Finland’s Elisa Mattila and Sweden’s Axel Elmblad are new Junior World Champions in Sprint after the first competition day at the Junior World Orienteering Championships in Aguiar da Beira, Portugal.
The courses in the old city of Carapito offered technically demanding orienteering where seconds could easily be thrown away in the narrow roads.
But Elisa Mattila kept cool and avoided any time loss and at the finish, she was 13 seconds ahead of silver medalist, Lilly Graber, SUI. Anna Karlov (CZE) was six seconds further behind and got the bronze medal.
In the men’s class, Axel Elmblad stepped up from last years bronze medal at the JWOC 2021 in Turkey and won by impressive 26 seconds. Tobias Alstad (NOR) was second, while three athletes shared the bronze, Mikkel Holt (NOR), Basile Basset (FRA) and Ilian Angeli (ITA).
Dive into results, GPS and video from today’s sprint at IOF Live.
JWOC will continue on Wednesday with the Sprint Relay, which is added to the JWOC program due to the ban on forest activities in Portugal.
Results
Women
1. Elisa Mattila, FIN 14:57
2. Lilly Graber, SUI 15.10
3. Anna Karlova, CZE 15:16
4. Pia Young Vik, NOR 15:20
4. Hanne Hilo, FIN 15:20
6. Tifenn Moulet, FRA 15:22
Men
1. Axel Elmblad, SWE 13:45
2. Tobias Alstad, NOR 14:11
3. Mikkel Holt NOR, 14:13
3. Ilian Angeli, ITA 14:13
3. Basile Basset, FRA 14:13
6. Pablo Ferrando, ESP 14:23
Photos: JWOC2022 / Suzana Luzir