WOC 2019 Long Favourite Preview – LIVE webTV from 13:30 CET

[First start men 10:24, first start women 13:15, men’s race decided 16:00, women’s race decided 18:10, TV-broadcast from 13:30] The Long distance on Wednesday August 14th is the first medal race at the World Orienteering Championships – a very tough race with around 100 minutes running time for the men and 80 minutes for the women. 

The men run 16.6 km with more than 500 meter climb and the women 11.7 km with around 300 meter climb. Who do we expect to be the best long distance orienteers in the world? Tove Alexandersson and Olav Lundanes are the big favourites – both with three WOC Long gold medals in a row, but will they win again, and who can challenge them? Read on below the race details for a favourite preview.

Follow the race live:

• GPS-tracking and live results is available from the LIVE centre at orienteering.sport – there is no webTV from the Qualification
• Men start 10:24 – 14:20; race men decided around 16:00. Women start 13:15 – 16:50, race women decided around 18:10. TV-broadcast 13:30 -18:30. WebTV will start earlier, but without commentary before 13:30.
• There is again 3 minutes start interval – this is excellent news for fairness, and there should be enough happening out in the forest still make this very interesting to watch.
• Startlist WOC 2019 Long
• See also WOC 2019 All You Need to Know article

Key information about WOC Long

The Mørk terrain is what you could call “typically nice nordic forest”: Undulating and detailed, with relatively small height differences in the eastern part and some higher hills in the western part. Total height differences are about 60 m. There is mostly good runnability (as the course lengths and expected winning times tells you, more about that below) and medium visibility. In some parts the ground is covered with relatively high heather. There is pine forest on the hill tops (which are often fast to run on) and spruce or mixed vegetation on the lower parts.

Reigning champions

See full results, maps and story of WOC Long 2018

Women: Another one for Alexandersson?

Tove Alexandersson (SWE) is the big favourite in the women’s class with three WOC gold medals in a row, and also reigning European champion and winner of the World Cup race long distance this spring. Alexandersson has been dominating the sport for years, and when Alexandersson has a perfect race she is nearly impossible to beat for her competitors. The Swede has however shown several times that she has days where the control points are simply not where she wants them, also in some of the big races – but this rarely happens in a Long distance.

So who can challenge the fast and strong Swede? While Alexandersson seems like a very clear gold medal favourite, the battle for silver and bronze seems wide open. Maja Alm has two WOC Long silver medals in a row, but focuses on athletics and will not run at WOC 2019. Natalia Gemperle (RUS) has been up there battling for the medals in the long distance races the last seasons (WOC silver and bronze from 2017 and 2016), and is reported to be in good shape. Kamilla Olaussen (NOR) finished 5th at WOC Long last year, but has improved a lot since then (2nd and 3rd in the World Cup Long races sine last WOC) and is on home ground in her favourite terrain.  The two other Norwegians Andrine Benjaminsen and Marianne Andersen also both have the possibility to battle for a medal – they have shown before that they can produce great results on the day where it really counts – Andersen with a medal from WOC Long last time it was organized in Norway in 2010.

Sabine Hauswirth took bronze at WOC Long last year and can definitely be up there again – so can also her Swiss teammate Simona Aebersold.  Alexandersson’s teammate Lina Strand has  shown very impressive results this spring, but can she deliver the same at WOC? And what about Swedish Karolin Ohlsson who was the big positive surprise at the end of last season, including a 3rd place at pre-WOC Long here in Østfold? The final big outsider is Marika Teini with third place in the World Cup Long in Finland this spring  and also a Top 6 in the pre-WOC Long. But still there may be others which can be in the medal battle, like Svetlana Mironova (RUS).

WoO’s tip:
1. Tove Alexandersson
2. Kamilla Olaussen
3. Natalia Gemperle

20 last starters

#		Name	Federation	Time
151	220	Andrine Benjaminsen	Norway	15:55
152	274	Simona Aebersold	Switzerland	15:58
153	83	Miri Thrane Oedum	Denmark	16:01
154	72	Vendula Horcickova	Czech Republic	16:04
155	101	Merja Rantanen	Finland	16:07
156	267	Lina Strand	Sweden	16:10
157	229	Aleksandra Hornik	Poland	16:13
158	194	Gabija Razaityte	Lithuania	16:16
159	99	Venla Harju	Finland	16:19
160	240	Svetlana Mironova	Russian Federation	16:22
161	92	Annika Rihma	Estonia	16:25
162	224	Kamilla Olaussen	Norway	16:28
163	276	Julia Jakob	Switzerland	16:31
164	262	Tove Alexandersson	Sweden	16:34
165	103	Marika Teini	Finland	16:37
166	242	Anastasia Rudnaya	Russian Federation	16:40
167	266	Karolin Ohlsson	Sweden	16:43
168	275	Sabine Hauswirth	Switzerland	16:46
169	219	Marianne Andersen	Norway	16:49
170	239	Natalia Gemperle	Russian Federation	16:52
171	264	Sara Hagstrom	Sweden	16:55

WOC 2019 starters: Women – previous results Long

#	Name	Country	Picture	Results
1.	Tove Alexandersson	SWE		Gold WOC Long (2018), Gold WOC Long (2017), Gold WOC Long (2016), Gold EOC Long (2018), Silver WOC Long (2014), Gold EOC Long (2016), Silver WOC Long (2013), Gold WC #2, Long (2019), Gold WC #7, Long (2018), Gold WC #3, Long (2017), Gold WC #3, Long (2015), Gold WC #8, Long (2014), Gold WC #2, Long (2014), Silver WC #4, Long (2015), Bronze WC #9, Long (2016), Bronze WC #8, Long (2011), Bronze JWOC Long (2011) Ranked Gold in World Ranking.
2.	Natalia Gemperle	RUS		Silver WOC Long (2016), Bronze WOC Long (2017), Silver EOC Long (2018), 4th WOC Long (2018), 5th WOC Long (2015), Bronze WC #9, Long (2017), 4th EOC Long (2016), 4th WC #2, Long (2019), 4th WC #3, Long (2017) Ranked Bronze in World Ranking.
3.	Svetlana Mironova	RUS		Gold WOC Long (2014), Bronze WOC Long (2015), Silver EOC Long (2014), Bronze EOC Long (2016), 10th WOC Long (2018), 20th WOC Long (2016), Bronze WC #4, Long (2015), 19th EOC Long (2018), 4th WC #9, Long (2016) Ranked 21st in World Ranking.
4.	Sabine Hauswirth	SUI		Bronze WOC Long (2018), Silver WC #9, Long (2017), Silver WC #9, Long (2016), 8th WOC Long (2017), 4th EOC Long (2018), Silver WC #10, Long (2015), 10th WOC Long (2016), 5th EOC Long (2016), 11th WOC Long (2015) Ranked 4th in World Ranking.
5.	Kamilla Olaussen	NOR		5th WOC Long (2018), Silver WC #7, Long (2018), Bronze WC #2, Long (2019), 30th EOC Long (2014), 20th WC #4, Long (2015), 32nd WC #10, Long (2015), 21st WC #8, Long (2014), 32nd JWOC Long (2013) Ranked 6th in World Ranking.
6.	Julia Gross	SUI		Bronze EOC Long (2018), 15th WOC Long (2017), 11th WOC Long (2016), 23rd WOC Long (2015), 8th EOC Long (2016), 17th WOC Long (2014), 4th WC #9, Long (2017), 5th WC #9, Long (2016), 9th EOC Long (2014) Ranked 11th in World Ranking.
7.	Karolin Ohlsson	SWE		7th WOC Long (2018), Bronze WC #7, Long (2018), 27th WOC Long (2017), 9th EOC Long (2018), 5th WC #2, Long (2019), 35th EOC Long (2016), 17th EOC Long (2014), 15th WC #3, Long (2017), 13th WC #9, Long (2016) Ranked 5th in World Ranking.
8.	Marianne Andersen	NOR		11th WOC Long (2018), Silver WOC Long (2010), Silver WOC Long (2009), Silver WOC Long (2008), Silver WOC Long (2006), 4th WC #7, Long (2018), 5th WC #9, Long (2017), 11th WC #2, Long (2019), 4th WOC Long (2005), Silver WC #4, Long (2009) Ranked 7th in World Ranking.
9.	Andrine Benjaminsen	NOR		6th WOC Long (2018), 9th WOC Long (2017), 13th EOC Long (2018), 15th WC #9, Long (2017), 34th WC #3, Long (2017), 41st JWOC Long (2013) Ranked 20th in World Ranking.
10.	Annika Rihma	EST		20th WOC Long (2018), 20th WOC Long (2017), 26th WOC Long (2016), 24th WOC Long (2015), 33rd WOC Long (2014), 28th EOC Long (2018), 29th EOC Long (2016), 24th WOC Long (2012), 15th EOC Long (2014) Ranked 54th in World Ranking.
11.	Susen Lösch	GER		26th WOC Long (2018), 22nd WOC Long (2017), 22nd WOC Long (2016), 37th WOC Long (2015), 29th EOC Long (2018), 40th WOC Long (2014), 16th WC #7, Long (2018), 35th WC #2, Long (2019), 28th WC #9, Long (2017) Ranked 28th in World Ranking.
12.	Marika Teini	FIN		Silver WC #2, Long (2019), 16th WOC Long (2018), 5th WC #7, Long (2018), Bronze JWOC Long (2009), 7th JWOC Long (2008) Ranked Silver in World Ranking.
13.	Anastasia Rudnaya	RUS		11th WOC Long (2017), 13th WOC Long (2016), 4th EOC Long (2014), 12th EOC Long (2018), 6th WC #2, Long (2019), 31st WOC Long (2014), 16th WOC Long (2013), 12th EOC Long (2016), 26th WOC Long (2012) Ranked 8th in World Ranking.
14.	Merja Rantanen	FIN		7th WOC Long (2017), 18th WOC Long (2015), 7th WOC Long (2012), 14th EOC Long (2016), 8th WOC Long (2011), 20th WC #2, Long (2019), 11th WC #3, Long (2017), 9th EOC Long (2012), 24th WC #9, Long (2016) Ranked 46th in World Ranking.
15.	Anna Serrallonga Arqués	ESP		19th WOC Long (2018), 21st WOC Long (2016), 34th WOC Long (2017), 44th WOC Long (2014), 52nd EOC Long (2018), 41st WOC Long (2013), 39th WOC Long (2012), 39th EOC Long (2014), 26th WOC Long (2011) Ranked 90th in World Ranking

Men: Another one for Lundanes?

Olav Lundanes (NOR) has a very similar set of results as Tove Alexandersson: Three WOC Long gold medals in a row, another two WOC Long gold medals from earlier years (including on home ground back in 2010) and reigning champion at European Championships Long. Yet, Lundanes is not as big a favourite as Alexandersson, but still you would not get much back at the bookmaker if you bet on Lundanes and the Norwegian takes his fourth gold in a row and 6th overall. Lundanes has had a somewhat weaker spring-season than earlier years, but seems to be up on his normal level now. Home ground is also definitely a plus for Lundanes.

Lundanes’ biggest opponents are Daniel Hubmann (SUI), Matthias Kyburz (SUI), Gustav Bergman (SWE), Magne Dæhli (NOR), Ruslan Glebov (UKR), Frederic Tranchand (FRA), Albin Ridefelt (SWE), Leonid Novikov (RUS). Looking at their previous results, none of them are even close to Lundanes with several of the medal winners on Long distance the last years out of the game (Thierry Gueorgiou, Fabian Hertner, bronze 2018 William Lind bronze 2017). But a lot can happen in 100 minutes of running.

Ruslan Glebov took silver at WOC Long last year and comes straight from an overall victory at O-Ringen. He has not shown Lundanes’ consistency, but could be a real challenger if he has a good day.  Daniel Hubmann has two WOC Long gold medals from back in 2008 and 2009 – and after that the series 7-5-7-2-2-3-6-4. Nothing close to Lundanes’, but Hubmann can win important races, and he can definitely challenge Lundanes on a good day – WOC Long 2019 is Hubmann’s 50th WOC final race! Matthias Kyburz is also one of the strongest long distance runners in the world, but without the top result at the championships. Never better than 4th at WOC, but still a man to look out for, although he has had injury problems this spring. Gustav Bergman (SWE) has been very strong this spring, including a win at the World Cup Long in Finland. Bergman has managed to get out his full potential in the individual races at WOC earlier, but maybe this year is Bergman’s year? With a top race he can definitely challenge Lundanes. Leonid Novikov took silver at WOC Long in 2017, and has to be counted among the favourites due to his abilities on the Long – but can he really manage to beat Olav Lundanes in “his own garden”? Magne Dæhli has the series 5-11-13-6-4-7 at WOC Long since 2013 – still waiting for an individual WOC medal, but has showed impressive results this spring when comparing to Olav Lundanes. Still, WOC is something special, and Lundanes has shown that that’s something he knows how to do. Frederic Tranchand (FRA) is another strong long distance runner, with a second place at the World Cup Long in Finland this spring.  His individual WOC medals are from Sprint, but the French runner has many times been among the very fastest on large parts of the course.

WoO’s tip:
1. Olav Lundanes
2. Magne Dæhli
3. Gustav Bergman

Red group – 10 last starters

#		Name	Federation	Time
69	235	Leonid Novikov	Russian Federation	13:54
70	270	Daniel Hubmann	Switzerland	13:57
71	68	Vojtech Kral	Czech Republic	14:00
72	109	Frederic Tranchand	France	14:03
73	284	Ruslan Glibov	Ukraine	14:06
74	211	Magne Daehli	Norway	14:09
75	15	Gernot Ymsen	Austria	14:12
76	273	Matthias Kyburz	Switzerland	14:15
77	257	Gustav Bergman	Sweden	14:18
78	214	Olav Lundanes	Norway	14:21

WOC 2019 starters: Men – previous results Long

#	Name	Country	Picture	Results
1.	Olav Lundanes	NOR		Gold WOC Long (2018), Gold WOC Long (2017), Gold WOC Long (2016), Gold EOC Long (2018), Gold WOC Long (2012), Bronze WOC Long (2015), Bronze WOC Long (2014), Silver EOC Long (2014), Silver WC #7, Long (2018), Gold EOC Long (2012), Silver WC #9, Long (2017), Silver WC #9, Long (2016), Gold WOC Long (2010), Bronze WC #10, Long (2015), Bronze WC #10, Long (2010), Bronze WC #10, Long (2010), Gold JWOC Long (2007), Gold JWOC Long (2005), Silver JWOC Long (2006) Ranked Gold in World Ranking.
2.	Daniel Hubmann	SUI		Silver WOC Long (2015), Silver WOC Long (2014), Gold EOC Long (2016), Bronze WOC Long (2016), Gold EOC Long (2014), 4th WOC Long (2018), 6th WOC Long (2017), Gold WC #10, Long (2015), Silver WC #3, Long (2015), Gold WOC Long (2009), Gold WOC Long (2008), Gold EOC Long (2010), Silver EOC Long (2008), Silver EOC Long (2006), Silver WC #5, Long (2008), Gold JWOC Long (2002), Bronze JWOC Long (2003) Ranked 4th in World Ranking.
3.	Matthias Kyburz	SUI		Silver EOC Long (2018), Gold WC #9, Long (2017), Gold WC #9, Long (2016), Gold WC #4, Long (2015), Gold WC #3, Long (2015), 8th WOC Long (2018), 7th WOC Long (2016), 6th WOC Long (2015), Bronze WC #7, Long (2018), Bronze JWOC Long (2010), Bronze JWOC Long (2008) Ranked Silver in World Ranking.
4.	Magne Dæhli	NOR		Silver EOC Long (2016), Gold WC #3, Long (2017), 4th WOC Long (2017), 7th WOC Long (2018), 6th WOC Long (2016), Bronze WC #2, Long (2019), Bronze WC #9, Long (2017), 5th WOC Long (2013), 13th WOC Long (2015), Bronze WC #8, Long (2014), Silver JWOC Long (2007) Ranked 6th in World Ranking.
5.	Ruslan Glibov	UKR		Silver WOC Long (2018), 12th WOC Long (2015), 28th WOC Long (2016), 23rd EOC Long (2018), 7th WC #7, Long (2018), 29th EOC Long (2016), 13th WC #2, Long (2019), 11th WC #3, Long (2017), 14th WC #10, Long (2015) Ranked 13th in World Ranking.
6.	Gustav Bergman	SWE		Gold WC #2, Long (2019), Gold WC #7, Long (2018), 5th WOC Long (2018), 8th WOC Long (2015), Bronze WC #3, Long (2015), Bronze WC #4, Long (2015), 23rd WOC Long (2016), 15th WC #3, Long (2017), 24th WC #9, Long (2017), Gold JWOC Long (2009) Ranked Bronze in World Ranking.
7.	Leonid Novikov	RUS		Silver WOC Long (2017), 9th WOC Long (2018), 25th WOC Long (2013), 31st WC #9, Long (2017), 31st WC #4, Long (2015), 25th EOC Long (2010), 6th JWOC Long (2002), 48th WC #10, Long (2008) Ranked 49th in World Ranking.
8.	Frederic Tranchand	FRA		Silver WC #2, Long (2019), 4th WOC Long (2015), 8th WOC Long (2016), 4th EOC Long (2018), 16th WOC Long (2018), 21st WOC Long (2017), 14th WOC Long (2014), 8th EOC Long (2016), 5th EOC Long (2014) Ranked 5th in World Ranking.
9.	Gernot Kerschbaumer	AUT		Bronze EOC Long (2018), 14th WOC Long (2017), 8th WOC Long (2014), 22nd WOC Long (2016), 16th WOC Long (2015), 12th EOC Long (2016), 6th WC #9, Long (2016), 15th WOC Long (2012), 21st EOC Long (2014) Ranked 8th in World Ranking.
10.	Timo Sild	EST		11th WOC Long (2018), 10th WOC Long (2017), 10th WOC Long (2016), 22nd WOC Long (2015), 10th EOC Long (2018), 37th WOC Long (2014), 19th WOC Long (2013), 18th EOC Long (2014), 21st WC #3, Long (2017), Silver JWOC Long (2008) Ranked 10th in World Ranking.
11.	Dmitriy Tsvetkov	RUS		4th WOC Long (2013), 25th WOC Long (2016), 15th WOC Long (2014), 7th WOC Long (2012), Gold EOC Long (2008), 36th EOC Long (2018), 23rd EOC Long (2016), 28th WC #2, Long (2019), 8th EOC Long (2012), Bronze WC #10, Long (2008), Gold JWOC Long (2003) Ranked 68th in World Ranking.
12.	Vincent Coupat	FRA		15th WOC Long (2017), 35th WOC Long (2018), 20th WOC Long (2016), 34th WOC Long (2015), 14th WC #9, Long (2016), 26th WC #9, Long (2017), 52nd WC #2, Long (2019), 55th WC #7, Long (2018), 46th WC #4, Long (2015) Ranked 67th in World Ranking.
13.	Albin Ridefelt	SWE		14th WOC Long (2018), Silver WC #2, Long (2014), 15th EOC Long (2018), 5th WC #7, Long (2018), 9th WC #3, Long (2017), 18th WC #2, Long (2019), 24th WC #9, Long (2016), 14th WC #3, Long (2015), 19th WC #4, Long (2015) Ranked 11th in World Ranking.
14.	Artem Panchenko	UKR		27th WOC Long (2017), 41st WOC Long (2018), 39th WOC Long (2016), 47th WOC Long (2015), 35th WOC Long (2014), 25th WOC Long (2013), 4th WC #2, Long (2014), 37th WOC Long (2012), 38th EOC Long (2014) Ranked 98th in World Ranking.
15.	Hector Haines	GBR		32nd WOC Long (2018), 19th WOC Long (2016), 17th WOC Long (2015), 28th EOC Long (2018), 21st EOC Long (2016), 51st WC #2, Long (2019), 56th WC #7, Long (2018), 18th WC #10, Long (2015), 51st WC #9, Long (2017) Ranked 45th in World Ranking.