Simon Lizotte put on a show during Thursday's second round of the European Disc Golf Championships in Croatia. Photo: PDGA

Round two of the European Championships in Medimurje, Croatia, is in the basket. While some of the overnight leaders extended their advantages, others failed to match the level of their first-day skill and will now be playing catch up in pursuit of the dream of being crowned continental champions.

To put it succinctly, it’s looking a lot like Lizotte versus Finland.

The No. 1 seed in the Open division, Simon Lizotte, vaulted to the top with a 1063-rated, 10-under par 50 punctuated by a finishing string of six birdies. Lizotte’s course-record performance now finds him at a 17-under par 103 with 36 holes to play. First-round leader and No. 2 seed Seppo Paju was only one back of the German trick shot-meister when his tee shot on 18 faded OB left. Paju then salvaged par by draining a 14-meter (47-foot) putt to restrict his deficit entering round three to just two throws.

Fellow Finn Teemu Nissinen jumped from the third card to third place, matching Lizotte’s 11 birdies and shooting a 9-under par 51. Sitting in fourth and fifth place are two more members of the Suomi horde, Pasi Koivu (-12) and Väinö Mäkelä (-11). Next up are 2018 Finnish National Champion Leo Piironen and another German – former European Junior Champion Marvin Tetzel – in sixth place at 10-down. Estonia’s Silver Lätt will round out Friday’s chase card, but he will start eight throws back.

Finland’s two teenage towers have separated themselves from the pack in FPO. Henna Blomroos went from three off the lead to three in front of compatriot Eveliina Salonen, shooting a scorching 1024-rated, 8-under par 54; that’s the low round so far among the five divisions competing in B Pool. Estonia’s Kristin Tattar and Czech Republican Eva Králová are tied for third, a full 12 throws off Blomroos’ torrid pace. Unless the totally unexpected happens, the two close friends from Suomi will be vying with each other for the gold and silver medal positions.

The top dogs in Masters are putting on their own show. Janne Hirsimäki remains up two on Sylvain Gouge, while Swedish Champ Anders Swärd matched Hirsimäki’s 6-under par 54 for the division best in round two to move up into third place. In Women’s Masters, Denmark’s Lydie Hellgren, who originally hailed from Greenland, is tied at the top with Finlander Anna Elo.

In Grandmasters, the blue and yellow flag of Sweden is flying high with Hans Tegebäck, whose advantage over Spain’s Carlos Rio and Belgium’s Jean-Louis Tanghe is six. A trans-Gulf of Bothnia battle is unfolding among the Senior Grandmasters, where Markku Tohni is in front of defending champ Olle Samuelsson by three.

Among the young guns in MJ18, “Czech-mate” Bohdan Bílek chose a big stage on which to play one of the best rounds of his career, a 1033-rated, 6-under par 54 which saw him jump from third place and into a share of the lead with Finland’s Oskari Vikström. Their two-day total of 114 would place them 14th out of the 87 Open players. Last but not least, the Suomen frisbeegolfliitto colossus has unveiled yet another rising star in Maria Asikainen, whose cushion in FJ18 at the event’s halfway point is a seemingly insurmountable 15 throws.

More sunny skies and hot temperatures are on the horizon for moving day. We would not be wrong in presuming that Finns are accustomed to, and probably play better in, more moderate climes, but there is no such evidence on display here. Stay tuned to live scoring on Disc Golf Metrix to see if Lizotte can hold off the blue and white onslaught, if the other current leaders can maintain their positions, or if the clutch moves come from the chasers. Either way, Friday is bound to find another 18 holes of excitement in beautiful northern Croatia.