The 2nd FISU World University Ski Orienteering Championships starts tomorrow in Tartu, Estonia.
Over 70 participants from 14 countries entered this year championships.
All competitions will be held in Haanja, with an arena placed at Haanja Biathlon Stadium. Haanja is located 90 km from Tartu and is the hilliest part of Estonia. Competition terrain is mainly forested with some open areas and a permanent network of groomed ski tracks.
Haanja hosted the IOF Ski Orienteering World Cup and the World Masters Ski Orienteering Championships back in 2003.
Four days of intense competition are in prospect, and the start field promises a fierce fight for the medals.
Two student athletes from Russia – Sergey Gorlanov and Vladislav Kiselev – should be considered as top favourites to win the medals in the men’s class. Gorlanov currently ranked 6th in the Ski Orienteering World Ranking and Kiselev, a multiple Junior Ski Orienteering World Champion, is ranked 13th. Among other contenders we should mention Jyri Uusitalo and Misa Tuomala, Finland, currently ranked TOP20, and Jørgen Haugen Madslien, Norway, who won European title in Relay only two weeks ago.
In the women’s class all eyes should be on Estonian Daisy Kudre, currently ranked 16th in the he Ski Orienteering World Ranking. Anna Ulvensoeen (NOR), Petra Hancova (CZE), Sanna Pusa (FIN), Evine Westli Andersen (NOR) and Isabel Salen (SWE) currently occupy places from 23 to 27 in the ranking respectively, and are among other contenders for the medals.
Championships programme
21.02 – Sprint 11:00
22.02 – Mixed Sprint Relay 11:00
24.02 – Pursuit 11:00
25.02 – Middle distance (mass start) 10:00
All times EET/UTC+2.
You could follow all races LIVE:
– GPS tracking;
– Live results.
Event page: www.wucskio2018.com
The Ski Orienteering entered the programme of the World University Championships officially in 2013, and the first event was held in 2016 in Tula, Russia. Next year the Ski Orienteering will be on the programme of the Winter Universiade for a first time. Krasnoyarsk, Russia will host XXIX Winter Universiade on 2-12 March 2019.