The more than 300 participants in the first Orienteering World Cup round of the year tried their hand at Swedish mountain terrain when the qualification race took place on Wednesday afternoon in Idre Fjäll.
Women and men were divided into three heats each and had to complete a shortened long distance of approximately 7.5 kilometers for women and 8.5 kilometers for men.
Elza Kuze (LAT) ahead of Hanna Wisniewska (POL) and Johanna Ridefelt (SWE).
The fastest 20 in each heat qualified for the A-finals in the long and middle distances on Thursday and Saturday.
Athletes from 18 different nations succeeded, while the qualification rules ensure that four more nations will also compete in the A-finals.
The women’s three heats were won by Malin Agervig Kristiansson (DEN), Simona Aebersold (SUI) and Sanna Fast (SWE), while the top places in the men’s race were a pure Swedish home-court celebration with Albin Ridefelt, Anton Johannson and Martin Regborn.
Luke Fisher (GBR) was 15th in Men 2 and qualified for the A-final
Tomorrow, a tough long distance in the mountain terrain awaits and the distances are 13.3 kilometers for the women and 16.2 kilometers for the men with 555 and 620 meters of climbing respectively along the way.
The runners who did not qualify for the A-final will have the chance to run the B-final earlier on Thursday, where there are 5-4-3-2-1 World Cup points for the best placed in top 5.
Ukraine’s Olga Balabanova on her way to the finish.
Thursday’s long distance final can be followed in the high-quality TV-production from 15:45 – 19:50 CEST (UTC +2).
Live results from both A- and B-finals are available on IOF LIVE, where there is also GPS-tracking from the races.
Joseph Lynch (NZL) passing a marsh during the final part of the qualification course. All photos: Erling Thisted/IOF