Stratford-born axeman Jack Jordan has claimed a historic fourth consecutive Stihl Timbersports World Trophy title and set a new world record time of 50.84 seconds in Hungary.
Competing in Budapest over the weekend, the former Taranaki Bulls rugby player produced a dominant display to set a new world record and win one of the sport's most prestigious events.
He steadily built momentum throughout the knockout competition and recorded his fastest time of 53.22 seconds in the quarter-finals.
Jordan then faced American competitor Matthew Cogar in the final.
He secured the crown after flawlessly navigating the high-speed format, which requires athletes to race through four woodchopping and sawing disciplines in one continuous run.
"I feel great, it's great to be able to come over here and succeed," Jordan told reporters after the event. "It's been tough going. All the training you put in at home, you sometimes wonder what it's for when you have no competition. To get over here and put on a performance like that, I'm extremely happy about it."
The victory is particularly satisfying for the 29-year-old, who balances his international sporting career with running a sheep and beef farm in Taumarunui.
Jordan is already the reigning individual world champion after winning the title in Milan last year, and he holds five New Zealand championships.
The World Trophy format leaves no room for error.
Competitors race head-to-head through the stock saw, underhand chop, single buck, and standing block chop.
The faster athlete moves on to the next round, while the slower athlete is eliminated. A single missed cut or slow transition can end a run entirely.
"There was a lot of pressure in that final, so I had to try and put on my best performance," Jordan said. "To come away with the win is great."
Fellow New Zealander Mathew Gower added to the celebrations in Budapest by winning the Rookie World Championship.
Gower topped a field of 12 emerging athletes and finished ahead of competitors from Australia and Belgium with a combined time of one minute and 32.37 seconds across five disciplines.
