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.
Lynx – Karoliina Sundberg – took the first leg of #Venla. Second behind Kauppi last year #specialist #jukola pic.twitter.com/l4FBHXoofx
— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) June 14, 2014
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!
Signe Søes wins second leg of #Venla relay for last years winner Pan Århus. Already decided for the Danish team? pic.twitter.com/HGEXNwWVCL
— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) June 14, 2014
Camera man following Signe Søes @OKPanAarhus in the lead at 2nd leg of #Venla. Great footage – nice forest! #jukola pic.twitter.com/SM1TnHxHAM
— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) June 14, 2014
Small mistake by Søes @OKPanAarhus – still alone in the lead with 46 seconds lead #venla #jukola pic.twitter.com/M8ybxkSn45
— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) June 14, 2014
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.
OK Pan Århus still alone in the lead at #Venla leg 3 – but TP getting closer, 40 seconds #GPS #jukola pic.twitter.com/6G5DNx8ibr
— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) June 14, 2014
Maja Alm style study from #Venla relay – camera runner struggling to keeping her speed in nice Finnish forest #jukola pic.twitter.com/GiM4YLjRVH
— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) June 14, 2014
30-40 second mistake by Venla Niemi (TP) – @OKPanAarhus increasing lead to 1:19 after 4.0 km leg 3 of #Venla #jukola pic.twitter.com/6rt1La8Gww
— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) June 14, 2014
Fantastic leg by Maja Alm – after 3 legs Pan Århus leads #venla relay with 2:40 ahead of Paimion Rasti! #jukola pic.twitter.com/5q03x7Lq8n
— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) June 14, 2014
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.
Venla last leg: Pan Århus doing well – lead looks big! But anything can happen, this is #orienteering! #GPS #jukola pic.twitter.com/1UWtpvf1oL
— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) June 14, 2014
Unforked part of #venla last leg. Big mistake for PR – Århus/Bobach still going strong #jukola #gps pic.twitter.com/2gCuSmnSeg
— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) June 14, 2014
Ida Bobach style study from #Venla last leg. On her way to her third #Venla victory? Looking good! #jukola pic.twitter.com/tL9mbaftdX
— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) June 14, 2014
Niggli & Tisaren struggling. TP (Kinni) running towards second place on last leg of #venla. Now at +2:34. #jukola pic.twitter.com/lP4sRhHthr
— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) June 14, 2014
OK Pan Århus wins #Venla relay after strong performance – in the lead nearly all the way! Congratulations! #jukola pic.twitter.com/ticb4ItcJt
— WorldofO Live (@WorldofOLive) June 14, 2014
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 |