Ceremony Day
Results and Closing Ceremony
Back-to-Back Champions: The Final Standings and Highlights of WRTC 2026 in Wyboston!
The „Olympics of Amateur Radio“ has officially come to a close. The World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) 2026 in Wyboston, United Kingdom, delivered 24 hours of non-stop, high-intensity contesting. With 50 world-class teams competing under strictly identical hardware conditions, it all came down to raw operating skill, endurance, and strategy.
Ultimately, the reigning champions proved their absolute dominance by defending their title in a spectacular neck-and-neck race.
The Official Top 5 Leaderboard
Below are the official final top 5 team standings following the intense log adjudication and checking process:
| Rank | Special Call | Team Call / Region | Team Leader | Team Mate | Referee | Total QSOs | Multipliers | Total Score | Error Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MB2M | WRTC2022 Champions | Yuri Oniipko (VE3DZ) | Yaroslav Oliinyk (UW7LL) | Fabio Schettino (IK1HJS) | 5,560 | 487 | 7,460,840 | 0.8% |
| 2 | MB5O | EU #3 Team 1 | Manfred Wolf (DJ5MW) | Ulrich Ann (DM5EE) | Bill Horner (KC7V) | 5,880 | 454 | 7,369,782 | 0.7% |
| 3 | MB1I | EU #6 Team 1 | Emir-Braco Memic (E77DX) | Sven Lovric (DJ4MX) | Robert Lelfgren (AC0W) | 5,861 | 469 | 7,346,885 | 1.1% |
| 4 | MB4G | NA #6 | Daniel Craig (N6MJ) | Chris Hurlbut (KL9A) | Tine Brajnik (S50A) | 5,631 | 462 | 7,062,132 | 0.4% |
| 5 | MB1T | NA #1 Team 1 | Thomas Georgens (K5ZD) | Tom Georgens (W2SC) | Valerie Kustarev (4Z5LA) | 5,664 | 442 | 6,968,572 | 0.7% |
(Note: In alignment with official competition protocol, distinct site layout designations were anonymized into the universally monitored unique special callsigns listed above.)
The Closing Ceremony: Thrills, Presentations, and Prizes
The final official standings were unveiled during a gripping Closing Ceremony. The announcement was led directly by the WRTC 2026 Organizing Committee and members of the WRTC Sanctioning Committee, who praised the extraordinary level of fairness and sportsmanship maintained throughout the weekend.
When Yuri, VE3DZ, and Yaroslav, UW7LL, were announced as the gold medal winners, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause. By securing first place, they achieved a historic back-to-back world championship victory following their previous triumph at WRTC 2022.
What the Winners Took Home
- The Champions Gold Trophies: Beautifully crafted physical awards presented on stage.
- World Champion Medals: Gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded to the top three teams.
- Special Sponsor Equipment: Major corporate partners stepped up to reward the operators. Premium amateur radio equipment—including special-edition transceivers like the custom Icom America IC-7300MK2 and high-end gear from Platinum Sponsors—was presented to the top contesters to celebrate their world-class accuracy and multiplier skills.
Masterful Precision: The Cleanest Log Award
While raw score determines the podium, accuracy is highly respected in radiosport. The Most Accurate Log Award went to the 4th place powerhouse team of Daniel Craig (N6MJ) and Chris Hurlbut (KL9A). Operating under the callsign MB4G, they completed an incredible 5,631 contacts while dropping a nearly flawless 0.4% error rate—proving that lightning speed does not have to compromise precision.
Shaking Up the Future: The YOTA Youth Winners
WRTC 2026 also put a bright spotlight on the future of contesting. The dedicated YOTA (Youth On The Air) group gave the veteran operators a serious run for their money.
The top Youth Team Award was proudly secured by the young guns who showcased unmatched synergy and flawless operations. Their achievements were highly celebrated during the closing presentations, emphasizing that the next generation is fully prepared to take over the amateur radio contesting world.
Congratulations to all 50 teams, the organizers, and the tireless volunteers who made Wyboston 2026 an unforgettable chapter in amateur radio history!
