Estonia’s Maarika Lepik crowned women’s world champion in axe throwing

Double-bit axe throwing is a precision target sport which has its roots in North American logging camp history. Competitors stand several meters away from a wooden target and throw a symmetric, dual-edged axe. To score, the axe must complete a single rotation in the air.

A total of 145 hopefuls from 12 countries took part in the three-day World Championships. In addition to Estonia and the host nation, competitors from Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and Switzerland attended.

Lepik is a math teacher at a school in Viimsi by day, and she had posted her previous world championships best result four years ago, with fourth place. Two years ago, she narrowly missed the final, finishing first outside the cut.

This year was Lepik’s year, however, as she scored 48 out of a possible 60 points in the semifinals, tying for second and third place and making it to the final.

That final involved eight women, down to three, one of them Lepik, after five rounds – the competitor with the poorest throw in each round was eliminated.

An Irish axe thrower had already made it to the final with 11 points, but Lepik tied on 9 points with a Canadian competitor, meaning a throw-off beckoned. The first two of these were a tie, but Lepik made the better third throw, to secure her place in the final.

Despite reaching that final second, the Estonian went on to win 12:11, claiming her first world title.

Of other Estonians taking part, Sirje Leini narrowly missed the final, finishing 10th with 40 points. A score of 41 would have been enough to reach the top eight and qualify for the final.

Karol Raidma, the women’s silver medalist at the last event, scored 37 points in the semifinal and finished in a tie for 14th-16th place.

Otto Peet claimed the junior crown for Estonia too. In the junior final, Peet was clearly dominant, defeating his opponent 8-0 in the throws for the gold medal. Also, Emma Liisa Toikka finished fourth for Estonia after posting the second-best result in the semifinal.

None of the Estonian representatives reached the men’s semifinal, reserved for the top 27 competitors, from a field of 96 entrants, though two of these, Kristiar Papstel, tied for 28th-29th and Roland Peet, who came 30th, almost made it.

Marek Peet, one of the driving forces behind axe throwing in Estonia and who also took part in the Bollnäs event, said there is a chance that Estonia will be awarded the right to host the next World Championships in double-bit axe throwing, which take place in 2029.

ERR