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Ski Orienteering World Cup: Norwegians first and third in mixed sprint relay
The second round ended today with a mixed sprint relay for teams of two, skiing three legs each. The Norwegian team Marte Reenaas and Lars Moholdt was first to the finish with a lead of 1 minute and 20 seconds on a very successful day for Norway.
The Reenas/Moholdt combination led almost throughout but several other teams were in close pursuit for much of the race, where a frantic pace was maintained throughout. The teams could choose which member, man or woman, skied first; the legs were 1.8 to 2.0 km. long. Second to the finish was the Swedish team Josefine Engström and Erik Rost, and another Norway team, Barbro and Hans Jørgen Kvaale, came third 9 seconds behind Sweden.
Round 2 in Bulgaria has been characterised by exciting races with high technical and physical demands, with good weather and snow conditions, much enjoyed by competitors and spectators alike. However the Finnish team will be hoping for better fortune in the next round; much of their baggage including a lot of personal ski equipment was lost in transit to Bulgaria and several team members had to borrow skis and poles in order to take part, resulting in below-best performances in many cases.
The World Cup resumes on Wednesday 10th February at the ski resort Miercurea Ciuc in Romania with a Middle distance race.
Leading results
1) Norway 1, Marte Reenaas & Lars Moholdt 1:03:32
2) Sweden 1, Josefine Engström & Erik Rost 1:04:52
3) Norway 2, Barbro Kvaale & Hans Jørgen Kvaale 1:05:01
4) Russia 1, Eduard Khrennikov & Natalya Tomilova 1:05:29
5) Sweden 3, Johan Granath & Kajsa Rickardsson 1:05:59
6) Finland 1, Staffan Tunis & Anni Honkimaa 1:07:34
