Team USA and Matt Cogar Capture Silver at 2026 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® World Championship

Released November 2, 2026

Americans end Australia’s six-title team winning streak as Cogar adds individual silver with a U.S. record and Hot Saw victory

Stuttgart, Germany – November 2, 2026 – Team USA and Matt Cogar delivered under pressure to capture silver in both the team and individual competitions at the 2026 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® World Championship. The Americans toppled six-time defending champion Australia to reach the team final, while Cogar powered to an individual podium finish with a U.S. record in the Underhand Chop and the fastest Hot Saw run of the night.

The world's premier lumberjack athletes descended on Stuttgart, Germany for an action-packed World Championship in front of sold-out crowds of 6,500 fans each night at Porsche-Arena. The Team World Championship brought together competitors from 20 nations on Friday, October 30, followed by the world's 12 best athletes battling for the individual title on Saturday, October 31. Both competitions demanded clean cuts and steady nerves, with fractions of a second separating victory from defeat

Team USA Charges to Silver and Ends Australia’s Winning Streak

Team USA – featuring Mark Bouquin (Springville, N.Y.), Matt Cogar (Grafton, W. Va.), Nate Hodges (North Fork, Calif.), Jason Lentz (Diana, W. Va.), and Matt Slingerland (Sevierville, Tenn.) – combined power, speed and split-second precision to earn second place in the fast-paced four-discipline relay competition. The Americans battled across Stock Saw, Underhand Chop, Single Buck and Standing Block Chop against the world’s top lumberjack teams.

Team USA surged past Sweden in the quarterfinals with a season and personal best of 44.78 seconds, setting up a semifinal showdown with defending champion Australia. In a back-and-forth relay battle, the Americans held their nerve to edge Australia by just 0.08 seconds, halt their run of six consecutive team world titles and punch their ticket to the final.

The Americans saved their fastest run for the final, completing all four relay disciplines in 44.37 seconds to shave another 0.41 seconds off their team personal best and capture silver. Canada’s world-record 41.30-second run secured its first Team World Championship, while Australia fought back to defeat Poland in the bronze-medal matchup and round out the podium.

"This team delivered when it mattered, pairing powerful cuts with the split-second precision the relay demands," said Adam Wolff, USA Team Manager. “Ending Australia’s six-title winning streak took an incredible effort, and our athletes followed it by posting their best time yet in the final. Bringing home silver against this caliber of competition is something to be proud of, and it gives us plenty of motivation heading into next season.”

Cogar Powers to Individual Silver with a U.S. Record

Back on stage for Saturday’s Individual World Championship, Cogar finished in the top three in three of the six demanding disciplines. He chopped his way to a U.S. record of 11.28 seconds in the Underhand Chop, then closed with the fastest Hot Saw run of the night at 5.35 seconds to secure his second silver medal of the weekend.

Cogar’s 64-point total placed him behind Australia’s Brayden Meyer, who won gold with 80 points, and ahead of Canada’s Ben Cumberland, who earned bronze with 54 points. The individual competition spanned Underhand Chop, Stock Saw, Standing Block Chop, Single Buck, Springboard and Hot Saw.

“I’m very happy with today. The fans are so passionate and just being able to say, ‘Hey, I pushed through, dug deep and made it onto the podium’ is awesome and all I could ask for,” said Cogar. “Stuttgart was such an electric place to be and it holds a very special place in my history.”

A Double Silver Finish in Stuttgart

Set against the backdrop of STIHL’s 100th anniversary, the two silver medals capped a standout World Championship for the United States on the sport’s biggest international stage. The result reflected the power, precision and composure required to break through an increasingly competitive global field.

With the final cuts complete in Stuttgart, Team USA closes the 2026 season with renewed determination, carrying its momentum into 2027 as American athletes continue to make their mark on the world stage.

INDIVIDUAL FINAL RANKINGS (TOP THREE)

• Brayden Meyer (Australia) – 80 points
• Matt Cogar (United States) – 64 points
• Ben Cumberland (Canada) – 54 points

TEAM FINAL RANKINGS (TOP THREE)

• Canada
• United States
• Australia

Full results from the 2026 STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® World Championship can be found at https://data.stihl-timbersports.com/. Fans can relive the action of the 2026 World Championships on the STIHL website at www.stihlusa.com or the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® YouTube and Facebook pages.

About STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® 

STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® is an international lumberjack sports competition series. Its roots lie in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. Today the world's best athletes compete in national and international events featuring three axe disciplines and three sawing disciplines. Springboard Chop, Underhand Chop and Standing Block Chop are classic axe disciplines; Single Buck (single-man cross-cut saw), Stock Saw (STIHL MS 661 chainsaw) and Hot Saw (tuned, customized chainsaw with up to 80 horsepower) are sawing disciplines. Athletes compete against both each other and the clock. For more information on the sport, the tools and the wood management please visit: www.stihl-timbersports.com.