Dominik Kubera will take part in the finals of the Individual Junior World Championships for the third time in a row. The Pole is gradually climbing up the general classification and now he would certainly like to try to get involved in the fight for medals.
Dominik Kubera was one of those riders that could be expected at the rate of the best youth in the world. There was no surprise on the track and the Pole easily passed the elimination round in Stralsund, where he scored 14 points and took second place. The player lost only to Denmark's Frederik Jakobsen, who defeated him in an additional race.
- I'm trying to make every season better for me. I do everything to present a higher and higher level. I work hard and work on equipment to get as fast as possible. Left I have two years in the junior position, so maybe I will be able to fight for a gold medal - says the speedway rider.
This is not impossible, because from year to year Dominik keeps getting better at the Junior World Championships. When he debuted in the cycle in 2017, he took the distant twelfth place in the general classification, while in the previous year he placed fourth, with a loss of 11 points to the medal zone. He did not fall behind the top five in any of the three final tournaments. Where did such a sharp improvement come from?
- I think that I developed a much greater self-confidence and I wanted to show myself. I was also in the third place range, and besides, it was a really good season in my performance, so all this contributed to the fact that this result was much better. I am glad that I keep on record progress - reveals "Domin".
Dominik Kubera knows what he is talking about, because a year ago he became the Individual European Junior Champion in Stralsund, and on Polish soil he reached for the second consecutive gold of the Polish Team Championships with the parent Fogo Union Leszno. He also finished the performances with a nice touch in the Individual World Junior Championships, because in the last round in Pardubice he took third place and for the first time in his career he stood on the podium of individual competitions of the junior championships. He had to wait a bit, because in the previous five rounds in which he participated, there was always something missing.
- It's nice that we managed to stand on the podium. There were also a year ago in Leszno, but then I was excluded from the finals. I rate the entire cycle on the plus, all rounds, not only the one in Pardubice. It was, however, a special moment because I stood on the podium and my friend Bartek Smektała became the World Champion. You can say that this success tasted to me twice, because my colleague's victory is also great - says Dominik Kubera.
This year's competition in the World Junior Championships will not be easy for Dominik Kubera, because the medalists from before the year will certainly not want to give up their positions, and the other participants will try to attack high places. Robert Lambert sharpens his teeth for something more than just a bronze medal, which he has already won twice, and Maksym Drabik would like to come back to the top, after he was pushed away from him, and Bartosz Smektała would do anything to be the first Pole to defend gold. In this situation, the question arises whether this year at the top of the general classification can come to a duel of two riders from Leszno?
- I think that this battle will be, but always when we race with Bartek, we do it fair. Nobody does not particularly drive the road. We drive so as not to hurt ourselves. Last year I really looked amazing to him. Although we were rivals in the competition, in fact, we are great buddies. We grew up together and wanted him to win this World Champion - betrays the athlete.
Dominik Kubera comes from the Leszno community, which for many years has been famous for training young people at a very high level. It turns out that this also has a positive impact on the results achieved in international competitions.
- Leszno invests heavily in the development of juniors and I think it brings results. We can only thank the activists that they have so much focused on training young people and help us become good players. The trainers are working with us all the time to make us ride even better. They catch our mistakes, approach us and explain what we are doing wrong and how we should improve it. They tell us what to focus on, and this translates into our results - says Dominik Kubera.
In the home team, the Leszno citizen has the opportunity to commune with world-class players who have already gained a lot of experience and have recorded many successful successes such as Emil Sajfutdinow, Jarosław Hampel, Janusz Kołodziej and Piotr Pawlicki. How do you find it?
- On the one hand, it is difficult, because it is known that he wants to catch up with older colleagues who ride in a really good style. We have a very strong team, so I, as a junior, want to be on the same level as the guys. On the other hand, it also gives such a powerful kick. The best is that how you are not going, they approach you and try to help you. Then it is certainly easier to collect in itself - explains Dominik Kubera.
That's all it takes to present his great motivation to succeed. It's the best forecast that he will not give up at the Junior World Championships and do his best to fight for the best result. Now the only question is whether this time he will be able to break through the wall, created by other players, reporting their aspirations to fight for medal positions?
