Norway and Russia shine during the final day of WUC Ski Orienteering

TARTU, ESTONIA – The fourth and final competition of the 2018 FISU World University Ski Orienteering Championship saw student-athletes compete in the Middle Distance Mass Start at the Haanja Ski Centre in the Baltic nation’s sourtheastern corner.

The women’s competition mixed up the format with one map change and 15 control points for the ski orienteerers to navigate. However, it was once again Anna Ulvensøen from Norway emerging from the Estonian woods victorious in a time of 43:09 for her fourth victory in the second edition of WUC Ski Orienteering. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology was followed my Estonia’s own Daisy Kudre who attends nearby Tartu University. The Estonian’s time was 44:00, and represented her third individual silver medal at this championship. Mariia Petrushko from Russia and Saint-Petersburg State University of Technology and Design won the WUC bronze in a time of 45:30.

The men’s competition consisted one map change and 17 controls and was won by Sergei Gorlanov from Russia. The Pacific State University student finished in 38:24 to take his second 2018 WUC Ski Orienteering gold medal. Vladislav Kiselev of Russia took the silver in 39:49s. The Chaijkovskij State Institute of Physical Training student was followed by Sixten Olof Vilhelm Walhe from Sweden in 39:57s for the bronze.

“I can say only nice words about everything – courses are very interesting and challenging, tracks well pisted, organization seems well done and visual picture of competition centre is beautiful”, Daisy Kudre said after the pursuit competition.

“Ski orienteering is a very snow-dependent sport, but if the snow conditions are good, there are many nice races in Estonia and in neighboring countries,” Ms. Kudre added. “I think Estonia has at the moment a very young and promising team and I think we are going to have a lot of good results in coming years.”

With the competition here in Estonia now completed the best international university ski orienteering athletes can turn their gaze to the 2020 World University Championship event, which will be held above the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, Finland.

Click for the Official Results from the 2018 World Univesity Ski Orienteering Championship:

• Sprint Individual
• Sprint Relay
• Pursuit Individual
• Middle Distance Mass Start