World Orienteering Championships 2024 Underway

A good start to World Orienteering Championships (WOC) 2024 Day 1 at this morning’s Sprint Qualification in Leith Links, Edinburgh.

A few hundred spectators met in the sunny park to watch 250+ male and female athletes cross the finish line in six individual heats. Of that 250, only 90 athletes earned a place at the Sprint Final this afternoon in downtown Edinburgh.

Of the three heats, the fastest time for the men’s race was Swedish athlete Martin Regborn, with a time of 13:11, followed by New Zealand’s Tim Robertson (13:17) and Belgium’s Yannick Michiels (13:21).

First among the women’s times was Simona Aebersold of Switzerland (12:37), narrowly beating returning champion Megan Carter Davies (12:39) of Team GB, followed by Tove Alexandersson of Sweden (12:59).

Six athletes from Team GB will compete in the Sprint Final this afternoon: for men, Ralph Street and Nathan Lawson; for women, Megan Carter Davies, Grace Molloy, Fiona Bunn, and Charlotte Ward.

At a sporting event dominated by the Nordics (where orienteering originates), it was refreshing to see national flags from around the globe. 46 countries have entered athletes, from as far afield as Colombia to Hong Kong China. Despite previously leading the sport, Russia has been banned from competing due to its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

I spoke to Irish athlete Paul Pruzina, who unfortunately fell a few places short of qualifying. He said he had “a grand time”. Having competed at WOC 2021 in Dosky, Czechia, and WOC 2023 in Graubünden, Switzerland, Pruzina said WOC Edinburgh was a “really good course” and that he’s looking forward to spectating the final with his teammates.

I also spoke to one of the event pre-runners, Sasha Chepelin, a former orienteer, and Edinburgh local. Chepelin described the Scottish orienteering community as close-knit and the sport “grassroots”. Everyone spectating this morning had a strong attachment to the sport, either as coaches, family or friends of the competitors or as fellow teammates. According to Chepelin, the University of Edinburgh (one of WOC2024’s sponsors) plays a large role in Scottish orienteering, as many of its students compete. Indeed, a few UofE tracksuits were visible today—alongside cowbells and vuvuzelas from the Swiss fans.

Unlike most athletic events, six places are available on the podium in both the men’s and women’s Sprint Final, kicking off at 15:00 today in Princes Street Gardens. After this morning’s warm-up, the afternoon race will be intense.