The SkiO elite fight for ESOC-medals in Latvia

The international ski orienteering season of 2023 will reach its peak, when the European Ski Orienteering Championships begin in Madona, Latvia on Tuesday.

ESOC 2023 features five races: Sprint, middle, mass start, relay and a sprint relay all within six days. The individual races will count in the Ski Orienteering World Cup and in the U23 World Cup as well.

The Junior World Ski Orienteering Championships and European Youth Ski Orienteering Championships are held concurrently.

The races take place around the skiing and biathlon centre south of Madona, which offers a moderately hilly terrain with a maximum height difference of 40 meters and numerous major ski tracks.

94 athletes from 14 nations are registered to compete at ESOC – among them the top 3 athletes in the current World Cup standings for both women and men: 1. Lisa Lindkvist (SWE), 2. Lisa Larsen (SWE), 3. Anna Ulvensøen (NOR) and 1. Bjørnar Kvåle (NOR), 2. Jørgen Baklid (NOR) and 3. Henrik Fredriksen Aas (NOR).

Linda Lindkvist had a fantastic start to the season, when she won all three World Cup races in Tauplitzalm, Austria earlier this month and she leads the World Cup standings by 135 points going into ESOC.

Despite her impressive performances in Austria, she does not feel certain to end up on the podium during ESOC.

– It would be nice to have a medal when I leave. But I’m very proud of my performances and the way I did those races in Austria. I hope to bring that same confidence and the same calmness with me to ESOC and I think it could result in a medal, she told the IOF Podcast in the latest episode.

Follow her and the rest of the best ski orienteers through TV, GPS and live results at IOF LIVE.

The TV-broadcast is 6/20 EUR for one/all competitions.

ESOC 2023 Program
All local times (EET – UTC+2)

Tuesday, Jan 31
Sprint:
First start 10.00

Wednesday, Feb 1
Middle:
First start 10.00

Friday, Feb 3
Mass start:
First start 10.00

Saturday, Feb 4
Relay:
First start 10.00

Sunday, Feb 5
Sprint Relay:
First start 10.00

Go to ESOC homepage / ESOC Facebook / Latvian Orienteering Federation Instagram