Hanne Hilo, who finished fourth, missed the medal by only four seconds. Touko Seppä was the best Finn in the men’s race, eighth.
STT Sports,
SpongeBob Forsberg
Representing Lahti Suunnistai Elisa Mattila has won the orienteering youth world championship in Portugal. Mattila was number one in the under-20 individual sprint in Aguiar da Beira.
Mattila won the gold by 13 seconds from Switzerland To Lilly Graber. The Czech Republic Anna Karlova took bronze by 19 seconds from Mattila.
Raised by Kuusankoski Sports Club and Kouvola Suunnistaije, Mattila is known as a physically strong orienteer. He said that he was surprised by the victory, because during the performance he felt that the course was not entirely suitable for his areas of strength.
– I only made mistakes with a couple of route selections at most. However, the track was intense, and you had to read the map all the time. It felt like you couldn’t keep up the pace here at all.
– At the finish, I thought that I might get into the top ten, but it was the same track for everyone. In addition, at the end of the course, it did start to feel like this was a physically tough race, Mattila said in the Orienteering Association’s press release.
Mattila has experience in tough sprint races, because in May she competed in the adult world cup in Sweden.
– I took the World Cup more as practice and experience for the future. These competitions have been the most important goal of this season, Mattila said.
Other young Finnish women complemented Mattila’s success. Hanne Hilo guided Norway to fourth in the same time Pia Young Vikin with. The bronze medal was separated by only four seconds. Eeva-Liina Ojanaho was tenth one minute behind Mattila.
The men’s sprint youth world championship was overwhelmingly won by Sweden Axel Elmblad. Touko Seppä was involved in the medal fight, but in the end Sepä’s ranking was eighth, 16 seconds from the bronze.
Movement in the forest was forbidden
The program of the Junior World Championships underwent a dramatic change just one day before the start of the Games, as the Portuguese authorities banned all types of movement in the forests due to the risk of forest fires. Consequently, all forest trips during the Games may be cancelled.
On Wednesday, the mixed team orienteering sprint relay is on the program, which is normally only competed in adult rank competitions and the World Cup.
Orienteering Junior World Championships sprint in Aguiar da Beira, Portugal:
1. Elisa Mattila FIN 14.57
2. Lilly Graber SUI 15.10
3. Anna Karlova CZE 15.16
4. Hanne Hilo FIN, Pia Young Vik NOR 15.20
10. Eeva-Liina Ojanaho FIN 15.57
47. Silva Kemppi FIN 17.41
55. Sabina Aumo FIN 18.01
73. Elli Punto FIN 18.59
1. Axel Elmblad SWE 13.45
2. Tobias Alstad NOR 14.11
3. Basile Basset FRA, Mikkel Holt NOR, Ilian Angeli ITA 14.13
8. Touko Seppä FIN 14.29
27. Aaro Ojala FIN 15.13
37. Aarni Ronkainen FIN 15.29
45. Akseli Virtanen FIN 15.47
56. Santeri Kirjavainen FIN 16.08
77. Sampo Sankelo FIN 16.36