone at Godden Engineering for supplying the engines… to Jacob Street for spinning the spanners and believing in me, mum and dad, all of my sponsors and everyone who has supported me along the way.
“Ready to put in the hard yards again and to come back better and more experience.”
The two competitions were the culmination of a two-day FIM Women’s Speedway Academy, which saw women from nine different countries hone their skills on and off the bike, with coaching from former Speedway GP winner Matej Zagar, FIM Track Racing Commission director Armando Castagna, FIM Speedway race director Phil Morris and FIM Long Track race director Glen Phillips.