2022 FISU World University Championship Orienteering: four countries shared all the gold

Switzerland, the host country, Sweden, Finland and France won all the gold medals at the 2022 FISU World University Championship Orienteering, which just ended in the area of Biel-Magglingen.

This big four actually gathered all the medals except one: German orienteer Colin Kolbe managed to earn bronze in Sprint. Swiss athletes were dominant in the first days. After clinching gold in sprint (women), long-distance (women and men), the local team also won the sprint relay (mixed).

But then came Ida Haapala of Finland and Viktor Svensk of Sweden, who prevailed in the middle-distance race, navigating precisely in a technically highly demanding Jura mountain forest with steep uphill and downhill passages.

And on the last day, the French women team surprisingly – but not undeservedly – won a thrilling relay competition, while in the men section, Sweden’s victory was never really in doubt at the end.  

More than 250 student-athletes from 27 nations competed in Biel-Magglingen.

All the results at a glance:

Sprint Women – 1. Eline Gemperle (SUI) 11:47 ; 2. Inka Nurminen (FIN) +0:19 ; 3. Cécile Calandry (FRA) +0:22

Sprint Men – 1. Jonathan Gustafsson (SWE) 11:30 ; Timo Suter (SUI) +0:08 ; 3. Colin Kolbe (GER) + 0:23

Long-distance Women – 1. Katrin Müller (SUI) 1:13:01 ; 2. Ida Haapala (FIN) +3:46 ; Anu Tuomisto (FIN) +4:26

Long-distance Men – 1. Fabian Aebersold (SUI) 1:18:43 ; 2. Simon Imark (SWE) + 0:31 ; 3. Mathieu Yves Perrin (FRA) + 0:48

Sprint Relay Mixed – 1. Switzerland 50:39 ; 2. Sweden + 0:43 ; 3. Finland +0:55

Middle-Distance Women – 1. Ida Haapala (FIN) 31:09 ; 2.  Katrin Müller (SUI) +0:03 ; 3. Elisa Mattila (FIN) +0:34

Middle-Distance Men – 1. Viktor Svensk (SWE) 32:10 ; 2. Simon Imark (SWE) + 0:15 ; 3. Mathieu Yves Perrin (FRA) +1:04

Relay Women – 1. France 1:55:12 ; 2. Switzerland + 0:06 ; 3. Finland +0:12

Relay Men – 1. Sweden 1:59:50 ; 2. Switzerland + 1:13 ; 3. Finland + 1:41