PRESS RELEASE: Sweden and Norway Won Gold in World Championship Relays – Finland Took Bronze in Men’s Relay

Both the Swedish women and Norwegian men claimed dominant victories in the orienteering World Championship relays. Behind the gold medal teams, there was a fierce battle for the other medals. Finland won bronze in the men’s relay.

The relay competition on the final day of the orienteering World Championships provided an exciting spectacle for over 10,000 spectators gathered at the Puijo ski stadium.

In women’s relay Sweden broke away from the other teams on the second leg. Sanna Fast, who started the second leg, arrived at the exchange with a two-and-a-half-minute lead. Tove Alexandersson had an easy task anchoring Sweden to victory. Hanna Lundberg ran the opening leg for Sweden. There was a tough battle for the other positions between Norway, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Finland.

On the anchor leg, Norway and Switzerland managed to break away from the others. For a moment, it seemed that long-distance world champion Simona Aebersold could catch Norway’s Andrine Benjaminsen, but Aebersold made a serious mistake when she thought the map was to be exchanged at the competition center control and threw her map away. The map for the final loop was on the other side of the map, and Aebersold had to go back to retrieve it. This cost her about 40 seconds, and Norway secured the silver.

The Czech Republic’s Tereza Rauturier and Finland’s Venla Harju fought evenly for fourth place. Rauturier’s final sprint was stronger, and the Czech Republic finished fourth, with Finland in fifth.

The men’s relay was more balanced. The top six teams of the first leg came to the exchange within 16 seconds. Finland’s Topi Syrjäläinen was impressively second, just three seconds behind France’s Mathieu Perrin. On the second leg, Norway’s Eirik Langedal Breivik and Switzerland’s Fabian Aebersold broke away from the others. Finland’s Akseli Ruohola exchanged in third, but already more than two minutes behind Norway.

At the start of the anchor leg, it looked like Norway and Switzerland would decide the fate of the gold, while Finland, Sweden, and France would fight for the bronze. Norway’s Kasper Harlem Fosser gave Switzerland’s Matthias Kyburz no chance and broke away to victory.

The bronze battle seemed to be between Finland and Sweden. Sweden’s Max Peter Bejmer initially appeared stronger than Finland’s Miika Kirmula. However, Bejmer got confused at the controls and ultimately did not find the fourth-to-last control at all. Kirmula also had difficulties with the same control, and France’s Lucas Basset caught up with him.

Despite being exhausted, Kirmula managed to keep fighting for the medal. “After the mistake, I just thought about running as fast as possible, as I knew there would be a tough competition with France. I’ve been in the same situation with Basset a few times and trusted myself, although you should never underestimate your competitors.” “I doubted that the chances for a medal were gone. I only heard the situation as I approached the arena,” Kirmula said.

Orienteering World Championship Relay

Women (5,2 km – 5,2 km – 5,5 km)

Sweden: Hanna Lundberg, Sanna Fast, Tove Alexandersson, 1:41:32
Norway: Pia Young Vik, Marie Olaussen, Andrine Benjaminsen, 1:44:00
Switzerland: Paula Gross, Natalia Gemperle, Simona Aebersold, 1:45:32
The Czech Republic.: Denisa Kralova, Lucie Dittrichova, Tereza Rauturier, 1:46:18
Finland: Amy Nymalm, Ida Haapala, Venla Niemi, 1:46:29

Men (6,5 km – 6,5 km – 6,2 km)