Motorsport: Prumm wins world championship

Katherine Prumm overcame the pain of a hand injury to win the Swedish women's motocross grand prix this morning (NZT) to become New Zealand's youngest world motorcycling champion.

Prumm, from Pukekohe, who turned 18 last month, follows in the footsteps of Taupo's Ben Townley, who won the 2004 world MX2 title at 19, and fulfils her goal of becoming a world champion before she turned 21.

She arrived at the Uddevalla circuit as the joint championship leader with France's Livia Lancelot on 45 points.

She won the German grand prix by winning the second heat, beating Lancelot.

Troubled by the pain of the right hand that had recently recovered from two broken bones, Prumm was just the third fastest in qualifying behind last year's champion, Stephanie Laier of Germany and Lancelot.

"She was feeling the pain when landing from jumps but she won't need painkillers to race," her father, Erich said from Uddevalla yesterday.

Prumm displayed great determination in rough conditions -- the second heat was run after the men's MX2 and MX1 GPs -- by finishing second behind Laier in the first heat and then, crucially, pushed Laier into second place in the second heat to take the overall win and top spot on the podium.

"The track was rough in the first heat and even rougher in the second because it was the last race of the day," Prumm's mother, Helen, said this morning.

"But she has the ability to pick the smoothest lines available and in the second heat, after getting ahead of the pack she just drew away."

Prumm finished 4 seconds behind Laier in the first heat, but stamped her class over her rival cruising to a 10-second win over the German in the second heat with temperatures reaching 30degC.

Lancelot's challenge faded when she finished 10th in the second heat.

Meanwhile, Josh Coppins continued his successful comeback from a serious shoulder injury by finishing third overall in the MX1 Swedish grand prix, collecting a third and a fifth from the two heats.

Coppins also finished third at the British grand prix two weeks ago.

Defending champion and championship leader Stefan Everts took his ninth straight GP win of the year.

Leading results from the Women's world Cup second round in Sweden today:

Heat 1: Stephanie Laier (Germany) 25 minutes 33.42 seconds 1, KATHERINE PRUMM (NEW ZEALAND) 2, Livia Lancelot (France) 3, Elin Mann (Sweden) 4, Alexandra Haupt (Germany) 5.

Heat 2: PRUMM 24min 39.037sec 1, Laier 2, Jessica Patterson (USA) 3, Mann 4, Larissa Papenmeier (Germany) 5.

Final overall standings: Prumm 94 points 1, Laier 87 2, Lancelot 78 3, Mann 63 4, Haupt 55 5.

- NZPA