今天第一个森林奖牌争夺机汇er Middle distance, in warm and sunny conditions. The tightest victory was in W55 where the Polish runner Anna Gornicka-Antonowicz, Middle distance bronze medallist in the European Championships in 2000 in Ukraine, was just one second ahead of the Norwegian Hilda Oefsthus. Two seconds was the margin for Swedish competitor Martin Larsson’s win in M50, and Tom A Karlsen, Norway won M70 by three seconds.
A second day in complex landslide and erosion terrain ended with 6 competitors now with 2 gold medals – both Sprint and Middle. They are all women: Tatsiana Voveriene, Lithuania (W35), Céline Dodin, France (W40), Linda Take, Sweden (W50), Ruth Humbel, Switzerland (W65), and the Norwegians Unni Strand Karlsen (W70) and Torid Kvaal (W80). Perhaps the best known of these is Ruth Humbel, now a member of the Swiss Federal Assembly, who gained 3 relay bronze medals in 1978, 1981 and 1985.
The M&W 70 classes were notable for a husband and wife double – Tom A Karlsen and Unni Strand Karlsen, both much involved in IOF work over the years.
Photo: Michal Krajčík
Tomorrow is a rest day, and the final event, the Long final, takes place on Friday.