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OK Pan Århus on top: Clear victory in Venla relay

Jan Kocbach June 14, 2014 Orienteering News Comments Off on OK Pan Århus on top: Clear victory in Venla relay

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The Danish favourite team OK Pan Århus took their second Venla relay victory in a row after very strong performances by all four runners. Signe Søes decided it all on the first 2 km of the second leg – catching up 1 minute to the lead and opening a gap to the rest. Maja Alm and Ida Bobach did no mistakes – in the end the gap down to Tampereen Pyrintö was nearly 4 minutes.

Photo: Jukola Twitter account

Emma Klingenberg started the show for OK Pan Århus – struggling a bit in the start, but finishing well – handing over the map to Signe Søes 59 seconds behind Karoliina Sundberg (Lynx). Sundberg finished second behind Minna Kauppi last year – this year she took it herself with Kauppi out with illness.

Linné and Domnarvet lost the relay already on the first leg – Halden also got a quite big gap up to the leaders.

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(Click for results)

Second leg: Søes brings OK Pan Århus to the lead

It was quite easy (Søes)

Signe Søes won the European Championships middle distance this year – but shortly after announced that she retires on national team level and will not run the World Orienteering Championships in Italy this year. Søes still has the European Champs shape though – as she showed on the Venla relay today. After 2 km she left all other athletes behind – the last OK Pan Århus saw of the other teams in this relay.

– It was quite easy, Søes said after the race. – There were big hills, and the good visibility. There were places were I had to take it easy though.

Kalevan Rasti (2nd) and Lidingö (3rd) and Tampereen Pyrintö (4th) are still within a minute. Halden is already at +3:04. Signe Søes won the leg with 1:30!

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(click for results)

Third leg: Maja Alm increasing the lead

It was tough today, sometimes I even walked, and then I started pushing again. It was cool!

Maja Alm did another great race for OK Pan Århus on the third, increasing the lead to 2:40 down to Paimion Rasti in 2nd.

– We discussed that we should run safely today – just find the controls. I had control all the way, Maja Alm could tell after the race.

– I think we had a good plan. It was tough today, sometimes I even walked, and then I started pushing again. It was cool!

Tampereen Pyrintö is in third is at 2:44 after 3 legs – and Tisaren with Simone Niggli on the last leg will start the last leg at 4:06. With Niggli in top shape this would have been the perfect setup for a thriller – but although Niggli can still do top performances, the stability of old days is lost as we saw on the last leg today.

Cat Taylor (OK Linné) runs a very strong leg – beating Maja Alm with 2:30. Linné is however already too far behind to give a real fight for victory – 7th at +4:34.

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(click for results)

Fourth leg: No trouble for Ida Bobach

Bobach and the other women in the orienteering elite still have respect for Niggli

Ida Bobach had no problems on the last leg. With a nearly 3 minute lead, Bobach could play safe and take some extra time for the orienteering. Saila Kinni (Tampereen Pyrintö) started well – keeping the speed of Bobach the first half of the leg. Simone Niggli on the other hand struggled, doing several small mistakes. Bobach and the other women in the orienteering elite still have respect for Niggli, though.

– I thought I saw Simone Niggli in the end, but then I told myself “just take it easy”, Bobach said after the race.

And indeed Bobach could take it easy. Niggli finished more than 6 minutes behind – and was never closer than at the start of her leg.

Saila Kinni run a stable race – finishing in 2nd place for Tampereen Pyrintö 3:52 behind. Annika Billstam lead OK Linné to a third place 4:52 behind. Sofia Haajanen beat Niggli in the fight for fourth place – deciding it already in the forest ahead of the last control.

Full results
1 1 OK Pan Århus DEN 2:56:41
1 Emma Klingenberg 37:48
2 Signe Söes 34:08 1:11:56
3 Maja Alm 51:00 2:02:56
4 Ida Bobach 53:45 2:56:41
2 11 Tampereen Pyrintö FIN 3:00:33
1 Anni-Maija Fincke 36:59
2 Riina Kuuselo 35:55 1:12:54
3 Venla Niemi 52:46 2:05:40
4 Saila Kinni 54:53 3:00:33
3 3 OK Linne SWE 3:01:33
1 Rebecka Olsson 40:15
2 Inga Kazlauskaite 38:41 1:18:56
3 Cathrine Taylor 48:34 2:07:30
4 Annika Billstam 54:03 3:01:33
4 20 SK Pohjantähti FIN 3:02:57
1 Heini Wennman 37:00
2 Marttiina Joensuu 36:59 1:13:59
3 Marika Teini 53:15 2:07:14
4 Sofia Haajanen 55:43 3:02:57
5 8 OK Tisaren SWE 3:03:05
1 Bettina Aebi 37:09
2 Andrea Svensson 36:08 1:13:17
3 Lilian Forsgren 53:45 2:07:02
4 Simone Niggli 56:03 3:03:05
6 2 Halden SK NOR 3:03:45
1 Elena Roos 38:56
2 Kine Hallan Steiwer 36:04 1:15:00
3 Eva Jurenikova 54:55 2:09:55
4 Mari Fasting 53:50 3:03:45
7 6 Kalevan Rasti FIN 3:05:17
1 Aija Skrastina 37:06
2 Amelie Chataing 35:39 1:12:45
3 Mari Väänänen 56:40 2:09:25
4 Sara Luscher 55:52 3:05:17
8 15 Järla Orientering SWE 3:05:23
1 Ingjerd Myhre 38:47
2 Anneke Hald Björgum 37:49 1:16:36
3 Elin Hemmyr Skantze 51:26 2:08:02
4 Karolin Ohlsson 57:21 3:05:23
9 4 IFK Lidingö SOK SWE 3:05:43
1 Helena Karlsson 37:09
2 Anna Bachman 35:39 1:12:48
3 Ausrine Kutkaite 54:22 2:07:10
4 Annica Gustafsson 58:33 3:05:43
10 10 Paimion Rasti FIN 3:05:48
1 Eveliina Hirvonen 38:55
2 Salla Fagerudd 36:07 1:15:02
3 Saara Norrgrann 50:34 2:05:36
4 Inga Dambe 1:00:12 3:05:48

About Jan Kocbach

Jan Kocbach is the founder of WorldofO.com - taking care of everything from site development to writing articles, photography and analysis.

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