The international ski orienteering season began with a close showdown in the men’s race, while it was clearer in the women’s race in Norway on Friday.
The sun shone over the terrain at Sjusjøen as the first men were sent off on today’s 3.2 kilometer sprint race, which was also the first race in the IOF Ski Orienteering World Cup 2024-2025 and served as the U23 World Championship Sprint race.
Defending World Cup champion Jørgen Baklid (NOR), who is also the reigning world champion on the shortest distance, came as expected to play a leading role and set the fastest time at the finish.
But just a few minutes later, Sweden’s Jonatan Ståhl came in with exactly the same time and shared the day’s victory with the Norwegian.
Ståhl had a small lead in the intermediate times shortly before the finish, but a strong finish by Baklid meant that the two would go up to the top step of the podium together.

Men’s World Cup podium.
Niklas Ekström (FIN) was eight seconds slower and took third place. That was enough to become world champion in the U23 class, which is decided in the same race.
Ekström is racing his last year as an U23, and was a full 46 seconds ahead of Isak Lundholm (SWE) and a further eight seconds faster than Pyry Riissanen (FIN), who took U23 bronze.

Men’s U23 podium.
Estonian win in women’s
Later, in the women’s race, former overall World Cup winner, Daisy Kudre-Schnyder (EST) took the win. The Estonian created a small lead early on and managed to hold on to it all the way around the almost 3 kilometers.
The battle for second place was between Magdalena Olsson (SWE) and Amanda Yli Futka (FIN) and was close. The two had almost identical split times until control 10, where Olsson took the fastest route and ended up in second place – eight seconds behind Kudre-Schnyder, but 21 seconds faster than Futka.

Women’s World Cup podium.
In the U23 class, there was total Finnish dominance, with Futka finishing with the gold ahead of compatriots Maria Hoskari and Sari Vaaranen, who were 12 and 17 seconds behind Futka, respectively.

Women’s U23 Podium
Find results and GPS tracking in IOF LIVE.
Saturday it’s time for  the middle distance, where both men and women start from 10.00 local time (UTC+1).
You can follow the race in IOF LIVE.
All photos: Tuve Möller
International Orienteering Federation (IOF)
Box 9033, SE-650 09 Karlstad, SWEDEN
iof@orienteering.sport
Contact IOF Office
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