OLOMOUC – In the evening of 11th August, the 19th World University Orienteering Championships 2014 in Olomouc was officially declared open. The Opening Ceremony was held in the old Theresian Armoury of the Palacký University, where 32 participating national university teams were introduced.
Besides the 32 national teams, numbering more than 320 participants in total, the opening ceremony was also attended by many guests of honor, such as the Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, President of Olomouc Region, Mayors of Statutory Cities of Olomouc and Prostějov, or the Rector of Palacký University in Olomouc.
“We have found the most beautiful terrains in the area and we hope that all competitions will fully meet your expectations,” the President of the Organising Committee Dušan Vystavěl said. The Championships will take place until Saturday 16th of August and the competitors will gradually change five different disciplines and venues: mixed sprint relay are hosted by the historical town of Kroměříž, long distance race will take place in the hills and valleys around Nectava, sprint courses will introduce the pilgrimage site of Svatý Kopeček. For the middle distance event, the athletes will move to the forests of Protivanov, as well as for the final relay race.
Switzerland wins the sprint mixed relay
The Swiss university team composed of Sarina Jenzer, Martin Hubmann, Julia Gross and Matthias Kyburz won the gold medal in the sprint mixed relay, the first race of the 19th World University Orienteering Championships 2014. In Kroměříž, Sweden managed to win the silver medal. The race was close after the first leg with the Swiss team coming first ahead of Sweden. But soon after that, the Swiss clearly showed their qualities of the defending World Orienteering Champions in this discipline. On the second leg, Martin Hubmann managed to make a gap of more than one minute, coming to the changeover in a splendid lead.
“The race was not too much demanding technically. I just focused on the route choices and tried to run as fast as possible,” Martin Hubmann said about his great effort. After this fabulous performance, it was not a difficult job for his two remaining team members to secure the gold medals for Switzerland.
The Swedes came second, losing 1:10 to the winners. After a drama on the last leg, the home team of the Czech Republic won the bronze medal, delighting all the spectators at the Kroměříž Main square.
Please find complete results and more information about the Championships here
(Source: WUCOC Orienteering 2014)