Austria and Switzerland dominate early events at 52nd WMC Orienteering
CARTAGENA (ESP) - The 52nd World Military Orienteering Championship in Cartagena, Spain, kicked off with a spectacular display of athleticism and tactical brilliance in the first two events - Middle Distance and Long Distance. Held on October 18 and 19, these events showcased the precision and endurance of the world's best military orienteers, with tight competitions in both the men’s and women’s categories.
Middle Distance Event
In the men’s Middle Distance race, Austria's Jannis Bonek delivered an outstanding performance, finishing with a time of 23:11, securing first place and setting the tone for the competition. Bonek's navigation skills and pace through the varied terrain left little room for errors, giving him a commanding lead. France’s Mathieu Perrin followed in second place with a time of 24:17,8, just over a minute behind Bonek.
The Austrian dominance continued with Mathias Peter claiming third place, crossing the finish line in 24:30,7, trailing Bonek by 1:19,7. Finland's Aarni Ronkainen and Estonia's Lauri Sild completed the top five, both finishing just over a minute and a half behind the leader.
On the women’s side, Switzerland's Simona Aebersold showed her exceptional prowess, navigating the Middle Distance course in just 22:32,6, clinching first place with a clear margin. Her closest competitor, Latvia's Sandra Grosberga, finished +2:14,7 behind Aebersold with a time of 24:47,3.
Poland’s Ewa Bernaciak secured third with 25:53,9, followed closely by Switzerland’s Paula Gross and France’s Florence Hanaver. Aebersold’s winning time underscored her dominance and was a preview of her performance in the upcoming Long Distance event.
Rewatch the thrilling Middle Distance event:
Long Distance Event
The following day, the Long Distance event raised the level of challenge, testing both endurance and navigation over a much longer and more demanding course. Estonia’s Timo Sild emerged victorious in the men’s competition with a time of 1:08:28,7. Sild’s flawless execution, navigating through the dense and complex terrain, earned him the top spot.
France’s Mathieu Perrin, continuing his strong performance from the previous day, took second place with a time of 1:11:23,4, finishing just under three minutes behind Sild. Perrin’s compatriot, Basile Basset, claimed the third spot, narrowly finishing a second behind Perrin at 1:11:24,6. Austria’s Mathias Peter, once again near the top, finished fourth, followed by Romania’s Ionut Zinca in fifth.
In the women’s Long Distance event, Switzerland’s Simona Aebersold once again proved why she is a force to be reckoned with, completing the course in 46:04,3, a staggering 6:03,2 ahead of France’s Isia Basset, who finished in 52:07,5 to secure second place. Switzerland’s Paula Gross, who had been a strong contender in the Middle Distance, earned third place with a time of 52:56,4.
The women’s competition saw Poland’s Hanna Wisniewska and Austria’s Ylvi Kastner rounding out the top five, with the top competitors demonstrating both endurance and strategic excellence across the long and demanding course.
Rewatch the intense Long Distance race here:
Team Classifications
In the men’s team classification, Austria stood tall on the podium, winning gold with a total time of 6:32:43, demonstrating their depth of talent with Bonek and Peter leading the charge. France followed closely in second place, with a total time of 6:45:20, while Switzerland completed the podium in third place with a time of 6:45:47, just 27 seconds behind France.
For the women’s team classification, Switzerland’s team, led by the remarkable performances of Aebersold and Gross, secured first place with a cumulative time of 3:55:11. France took the silver medal with a total time of 4:06:45, and Poland, consistently strong across both days, claimed third place with a time of 4:08:10.
The competition continues today, October 20, with the eagerly anticipated Sprint Relay event and a Cultural Day, promising another action-packed day in Cartagena!
Follow the races live on the Spanish Orienteering Federation YouTube Channel and follow the event on the LOC Facebook Page and LOC Website.
(Source: CISM Media & Communication Department)
