The 2010 Sprint World Champions are both Swiss: Simone Niggli and Matthias Mueller. This is Simone’s 16th World Championships gold medal.

 

Photo: Erik Borg

It was a very tight race for first place in the women’s class, with only 0.7 seconds separating Simone and last year’s champion Helena Jansson, Sweden, at the finish line. Home spectators could celebrate a bronze medal for Marianne Andersen, who was almost 6 seconds down on the winning time.

The men’s race was very intense and at the end, just 4½ seconds separated first from sixth place. But Matthias Mueller did have a clear lead of 2.3 seconds at the end of the race over his compatriot Fabian Hertner who took the silver medal as he also did last year. The surprise medallist of the day took the bronze: Frédéric Tranchand of France, who was the narrowest of margins, 0.1 sec., away from the silver medal spot.

The Opening Ceremony of the 2010 World Championships in Trondheim, Norway takes place today, and tomorrow it is the middle distance qualification race. Further information and all today’s results can be found on the World Championships website www.woc2010.com.

Leading results
Women
1) Simone Niggli SUI 16:06:2
2) Helena Jansson SWE 16:06:9
3) Marianne Andersen NOR 16:12:1
4) Minna Kauppi FIN 16:32:9
5) Elise Egseth NOR 16:35:1
6) Eva Jurenikova CZE 16:56:5

Men
1) Matthias Mueller SUI 16:10:9
2) Fabian Hertner SUI 16:13:2
3) Frederic Tranchand FRA 16:13:3
4) Øystein Kvaal Østerbø NOR 16:14:1
5) Martin Johansson SWE 16:15:3
6) Emil Wingstedt SWE 16:15:4