WoO-TV has prepared a runthrough video of the last (and decisive) part of the mens course in the WOC 2008 long distance final with a headcam. Alongside the video the map along with a GPS track is shown in a split screen and the running speed in minutes/km. Headcam-runner is Jan Kocbach.

Video quality is not the best. Thus, this is considered another video piece for the specially interested orienteer. Still - it is nice to see exactly what kind of challenges the competitors met when comparing with the map.

Enjoy the video!

• Map long final men

Pictures from todays Relay have now been added to the country pages which give pictures and results of all runners sorted by country. The WOC history by country has also been updated with the results from todays WOC Relay.

World of O Runner profiles and World of O Ranking will be updated within the next day(s). This concludes the WOC 2008 coverage at World of O. Thank you to all visitors and all feedback given.

• Pictures and results from WOC 2008 sorted by country and runner
• See also all historic WOC results by country going back to 1966

After a very exciting last leg, Great Britain got the gold medal before Russia in the mens class in the WOC Relay in Olomouc, Czech Republic. France was in the lead in most of the last leg, but at the end of the leg the crowd went quiet as the last leg runner of France, Thierry Gueorgiou, was observed walking in the forest.

When Gueorgiou arrived walking at the finish, it turned out that he had been bitten by an insect, and got an allergic reaction, and therefore had to break of the race. Gueorgiou is said to be in no danger.

Historic gold medal for Great Britain

This was the first gold medal for Great Britain in the relay. Graham Gristwood run a very good first leg, Graham Gristwood changing over as number 4 after the first leg. Jon Duncan ran an excellent second leg for Great Britain, coming first to the changeover. Jamie Stevenson was caught up by Thierry Gueorgiou of France in the start of the leg, and soon also Russia with Valentin Novikov passed Stevenson. In the very exciting finish Novikov made a mistake, and Jamie Stevenson could take in Great Britain to a surprising victory.

Switzerland finished in 3rd place for a bronze, and Czech Republic got 4th.

Results

• Online results
• Map

Finlands Minna Kauppi took home the gold medal for Finland in the WOC relay after a very strong last leg where she caught leading Switzerland with 3 minutes - and in the end was more than 2 minutes ahead of Russia in second spot with Sweden in third spot for the bronze. This was the first medal for Lindeqvist and Rantanen in the Finish team, and it was also the first relay medal for the Russian women.

Notably also that China managed an impressive 7th spot! Winning women’s team Finland were 7th after the first leg and 5th after the second. Russia were 1st and 3rd before finishing 2nd. Sweden were 2nd and 2nd before finishing 3rd. Switzerlands Vroni König-Salmi ran a very impressive second leg for Switzerland, and sent Switzerland to a clear lead. Swiss anchor Lea Müller kept the lead for about half of the leg, but was then passed by several runners.

Results

• Online results WOC Relay women
• Map with course will be available at the same link in the left column after the mens relay

For those of you who have not had the possibility to run through the WOC 2008 Middle course, woO-TV has prepared a runthrough video of the first (and tricky) part of the womens course with a headcam. Alongside the video the map along with a GPS track is shown in a split screen.

Note that the runthrough was done after the competition, and it was therefore rather dark, and some of the controls were already removed from the forest. No music this time either - only the breathing of the headcam operator. Thus, this is considered another video piece for the specially interested orienteer. Still - it is nice to see exactly what kind of challenges the competitors met when comparing with the map.

Enjoy the video!

• Map middle final women

Dana Brozkova’s gold medal in the long distance was the first World Orienteering Championships gold medal ever for Czech Republic in the womens class over the long distance. The bronze medal of Francois Gonon was also the first ever medal for France at the long distance at a WOC - and also the first ever individual WOC medal for France for anybody except Thierry Gueorgiou. - Finally we have managed to get anotherone up there along with Thierry, Team France coach Petter Thoresen said after the competition.

Finally, Marian Davidik of Slovakia also set a record for Slovakia. His 6th spot was the best ever spot for Slovakia in the long distance in a World Championship (not counting the years when Slovakia and Czech Republic were one country).

• WOC 2008 records
• See Czech WOC history
• See France WOC history
• See Slovakia WOC history

Pictures of most runners from todays Long Final have now been added to the country pages which give pictures and results of all runners sorted by country. The WOC history by country has also been updated with the results from todays WOC Long distance.

• Pictures and results from WOC 2008 sorted by country and runner
• See also all historic WOC results by country going back to 1966

Very popular gold medals for Dana Brozkova (CZE) and Daniel Hubmann (SUI) at the long distance at the World Orienteering Championships in Olomouc today. In both cases there was a tough fight between the medalists all the way to the end - the races being decided only in the very tricky last loop of the race. Silver and bronze went to Marianne Andersen (NOR) and Annika Billstam (SWE) in the womens class and Anders Nordberg (NOR) and Francois Gonon (FRA) in the mens class.

- A great feeling

- I did not understand that I was fighting for the gold medal here at the spectator control. I hoped I was fighting for a medal, but I did not know that I was fighting for the gold, Brozkova said after celebrating her victory. - This is really a great feeling!

Lost the gold - and a contact lens

Marianne Andersen was in the lead in most of the race, but in the end she had to see Brozkova beating her. - I felt that I lost the gold medal today, Andersen said after the race. - I had a very good start of the race, but lost my contact lens after about one third of the race, and I think that cost me some time.

For Andersen this was her third individual silver medal after silver medals in both Middle and Long in Denmark in 2006.

A dream come true

- It was a dream since years to win one of these gold medals after so many silver medals, said Hubmann who has previously won three WOC silver medals and four EOC silver medals.

- After the sprint, I was really happy with my race. But of course these two seconds was not a good feeling. And after the middle distance were I was fourth after doing a minute mistake I was really unhappy. But today I only looked forwards, and I managed to keep the focus on the orienteering. I managed to stay calm even if I was very nervous in the end.

Results and maps

The course got a lot of praise from the competitors. - I liked the course. It was a good mix with many routechoices, and some tricky controls in the end, silver medalist Marianne Andersen said after the race.

• Results men
• Results women
• Map with courses

While waiting for the WOC Long Final, it may be interesting to take a look at the Grouping analysis from the Long Qualification. As expected, there is not too much grouping in the qualification, as there is a random starting order (except for start groups) in the qualification. For the final, the starting order is based on the qualification results with the potentially best runners starting in the end, and thus the chances for grouping are significantly better.

Let us hope that grouping of runners which influences the results does not occur in the WOC Long distance finals this year.

The grouping analysis below is again made by Henning Spjelkavik. Note that the splits files where on a somewhat strange format, and that there might be some inaccuracies. Please leave a comment below if you can spot an error.

MENA

MENb