Sweden Claims First Gold at European Ski Orienteering Championships in Finland

POSIO, Finland – The Swedish team secured the first gold medal at the European Ski Orienteering Championships, which kicked off on Thursday morning in the picturesque Kohtilathi terrain of Posio, Finland. The competition's opening event, the Sprint Relay, showcased an impressive display of skill and strategy from the athletes.

Sweden's winning duo, Magdalena Olsson and Jonatan Ståhl, demonstrated exceptional teamwork and performance, leading the relay for most of the six legs. The event saw a total of 25 teams participating, all eager to compete in the brilliant sunny weather that Northern Finland provided. Among the competitors, the Finnish team of Amanda Yli Futka and Niklas Ekström posed the most significant challenge to the Swedish team.

The early stages of the relay were tightly contested, with only seconds separating the leading teams from Sweden and Finland. However, as the race progressed into the hilly terrain, Olsson made a crucial move on the fifth leg. She extended Sweden's lead, achieving the fastest times on all her legs during the race. This strong performance allowed Jonatan Ståhl to maintain a 42-second lead heading into the final leg.

Ståhl completed the final 2.3 kilometers without losing his advantage, crossing the finish line to secure the gold medal. Finland's Niklas Ekström followed, earning the silver medal 19 seconds behind Ståhl. Norway's team, led by Styrk Kamsvaag, captured the bronze medal, finishing 38 seconds later. Kamsvaag was paired with Anna Ulvensøen, who previously won gold in the Sprint Relay at the last ESOC two years ago.

The results were notable as Estonia, Bulgaria, and Switzerland rounded out the top six positions. Estonia's team, consisting of Doris Kudre and Olle Ilmar Jaama, finished fourth, followed by Bulgaria and Switzerland.

ESOC Sprint Relay Top 6 Results:

  1. Sweden (Olsson, Ståhl) – 47:06 minutes
  2. Finland (Futka, Ekström) – +0:19
  3. Norway (Ulvensøen, Kamsvaag) – +0:38
  4. Estonia (Kudre, Jaama) – +2:21
  5. Bulgaria (Grigorova, Belomazhev) – +2:54
  6. Switzerland (Giezendanner, Boos) – +3:46

In addition to the senior events, the Junior World Ski Orienteering Championships and European Youth Ski Orienteering Championships also commenced on the same day. The competitions witnessed strong performances from both Finland and Sweden. Finland emerged at the top in the M20 category, followed closely by Czechia and Latvia. In the W20 category, Sweden secured a large victory over Czechia and Norway, continuing their dominance in the sport.

For further details, including results, GPS tracking, streaming, and photos, viewers can visit the IOF LIVE platform. The first start for Friday's Sprint races is scheduled for 11:30 EET (UTC +2) for the women and 12:15 for the men’s class, promising another exciting day of competition at the championships.