World of O News
[Press Release – 06/07/09 – Mario Facchini – Newspower Press Office]
– First races today, in Valle di Primiero (Italy) for the Jr. World Orienteering Championships
-The sprint race was held in the centre of Imer and Mezzano
-Switzerland and Sweden on the first steps of the podium
-Tomorrow the Long Distance at Passo Rolle
After the opening ceremony which took place yesterday in the main square of Fiera di Primiero, in Trentino region (Italy), the Junior World Orienteering Championships and the Orienteering 5 Days of the Dolomites started officially with the first day of competitions.
In the morning, the 5 Days of Dolomites started, an event that will last until Saturday and will explore many of the woods and forests of the Primiero Valley and its surroundings. This first stage was characterized by a wet start, but despite the light rain, all the 3600 competitors decided to take part into the opening race. A lot of enthusiasm and an healthy craving for sport pushed all the competitors, from an age of 5 and up, during this first stage, turning it into a real orienteering party.
In the afternoon, the sun started to make its way through the clouds and warm up the little town of Mezzano di Primiero, venue of the opening event of the JWOC, a sprint race that sneaked its way along the small and narrow streets of the village. The race was very technical, characterized by difficult turns and many shifts of pace, and many athletes had some problem to find their way in a village that, eventually, turned into a maze.
In the end, the winners were Jenny Loennkvist from Sweden among ladies, and Matthias Kyburz from Switzerland among men. Loennkvist, a 20-year-old girl from Tullinge – a town in the nearby of Stockholm – was able to take her fourth gold medal in the JWOC, after the gold taken in 2007 in Australia in the middle distance and the two gold medals of last year championships held in Sweden, in the relay and in the long distance event.
“The feeling of getting the first gold two years ago was bigger, but it’s always good to win”, smiles the Swedish girl. “Today I did’nt make any mistake, but I had to stop some times. It was so difficult. Sprint isn’t so difficult in Sweden. I think this is the most challenging sprint I’ve ever done and I really like it that way!”. Filling up the podium, two young girls with the same finish time: Tereza Novotna (CZE) and Ida Bobach (DEN), with a shared-second place that made them both very happy.
The men’s event was characterized instead by the team success of Switzerland: four Swiss in the first 6 positions, two of them on the podium. “Our coach Sven Moserberger, has focused a lot on sprint. This success is also due to him”, smiles Matthias Kyburz, the winner and “captain” of the team for the sprint event. Matthias is a 19-year-old boy who lives close to Basel and has done orienteering since 2002. His race was incredible and the young Swiss was able to avoid every mistake and build up a good gap on the other competitors. His success concretized also thanks to a mistake made by the strong Swedish athlete Jerker Lysell, who missed a control, losing precious time and finishing in 27th position. The other Swiss on the podium was Martin Hubmann – little brother of the senior champion Daniel Hubmann – who took bronze. Second position for Milos Nykodym (CZE), who was able to keep the good tradition of the Czech Team in sprint events, gathering a medal for the third time in a row in this event in the last three years.
Tomorrow it will be time to change distances and the JWOC and the 5 Days will move to the top of the Passo Rolle, where the long distance events are scheduled, starting from 9:30 a.m.
Info: www.jwoc2009.it
SPRINT MEN
1) Kyburz Matthias (Sui) 14:43; 2) Nykodym Milos (Cze) 14:56; 3) Hubmann Martin (Sui) 14:58; 4) Howald Florian (Sui) 15:00; 5) Bobach Søren (Den) 15:01; 6) Howald Severin (Sui) 15:04; 7) Bjugan Mathias (Nor) 15:16; 8) Boström Olle (Swe) 15:18; 9) Bergman Gustav (Swe) 15:20; 10) Johansson Kalle (Swe) 15:24
SPRINT WOMEN
1) Lönnkvist Jenny (Swe) 13:34; 2) Novotna Tereza (Cze) 14:02; 2) Bobach Ida (Den) 14:02; 4) Kirk Fiona (Sui) 14:15; 5) Arnesen Mari Jevne (Nor) 14:16; 6) Jenzer Sarina (Sui) 14:26; 7) Myhre Ingjerd (Nor) 14:27; 8) Vinogradova Natalia (Rus) 14:43; 9) Roos Elena (Sui) 14:44; 10) Falk Beata (Swe) 14:48
