Favourites Kasper Fosser (NOR) and Tove Alexandersson (SWE) secured clear victories as the 2025 Orienteering World Cup found its first winners in the long distance in Idre Fjäll, Sweden.
In the women’s event, Alexandersson won by just over three minutes over last year’s overall World Cup winner, Simona Aebersold (SUI), while Andrine Benjaminsen (NOR) came in third.
Fosser’s superb victory in the men’s event was more than four minutes. Here, Matthias Kyburz came in second, while Viktor Svensk (SWE) came in third, taking his first ever individual top 3 finish at a World Cup.
Challenging course
An orienteering-technically difficult area early on in the course led to time losses for many of the athletes, who had difficulty navigating on a large slope at high altitude.
In the women’s class, this meant that Tove Alexandersson gained three minutes on Simona Aebersold relatively early on and caught up with the Swiss, and a few controls later Andrine Benjaminsen and Natalia Gemperle (SUI) was also caught.
Tove Alexandersson celebrates her win at the finish line in Idre Fjäll. Photo: Tero Marjamäki, Svensk Orientering
Although the group of four took different route choices on the longest leg of the course, they were close to each other at the finish line and took four places in the top 6.
Outside the group, Sara Hagström (SWE) came in fourth, while Victoria Hæstad Bjørnstad (NOR) ran into the last place in the top 6.
Svensk-brothers fought for top 3
In the men’s class, time was also lost on the first difficult legs, and last-starting Kasper Fosser spotted Kyburz, who had started three minutes earlier, in the open area after about 20 minutes of the course.
The two set a high pace and towards the end also caught up with Emil Svensk (SWE), who was otherwise on his way to third place, but lost time on the longest leg and had to settle for fourth place.
Kasper Fosser showing muscles with Emil Svensk fighting on the last meters behind him. Photo: Tero Marjamäki, Svensk Orientering
Instead, his brother, Viktor Svensk, came in third after a strong race.
Two more Swedes, Martin Regborn and Max-Peter Bejmer, finished fifth and sixth respectively after today’s 16 kilometers in the Swedish mountains.
Results and GPS-tracking in IOF LIVE
Tomorrow the World Cup athletes will have a rest day and celebrate Swedish midsummer, before the World Cup round continues with middle distance on Saturday.
The B-finals begin as early as 12:30 CEST (UTC +2), while the TV broadcast from the A-finals runs from 15:50 – 19:30.
Top 6 results
Women
1 Tove Alexandersson, SWE 1:29:18
2 Simona Aebersold, SUI +3:12
3 Andrine Benjaminsen, NOR +6:12
4 Sara Hagström, SWE +7:39
5 Natalia Gemperle, SUI +9:28
6 Victoria Hæstad Bjørnstad, NOR +9:52
Men
1 Kasper Harlem Fosser, NOR 1:28:13
2 Matthias Kyburz, SUI +4:04
3 Viktor Svensk, SWE +4:59
4 Emil Svensk, SWE +6:01
5 Martin Regborn, SWE +6:03
6 Max Peter Bejmer, SWE +6:27