World Cup wins for Anttila and Arnesson
Posted on | December 14, 2007 | Category: News
Liisa Anttila Finland and Peter Arnesson Sweden became the first winners when the 2008 World Cup in Ski Orienteering started today in the Swedish winter sports paradise Idre.
The premier event was a middle distance mass-start race with loops in a one-man relay format. The women’s race was tight all the way, but on the last part of the course ever strong Finn Liisa Anttila managed to break away and she was alone in the run-in. When asked about the key to her victory, Liisa said that she had taken a fair amount of short cuts in deep snow and that had proved to be a good strategy.
In the men’s race, Peter Arnesson managed to break away on the last of three loops and like Anttila, he came alone in the run-in to claim the first World Cup victory of this season. the beginning of the race was tough for Peter who collided with Johan Granath and suddenly found himself facing the rest of the field. After that accident, the rest of the race went well and Peter came back strong already after the first loop.
The home nation Sweden got an impressive start in the World Cup with one first and two second places, with Finland (one first place) and Russia (two third places) the two other nations on the podium.
The conditions in Idre were excellent for ski orienteering, with 5 degrees below zero and perfect snow conditions. With fourteen nations on the start line, the World Cup continues on Thursday with a classic style long distance event (individual time trial) and finishes with the relays on Friday.
The start in the men’s race was dramatic.
Peter Arnesson won the first World Cup event. Arnesson’s fellow countryman Erik Rost came second and Russian Kirill Veselov was third.
Liisa Anttila (FIN) and Helene Söderlund (SWE) on the podium.
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