After heavy snowfall on Thursday evening, the ski orienteering athletes started out in quiet, sunny weather on Friday morning at the first SkiO World Cup race in Beitostølen, Norway.
The weather had given the organisers some extra hours of work preparing the tracks ahead of the competition to give the athletes perfect conditions in the terrain for the middle distance.
That seemed to suit the current World Cup leaders, Daisy Kudre Schnyder (EST) and Jørgen Baklid (NOR) well, as they went on to take another victory in the World Cup today.
The Estonian kept cool in the dense network of tracks on the 8,3 kilometer women’s course and won 29 seconds of Lisa Lindkvist (SWE) and with Lisa Larsen (SWE) 25 seconds further behind.
– I expected a fast race, so I pushed really strong from the beginning. But it became physically really tough for me. So it was a good, but tough race, Kudre Schnyder said after the race.
Frida Sandberg (SWE), Judita Traubaite (LTU) and Evelina Wickbom (SWE) occupied the following positions on the podium.
The former SkiO- and reigning FootO world champion Tove Alexandersson (SWE) made a comeback to SkiO after four years, finishing eighth in today’s race.
Clear win for Baklid
In the men’s class Jørgen Baklid swept all competition off the field by leading all the way through 9,8 kilometer and winning by just more than a minute.
His closest opponents in the world cup standings Aapo Viippola and Niklas Ekström (both FIN) was second and third respectively.
– It was a pretty good race. I did some minor mistakes, but nothing more than 30 seconds. So I’m very satisfied with my race and the win because the overall world cup standings are pretty tight, Baklid said after the race.
The podium was all Norwegian and Finnish as Björnar Kvåle, Henrik Fredriksen Aas (both NOR) and Eevert Toivonen (FIN) followed behind the top 3.
U23 golds for Lithuania and Finland
While the World Cup winners had to settle for diplomas today, medals were awarded to the U23-athletes competing for their World Championship.
Judita Traubaite (LTU) was crowned U23 World Champion in the women’s class, with Eliane Deininger (SUI) and Elin Schagerström (SWE) with her on the podium.
Niklas Ekström (FIN) who was on the podium in the men’s race as well, could climb another two steps to receive his U23 gold medal accompanied by two Norwegians: Henrik Fredriksen Aas and Isak Jonsson.
Find all results, GPS-tracking and updated World Cup standings at IOF LIVE
After the medal ceremony the snow fell over Beitostølen giving the around 250 athletes at the World Masters Ski Orienteering Championships challenging conditions for their race.
Tomorrow the World Cup round continues with the sprint, where the U23 athletes race for another set of medals.
The race starts at 10.00 CET (UTC+1) and can be followed through IOF LIVE.
Top 6 results
Women
1 Daisy Kudre Schnyder EST 39:59 minutes
2 Linda Lindkvist SWE +0:29
3 Lisa Larsen SWE +0:53
4 Frida Sandberg SWE +1:11
5 Judita Traubaite LTU +1:58
6 Evelina Wickbom SWE +2:02
Men
1 Jørgen Baklid NOR 40:51 minutes
2 Aapo Viippola FIN +1:08
3 Niklas Ekström FIN +1:55
4 Bjørnar Kvåle NOR +2:15
5 Henrik Fredriksen Aas NOR +2:20
6 Eevert Toivonen FIN +2:21
All photos: Erling Thisted / IOF