Ski Orienteering World Cup: technically demanding middle distance
Posted on | February 3, 2012 | Category: News
Erik Rost, Sweden, on his way to victory. Phito: Markku Vauhkonen
On the Ski Orienteering 2012 World Cup the Swedish success continued when the middle distance races were run at the Tahoe City Cross Country Center in California, USA. Erik Rost got his form to match his orienteering skills and took a neat victory in the men’s competition. Tove Alexandersson continued to impress and took her third straight victory, in spite of small difficulties in the first part of the race. The courses were difficult and demanding and many of the top competitors lost their chances in big mistakes.
“I have felt that I have had a good form in the previous races too, but today I got a fluent race. It was technically very difficult orienteering, and when combined with open forest and possibilities to make short cuts on hard snow, my orienteering skills were to my advantage”, said Erik Rost. Russia’s Andrey Grigoriev chased Rost into the finish and lost only 16 seconds in the end. Finland’s Staffan Tunis, who already had two fourth places, got now a podium place 1. 04 seconds behind the winner.
Top three on men’s middle distance. Photo: Markku Vauhkonen
In women’s race, after the first loop it seemed that Sweden’s Tove Alexandersson would have to yield to her team mate Josefine Engström, as she was almost two minutes behind. Engström however, who seemed to go for a convincing victory, made two big mistakes on the second half of the course, and Tove Alexandersson managed to turn the tables and was over two minutes faster in the end. “I made two mistakes on the first loop, but my orienteering went better and better after the map change. Today it was very difficult ski orienteering, and in spite of those mistakes, my performance was good enough for a victory. I am overly happy about my races and results. Tree victories, it feels extremely good”, said the 19-year-old Alexandersson. Engström’s speed was sufficient to give her the second place. Third place went surprisingly to the young, 20-year-old Milka Leppäsalmi from Finland.
Tove Alexandersson won the middle distance despite mistakes on the first half of the course. Photo: Markku Vauhkonen
The middle distance race on Thursday was the last individual race on the Lake Tahoe World Cup round. Tove Alexandersson with three victories is in a clear lead in women’s overall World Cup before Josefine Engström, and Norway’s Aunhild Bakken Rongstad. Andrey Grigoriev, Russia, returned back to the top in the men’s overall World Cup before Sweden’s Peter Arnesson and today’s winner Erik Rost.
The Ski Orienteering 2012 World Cup round 1 in Lake Tahoe, California concludes on Friday with a Mixed Sprint Relay at the Tahoe City Cross Country Center.
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