Elite athletes from 42 countries and 6 continents have ran World Orienteering Championships qualification races for two days near Trondheim, Norway. The middle distance qualification took place on Monday and long distance qualification on Tuesday.

Middle distance heat winner were Merja Rantanen, Finland, Anni-Maija Fincke, Finland, Marianne Andersen, Norway, Anders Nordberg, Norway, Carl Waaler Kaas, Norway, and David Andersson, Sweden. The top 15 from each heat qualified for the final. Almost all of those expected to qualify did so, but some well-known names who failed to make the final include Simonas Krepsta, Lithuania, Mikhail Mamleev, Italy, and Martins Sirmais, Latvia.

Long distance final takes place tomorrow in Granåsen, Trondheim. The winners of the women’s long distance qualification heats yesterday were Simone Niggli, Switzerland, Emma Claesson, Sweden and Anne Margrethe Hausken, Norway. On the men’s side, Olav Lundanes, Norway, Francois Gonon, France and Thierry Gueorgiou, France were the fastest. They will be the last starters in the 45-strong fields in the final to be held tomorrow.

For more results, please visit the organisers’ homepage.