World Orienteering Championships 2023: Middle Final and Relay Round Up

18 July 2023

Middle Final

On Saturday the Middle Final took place at the 2023 World Orienteering Championships. Team. The sun made an appearance and temperatures were high as the four Team GB athletes approached the start line.

Despite missing out on a podium place in the Long Distance Race, Megan Carter-Davies had qualified for the Middle Final in 3^rd place and anticipation was building, but in the end it was not to be and she concluded the race in 12^th place.

Grace Molloy and Ralph Street both finished the race inside the top 30, in 28^th and 29^th place respectively with Alastair Thomas in 34^th position on a course which had many short legs in the contour detail-rich terrain, leading to many time losses and creating an entertaining and ever-changing race to follow.

Tove Alexandersson (SWE) and Matthias Kyburz (SUI) won the in the Women’s and Men’s respectively.

Tove Alexandersson once again showed her dominance, crossing the line more than two minutes fast than her next rival and winning her 18^th WOC gold medal in the process. Home favourite Matthias Kyburz (SUI) again was well clear of the rest of the field taking his 7^th WOC gold.

Results

Women's	Men's
Megan Carter-Davies – 12th	Ralph Street – 29th
Grace Molloy – 28th	Alastair Thomas – 34th

Forest Relay

In the Forest Relay the Swiss Men and Swedish Women showed supreme strength on the last day of competition on another hot day with terrain that made great demands on the athletes’ physical fitness.

After a tight first leg in the Men’s Joey Hadorn (SUI) took over the lead and created a big gap on the last half of the course, and despite a small time loss on the last loop, Matthias Kyburz held on to the lead, with the Great Britain Men’s team of William Gardner, Joshua Dudley and Ralph Street finishing in 17^th position.

The women’s relay turned out to be a Swedish show as first leg Hanna Lundberg created a decisive gap of nearly 90 seconds on the last half of the first leg, with Sara Hagström expanding the lead for Alexandersson to bring them home with a huge lead over 2^nd place Switzerland. Grace Molloy, Cecilie Andersen and Megan Carter-Davies finished in 8^th place.