Workington Comets make history by signing the first female rider to their British Speedway team

Workington Comets make history by signing the first female rider to compete in Britain’s professional speedway leagues in their 2024 team.

Celina Liebmann, a German trailblazer in the sport, has joined the Workington Comets' team seven riders.

The Munich-born 22 year old is the current Female World number one speedway racer.

She had been on the Cumbrian side's radar for several months, having competed in the Women’s Open Championship at Workington’s Northside Arena and scoring a 12-point maximum earlier this year.

Andrew Bain, Workington Comets owner and promoter, said: “When we saw Celina flying around Northside in June, it stuck in our minds. She was very quick that day – her times proved that.

“So come the start of our team building for 2024, her name had to be on the team sheet.

"She already has experience of some of the tracks in the UK from the Women’s Open Championship, so we got in touch with her and straight away her enthusiasm was fantastic".

Liebmann previously made history in 2022 when she became the first woman to appear in the SGP2 FIM Speedway Grand Prix Series.

The 2024 season will see the Comets return to Britain’s second tier for the first time since 2018.

Mr Bain added: "She was very complimentary of the track and how she loved it here in June – so from that, it was easy to get her on board for 2024.

“Celina is adding to an already strong team for 2024 and our fans should be getting very excited! She will be a valuable asset to the team in the Championship next season and we can only see even more improvement from her.”

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...