Strongest Lithuanian Firefighters Took Part in 2024 World Firefighter Challenge Championship
Strongest Lithuanian Firefighters participated in the XXXII World Firefighter Challenge Championship, which took place on 21–26 October 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee, the United States of America.
The event brought great results for the Lithuanian representatives. “We come from a small country, but we have probably the strongest firefighters in the world, said team leader Mr Andrius Ašmontas. In the qualifying races, where personal best times are combined, two Lithuanian teams, namely, the men’s team (consisting of Mr Lukas Leonavičius, Mr Karolis Gražinis, Mr Remigijus Balčiūnas, Mr Gintautas Samauskis and Mr Romualdas Vilimas) and the mixed team (consisting of Ms Regina Bartkutė, Mr Andrius Ašmontas, Ms Dovilė Gideikaitė and Mr Marius Gasparėnas) overcame significant deficits in the last races (6 seconds in men’s, 10 seconds in the mixed team) and won the championship titles.”
During the relay races on the last day, the Lithuanian mixed relay team won silver medals (Ms Bartkutė, Mr Ašmontas, Ms Gideikaitė, Mr Gasparėnas and Mr Balčiūnas). The Lithuanian men’s relay team (Mr Leonavičius, Mr Gražinis, Mr Balčiūnas, Mr Samauskis and Mr Vilimas) won the third place. Mr Leonavičius won the third place in the World Championship.
The eldest Lithuanian representative Mr Romualdas Kazlauskas, who participated for the first time at this level of competition, won a silver medal in the individual race and a bronze medal in the team relay in the category of age 65–70.
During this Championship a big round of applause was given to Ms Bartkutė, who achieved excellent results. She won 6 medals in all three colours: gold in the aforementioned best team category, where personal best times are combined; gold in the mixed team relay (category of age over 40) with representatives from Ukraine, Germany, Norway and Slovenia; gold in the women’s team relay (category of age over 40) with her US teammates; silver in the women’s doubles (category of age over 40) with her teammate from Germany; silver in the aforementioned mixed relay with Lithuanian representatives and bronze in the individual women’s category of age over 40. Ms Bartkutė and her teammates also broke several world records.
Ms Gideikaitė won a gold medal in the women’s team relay with teammates from Ukraine and Poland. Mr Laimonas Kivilius made it to the Lion Den Club (completed the course in less than 2 minutes).