Finland grabbed three medals from the opening of the European Championships, when Marika Teini and Elias Kuukka completed a great Finnish day by taking bronze each.
18:12•Updated 18:43
Tove Alexandersson had won all seven European and World Orienteering long-distance competitions since 2016. Ruodsalaistahti’s streak of great success was broken on Thursday Venla Harjuwho won the first EC gold of his career in the 12.9 km race organized in Rakvere, Estonia.
Alexandersson, who took silver, was 17 seconds behind Harju.
After the competition, Harju was shocked by his victory.
– I can’t believe it was enough to win. The medal was such a dream. I knew there was a chance, but I still can’t believe it was enough to win. It was obviously a challenging terrain for everyone else as well, Harju told Urheilu.
Harju is the first Finnish woman who has won EC gold in a long distance. Minna Kauppi and Heli Jukkola won the long distance gold at the 2007 World Championships with exactly the same time. Also Kirsi Boström, Outi Borgenström and Liisa Veijalainen have come a long way to World Cup victories.
Harju cleared the route with two mistakes. He got the first mistake corrected quickly, but the latter threatened to spoil Harju’s performance.
– The second mistake seemed so big that the pack seemed to fall apart even after that. But I pulled myself together and fought to the end.
The hot weather and the long track for the women made the end of the race especially difficult.
– Yes, it was a bit of a fog for the rest of the journey, but I managed to move forward and cross the lines straight away. At the end, I found a little bit of an end letter.
The covered and heavy forest terrain of Estonia is suitable for Finnish orienteers. According to Harju, Finns are used to poor visibility and places that are difficult to get to.
Teini and Kuukka completed the Finnish day
2018 Middle Distance European Champion Marika Teini completed the fine Finnish women’s competition with her third place.
In the women’s race, Finland was even close to a double victory, when Teini still led the race by more than a minute at the 10.4 kilometer intermediate stage in Harjuu. At the end, however, Harju and Alexandersson, who had fallen into mistakes from the start, got past Tein. The teenager was 52 seconds behind the winner in the end.
– Quite a struggle for survival. There were a few mistakes, but they happened to others too. Physically, I didn’t feel good and at the end I got a really good whiff, Teini said in the Orienteering Association’s press release.
More Finnish medals were obtained in the men’s competition, when Elias Kuukka grabbed a surprise bronze. Kuukka had quite an upbeat performance, as he was sixth at the first intermediate point and fifth at the second.
Kuukka fought a hard Norwegian for the bronze by Kasper Fosser with, and was at the finish line 32 seconds ahead of the Norwegian. Swedish Martin Regborn and Eskil Kinneberg are celebrating a double victory.
– The performance was not perfect, but still the best I have ever done, Kuukka said in the Suunnistusliitto press release.
Among the Finnish men, the sixth-placed also made it into the top ten Olli Ojanahoas well as Eetu Savolainen (8:s) and Miika Kirmula (10:s).
Harju was happy about a great Finnish day.
– Yes, Marika was also satisfied. It was known in advance that we both have chances for medals, but the fact that we both succeeded is wonderful.
According to Harju, there is still enough power for the middle distance races and relays that will be contested this weekend.
– Yes, that orienteering is quite fun. There will probably be even more of that in the upcoming games. The message still gets a little different because of the team contribution.
Orienteering EC competitions, long distances
1. Venla Harju, FIN, 1.29.52
2. Tove Alexandersson, SWE, +0.17
3. Marika Teini, FIN, +0.52
4. Sara Hagström, SWE, +1.31
5. Lina Strand, SWE, +2.37
6. Johanna Öberg, SWE, +2.51
7. Paula Gross, SUI, +4.20
8. Andrine Benjaminsen, NOR, +5.41
9. Sabine Hauswirth, SUI, +6.27
10. Tereza Janosikova, CZE, +6.50
1. Martin Regborn, SWE, 1.39.18
2. Eskil Kinneberg, SWE, +0.31
3. Elias Kuukka, FIN, +1.06
4. Kasper Fosser, NOR, +1.38
5. Emil Svensk, SWE, +3.19
6. Olli Ojanaho, FIN, +5.21
7. Henrik Johannesson, SWE, +5.28
8. Eetu Savolainen, FIN, +5.53
9. Gustav Bergman, SWE, +6.10
10. Miika Kirmula, FIN, +6.11
Updated at 18:38: Marika Tein’s and Elias Kuukka’s comments added.