Jacobs competed against eight other contestants from France, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. Second place in the challenge was taken by Dutch operator Tjerk Segers. Both achieved the same score, with Jacobs completing the challenges faster.

"I doubted myself all day, wondering if I was good enough, particularly after the flying bottle challenge didn’t go so well!" Jacobs said. "I’m usually focused on precision and balance, but it was speed that made the difference today.”

The challenge started with nine qualifying rounds hosted by Hitachi dealers across Europe. The national champions then met in Amsterdam to compete in eight fun and engaging skill-based tasks, demonstrating the capabilities of the Hitachi machines.

Jacob's prize for the win is a trip to Japan for two. The competition comes as Hitachi Construction Machinery plans to rebrand to Landcros, with the new brand name coming fully into affect in April 2027.