18th WUC Orienteering: Swedish dominate Middle Distance

 Women’s Middle Distance Podium

ALICANTE – July 5th, hot weather in Alicante, a 30°C, starting at 8:30 in the morning with the third day of competitions featuring the Middle Distance organised in Santa Pola, 17km from Alicante City.

Santa Pola is a very small fishing village, offering marvelous landscapes and natural spaces.

The landform for this race was a level terrain crossed by steep watercourses in some cases; with height differences up between 20 and 70 meters, with lots of contour details and a lot of stones and rocks.

Asking the participants, all confirmed that this was a very difficult competition and the orienteering competence was forced to be at top to make the race without any mistake. The vegetation with small trees limited the visibility in the most part of the area but still enabled fast running.

In the women’s competition, Sweden could take the gold and silver medals thanks to Lilian Forsgren coming in 29:39, followed by her fellow-country woman Anna Forsberg 1:59 minute later. The Spanish Anna Serrallonga Arques imposed the third place in 32:35, to the great delight of all the Spanish public and the Organising Committee, of course.

Men’s Middle Distance Podium

In the men’s competition, the Swiss Martin Hubman, impressed everyone on taking the second gold the day after winning the sprint competition. His time was 32:49 followed by Hungarian Zsolt Lenkei in 35:10 and the Czech Adam Chromy in 35:41.

It was really a very nice and though competition for all participants.

RESULTS DAY 3

Men’s Middle Distance

Women’s Middle Distance

((Source: Nicole Mangelschots, FISU Staff – Photos: Klas Bingert, Swedish NUSF)