Stihl Timbersports reached a historic milestone with the conclusion of its first-ever Women’s World Championship.
Ten athletes from four continents competed for the inaugural world title, showcasing the growing strength and international reach of women’s timbersports. Canada’s Andrea Hand emerged victorious to become the sport’s first Women’s World Champion. Around 3,000 spectators over the weekend witnessed the inaugural Stihl Timbersports® Women’s World Championship in Vajdahunyad Castle in Budapest’s City Park, creating a memorable atmosphere throughout the competition.
Fans generated tremendous support for athletes from every nation, providing a fitting stage for a landmark moment in the sport’s history. Across four disciplines, the athletes produced world-class performances, including one new world record, 14 national records and six personal bests.
Andrea Hand secured the title with a consistent performance throughout the competition and a time of 26.11 seconds in the Underhand Chop, finishing ahead of Czech athlete Karolina Urbanová and American Lauren Bergman. “It’s such a steep field of women out there, so to get the opportunity to compete I don’t know if there are words to describe it, it’s amazing”, said Andrea Hand.
“Stihl Timbersports made a huge statement to give a world stage to women in this sport and believing in us, I truly thank them.” One of the standout performances of the evening came from Karolina Urbanová.
The Czech athlete not only claimed the silver medal but also set a new Standing Block Chop World Record with a time of 22.99 seconds, becoming the first world record holder in Women’s World Championship history. “I’m a silver medallist, I have world records on my accounts, so what is more to wish for, it’s awesome”, said Urbanová.
“Everything just came together and this is the result. It’s great!” The championship also featured dramatic moments throughout the field. Australia’s Takiah Moore Barrett recovered from an early disqualification in the Stock Saw, while athletes continued to push performance standards across all disciplines.
The crowd witnessed six national records in the Single Buck alone, underlining the depth and competitiveness of the inaugural championship. Lauren Bergman of the United States completed the podium in third place after another strong international performance, saying: “I’m very happy, very excited to be here and feeling blessed.
“I made some mistakes today and the other girls jumped on but overall, I had a great day, had some personal bests so I can’t complain about that. Karolina broke my World Record today so my names off the books for that, but I’ll always have this bronze medal so that’s great.”
The inaugural Women’s World Championship represents a significant step forward for Stihl Timbersports and reflects the continued growth of women’s participation in the sport globally. With athletes from four continents competing at an elite level and setting new performance benchmarks, Budapest provided a fitting stage for a historic first chapter in Women’s Timbersports history.
