The Swiss orienteering runners are really showing their class at the home European Championships in the Ticino. Mostly the men are outstanding: double gold in the sprint won in a tie by Matthias Kyburz and Daniel HUbmann as well as a gold and silver medal in the middle distance for Kyburz and Florian Howald. Additionally, they also won the sprint relay especially with top runs of the women, Judith Wyder on the start leg and Elena Roos on the anchor leg. The women also set marks with Wyder winning the silver medal in the sprint and Simona Aebersold taking bronze in the middle distance. Thus it can be said that in the relays on Saturday, the victory is only achieved when beating the Swiss. Sweden, Norway, Denmark (on women’s side), Finland and France (on men’s side) could also be considered medal candidates. The Swedish women’s relay team is crucially impaired as sprint European Champion and silver medalist in the middle distance event, Tove Alexandersson, has to relinquish her start in the relay due to a twisted ankle done in the middle distance race.

Switzerland signed up with two ambitious teams each: Team 1 on the men’s side will include Florian Howald, Matthias Kyburz and Daniel Hubmann and on the women’s side Judith Wyder , Elena Roos and Julia Gross. In the second teams will be Jonas Egger, Fabian Hertner and Martin Hubmann on the men’s side and the women’s relay team will include Paula Gross, Simona Aebersold and Sarina Jenzer.

Jörg Greb

Translation: Beatrice Zurcher-Garzoni