Speedway Junior World Belle Vue summary

Australian duo Rory Schlein and Chris Holder are through to the semi-finals of the 2005 Speedway Junior World Championship after polished performances in the qualifying round at Belle Vue, Great Britain, on May 22.

With the top eight riders guaranteed a part in the semi-final action, Schlien, 20, finished third in the Belle Vue final behind Polish pair Krzysztof Kasprzak and Pawel Hlib, continuing the great form he has showed in this year's UK Elite League.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Holder, the current junior No. 1 in Australia, relished his first big international-level bout, completing the qualifier in sixth position. However, the Appin (NSW) rider did face some real pressure, and required a win in his last heat to keep himself in the mix -- which he duly achieved with victory over the previously unbeaten Hlib.

The other riders who will also advance to the semi-finals are Daniel King (who was fourth at Belle Vue), James Wright (fifth), Martin Smolinski (seventh) and Richard Hall (eighth).

The top eight, along with the same number from the other three qualifiers, will now go into a ballot to ascertain whether they compete in the Polish or Italian hosted semi-finals on June 18.

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