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Lithuanian triumphs at European excavator operating competition

Lithuanian triumphs at European excavator operating competition

He missed the perfect score by just 2 mm

A 10-meter-long trench, a target depth of 75 cm, and a deviation of just 2 mm.

That’s the result achieved by Sergej Fronskij, representing Lithuania, in the final of the European construction equipment operators’ championship “LANDCROS European Operator Challenge” in Amsterdam. Although the Lithuanian finished ninth overall among representatives of nine countries, he outperformed all competitors in the trench-digging event.

On September 10–11, the first “LANDCROS European Operator Challenge” final, held at the headquarters of Hitachi Construction Machinery Europe in Amsterdam, brought together the winners of national qualifiers from Lithuania, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, and Italy.

Operators performed eight different tasks using tracked and wheeled excavators as well as wheel loaders. Speed wasn’t the only factor being judged — each event allowed for up to 100 points: 40 for speed, 50 for precision, and 10 for skill in machine handling. Penalties were given for mistakes, and violating safety rules could result in disqualification.

The European champion title went to Belgium’s Guy Jacobs. He and second-place finisher Tjerk Segers of the Netherlands finished with an equal number of points, so the winner was determined by who completed the tasks faster. Third place went to Portugal’s Márcio Romão.

A 10-meter trench — just 2 mm off

Lithuania was represented at the European final by Sergej Fronskij, an operator with the company Litvar. He earned his spot in Amsterdam by winning the Lithuanian LANDCROS qualifier in Vilnius this past April, held during the RESTA trade fair and organized by Alwark, a company specializing in handling, storage, and other specialized equipment.

The Lithuanian representative performed best in the trench-digging event. Operators had to dig a trench roughly 10 meters long with a target depth of 75 cm. Depth was measured at several points, and the smaller the deviation from the set value, the more precision points were awarded.

Fronskij deviated by just 20 mm from the 75 cm target — the best result among all nine European finalists, which earned him first place in the trench-digging event.

He also did well in another precision task, in which competitors had to use an excavator to arrange the letters “LANDCROS” — he was just one dropped letter away from completing the task flawlessly.

“All the events were very interesting. Some seemed fairly simple at first glance, but once we got started, it became clear that everything was quite a bit more complex. It required not just precision, but also the ability to quickly adapt to different machinery and tasks. I’m coming back with valuable experience and a promise to myself to spend more time honing my technical skills,” says S. Fronskij.

A well-rounded operator needs more than experience on just one machine

According to Vaidotas Kviklys, Alwark’s marketing manager who attended the final, this kind of competition differs from an operator’s everyday work in that it’s not enough to be excellent at handling just one type of machine.

“Sergej’s strength is his extensive experience working with excavators, and that was very clear in the trench-digging event. But in the championship, operators have to switch from one machine to another and adapt to it in a very short time. At the same time, they need to think about speed, precision, and safety. It’s a completely different challenge than everyday work with equipment you know well,” says V. Kviklys.

Two of the final’s events were performed using wheel loaders. In one, competitors had to complete an obstacle course; in the other, they had to load a set weight of material as precisely as possible and transport it. According to Kviklys, it was experience with this type of machinery that the Lithuanian representative lacked the most.

“The overall placement doesn’t tell the whole story here. Winning the trench-digging event showed Sergej’s very high professional level working with an excavator. At the same time, the final clearly revealed just how broad a skill set a well-rounded operator needs — the ability to quickly get to grips with different machinery and operate it precisely even when it’s not something you work with every day,” notes Kviklys.

Lithuania among the participants of the first European final

The first European LANDCROS final was held at the central headquarters of Hitachi Construction Machinery Europe in Amsterdam. Hitachi Construction Machinery is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of construction and quarry equipment, and starting in April 2027 the company will be renamed “LANDCROS Corporation.”

According to Kviklys, what mattered wasn’t just Fronskij’s result, but Lithuania’s participation itself in this first-of-its-kind European final.

“It’s great that Lithuania was among the nine European countries with representatives at the very first championship. Lithuania’s name was visible at Hitachi Construction Machinery’s European headquarters, and Sergej even won one of the events. Competitions like this also show very clearly the level of equipment operators we have in Lithuania — when a ten-meter trench comes down to just 2 millimeters, you understand how much precision, experience, and feel for the machinery this work demands. We’re also bringing back new ideas for tasks and judging criteria from Amsterdam, which we’ll be able to apply when organizing operator competitions in Lithuania in the future,” says Kviklys.