The 23 year old student from Luleå University of Technology won gold in every discipline at the 2024 FISU World University Championship Ski Orienteering: the sprint, the pursuit, the middle distance and finally the sprint relay together with Jonatan Ståhl!
This 2024 FISU World University Championship in Lantsch/Lenz/Lenzerheide, Switzerland really was the best showcase ski orienteering could have wished for. Perfect conditions, both the snow and the sun lived up to expectations, great organization with very motivated and helpful volunteers, thrilling battles with the finish line in sight and over one hundred athletes from 14 countries mastering maps and exciting terrain wishing for a good result.
Nordic nations and Switzerland
As athletes from nations like Japan and China made huge technical and tactical progress over the four days of competition, the event was dominated by Nordic nations – Sweden, Norway and Finland – as well as Switzerland. The host nation won 10 of a total of 21 medals, but it is Sweden who brought back most golds, thanks to the undoubted queen of ski orienteering, Elin Schagerström from Luleå who simply won every race she took part in. The smiling Swede admitted to have had lots of fun on the Lenzerheide tracks and celebrated her last win by skiing over the finish line her country’s flag in hand.
And now, the World Championships in Austria
As the eager local public will be sad to see all the athletes leave the beautiful Roland Arena – but will relive all emotions by looking at all the photos and videos on the official website – the champions already have their minds set on the World Ski Orienteering Championships that will take place in Ramsau am Dachstein, Austria from 21-27 January. Will Lenzerheide’s medallists – Elin Schagerstöm (SWE), Eliane Deininger (SUI), Synne Strang (NOR), Delia Giezendanner (SUI), Maria Hoskari (FIN), Elsa Hermansson (SWE), Jonatan Ståhl (SWE), Nicola Müller (SUI), Aapo Viippola (FIN), Jan Lauenstein (SUI), Severin Müller (SUI) and Gustav Jonsson (SWE) also manage to climb on a podium in Austria ?
Optional sport in Torino
And the world of university ski orienteering will meet up next year, as ski orienteering, together with ski mountaineering, will be a optional sport at the Torino 2025 FISU Games, which will start in a little less than a year.
Written by Thérèse Courvoisier, photos courtesy of Martin Jürg, Noel Boos and Lars Widmer
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