AN AXEMAN from Llanuwchlyn will be joining lumberjack athletes from Australia, New Zealand, America, Canada and all over Europe at the Stihl Timbersports 2015 World Champion­ship in Poznan, Poland, this weekend.

Elgan Pugh, 33, has enjoyed a whirlwind year of success after winning Best Woodsman at the Royal Welsh Show before being crowned British Champion at the Stihl Timbersports championship in August.

To cap off an exceptional year, the lumberjack is part of the team representing the UK at this year’s world championship.

The British team will be looking to improve on their performance at last year’s competition in Innsbruck, Austria, where they placed fifth overall in the team event.

Elgan, who runs his own building company in Meirionnydd, suggests he is thrilled to represent his country in the World Championship as an individual athlete and as part of the national team.

“It’s a real honour to be competing in the Stihl Timbersports World Champion­ship and as a member of the British team,” he said.

Spike Milton, former British champion believes the team is looking stronger than ever before.

“The team has been working exceptionally hard at the recent training camps and they are now gelling well as a unit,” Spike stated.

“There is always room for improvement but we have a strategic game plan that has us in a position to do exceptionally well in Poznan.”

“Our team is in great condition and have been training incredibly hard for the past few months, so we are aiming high and hoping to come home with medals”

The tournament consists of six disciplines, three using an axe – Springboard, Standing Block Chop and Underhand Chop – and three using a saw – Stock Saw, Single Buck and Hot Saw.

The sport started 30 years ago in the USA and arrived in Britain in 2012 with the country’s first British Championship.

Lumberjack sports origins go back to 19th century Australia where foresters would compete with each other outside work, putting their forestry skills to the test.