First medal for Switzerland at this year’s Junior World Orienteering Championships, was of the finest kind, as Henriette Radzikowski took the gold medal in the women’s class on today’s middle distance. Hannes Mogensen secured the first medal for his country aswell, when he took the victory in the men’s class home for Sweden, with a comfortable winning margin of 43 seconds.
“It wasn’t too difficult in the beginning but i still tried to stay calm and prepare my routechoices, plan them and execute them well. To the fifth control I was really unsure and lost a lot of time but afterwards i continued pushing and didn’t do any mistakes. I definitely didn’t expect this, I was just hoping to run my best and accept any result I would get. I am extremely happy,” Radzikowski said after the competition was finalized and she was sure of taking the gold medal, at her very first Junior World Orienteering Championships and only just turning 17 years old this year.
Ines Berger (SUI) was only 5 seconds from the medals in fourth position, and only 8 seconds in front of Ingeborg Rygg Eikeland (NOR) in fifth spot in the women’s class. With Alma Svennerud (SWE) only 4 seconds further behind, the top-6 amongst the women, all finished in times within 31 seconds, after around 26 minutes of running.
Hannes Mogensen (SWE) is also running his very first JWOC this year, and he was feeling strong in the forrest, running the distance that he had looked forward to the most today.
“It was a perfect race. I felt very strong from the beginning. I felt a little bit aching in my stomach at the end, that was why I was screaming a bit in the finish. I am very happy, this was the distance I was looking the most forward to, so it feels really good to perform well today,” Mogensen said after his middle distance race in Romania today.
Lucie Dittrichova from Czechia was only 4 seconds behind the first year junior from Switzerland, Henriette Radzikowski, as she took the silver medal in the women’s class, completing the 4,7 kilometer long middle distance i Valea Alba today, in 25:46 minutes. Ten seconds further behind, Pia Young Vik (NOR) took her third medal out of three possible and this time a bronze medal to accompany her two silver medals from the sprint distances.
In the men’s class, podium runner from the sprint, Jakub Chaloupsky from Czechia, took the silver medal 33 seconds ahead of Danish Oscar David Broman Jensen, who got the bronze medal as he finished the 4,8 kilometer long middle distance in a time of 25:55 minutes. Noel Braun (SWE) came in fourth position while the fifth spot was shared by two teammates, Dominic Mueller and Pascal Schaerer, both from Switzerland.
See all results, GPS-tracking, maps and pictures from today’s middle distance at JWOC in Romania via IOF Live.
The programme at the Junior World Orienteering Championships in Romania continues with the long distance on friday.
Middle distance results
Women
1. Henriette Radzikowski (SUI) 25:42
2. Lucie Dittrichova (CZE) 25:46 +0:04
3. Pia Young Vik (NOR) 25:56 +0:14
4. Ines Berger (SUI) 26:01 +0:19
5. Ingeborg Rygg Eikeland (NOR) 26:09 +0:27
6. Alma Svenneru (SWE) 26:13 +0:31
Men
1. Hannes Mogensen (SWE) 24:39
2. Jakub Chaloupsky (CZE) 25:22 +0:43
3. Oscar David Broman Jensen (DEN) 25:55 +1:16
4. Noel Braun (SWE) 26:30 +1:51
5. Dominic Mueller (SUI) 26:37 +1:58
= Pascal Schaerer (SUI) 26:37 +1:58
Source : Orienteering