Nopesport

No suprises today in the women's relay. Swizterland take gold, Norway silver and Sweden bronze. Norway and Sweden managed to run off the front of the pack on first leg, gaining over a 3 minute lead. On second leg the relay took shape with Sweden in the lead, then Norway, Finland and Switzerland, all hading over the their last legs seperately, but it was clear that no position was safe, the gap from 4th to 1st was just 2:20. At the intermediate control Simone Niggli had taken the lead, but all 4 teams were now in a group. In the end Niggli asserted a 2 minute lead to take gold for Switzerland, and here 10th World Champs gold medal. Anne Margrethe Hausken brought Norway home into 2nd place, prehaps Norway felt the loss of Hanne Staff. The brone medal went to Sweden with Emma Engstrang pulling distance from Minna Kauuppi, the Finns had to settle for bare necks this year. The British girls didn't get off the best of starts, but with a strong 2nd leg and Heather Monro posting the 4th fastest time on last leg they pulled up into 7th.

In the men's many people were thinking that this could be France's year, first gold in the World Cups and now Thierry is in the lead. Nothing major happened on first left, a large pack came pack with the top teams still in contention. Yet again, on the second leg the race relay began to hot up. 5 teams in 90 seconds, Switzerland, Finland, France, Norway and Sweden, there was surely gong to be a massive battle on last leg. By the radio control Thierry Gueorgiou had caught Norway's Jørgen Rostrup, Swizerland and Sweden were a good minute behind at this point. In the end Norway took the gold medal, Rostrup finishing 30s ahead of Gueorgiou. Young Swiss medalis Daniel Hubamn fought off World Sprint Champion Emil Wingstedt of Sweden to take the bronze medal back to the continent. The British boys suffered like the girls, losing the leading pack on 1st leg. Oli Johnson ran a storming middle leg, with the 3rd fast time, overtaking 6 teams. Jon Duncan ran a stron last leg pulling the team into 10th place.

Women

1. Switzerland 2:07:46
(L. Müller, V. König Salmi, S. Niggli)
2. Norway 2:09:28
(M. Andersen, M. Riddervold, A. M. Hausken)
3. Sweden 2:10:35
(J Johansson, K. A-Höjsgaard, E. Engstrand)

7. Great Britain 2:20:22
(S. Rollins, H. Winskill, H. Monro)

Men

1. Norway 2:16:48
(H.H-Johnasen, Ø. Kristiansen, J. Rostrup)
2. France 2:17:16
(F. Gonon, D. Renard, T. Gueorgiou)
3. Switzerland 2:17:48
(M. Merz, M.Lauenstein, D. Hubman)

10. Great Britain 2:28:48
(M. Speake, O. Johnson, J. Duncan)

For full results visit WOC 2005 Online