In Zofingen, Switzerland, the 2024 Orienteering World Cup began with unpredictable weather conditions. Athletes from 17 of the 32 participating nations qualified for the quarter finals on Saturday. The sun shone over the old town center as the first men’s qualification heats began. However, halfway through, rain arrived, making the courses even more challenging.
The women’s start was delayed due to the rain, but once it stopped, the rest of the qualification rounds were completed. Switzerland excelled in the difficult conditions, with 14 out of 16 athletes securing spots in the top 12. Norway and Sweden also had strong performances, with 12 and 10 athletes qualifying respectively.
Tove Alexandersson, Hanna Lundberg and Ingeborg Rygg Eikeland stood out by winning their respective heats in the women’s category. Meanwhile in men’s heat August Mollén, Tuomas Heikkila and Timo Suter finished in top positions. However, there were some mispunches in Men’s Heat A as some athletes missed a control point.
Notable athletes who didn’t qualify for the quarter finals include Eef van Dongen, Karolin Ohlsson, Charlotte Ward, Isac von Krusenstierna and Yannick Michiels among others. The Knock-Out Sprint quarter finals will take place on Saturday in Olten starting at 10:00 CEST and can be watched on IOF LIVE. IOF TV will begin its broadcast at 12:00 for semi-finals.
