Nopesport

PWT top guns Ropek and Omeltchenko meet in Czech. Comeback for Lucie Böhm at premiere in Slovakia.

PROSTEJOV. Three of the biggest stars of the Orienteering Park World Tour turn up again when the Tour comes to the Czech Republic and Slovakia this weekend.

Czech crowd favourite Rudolf Ropek, PWT Champion in 1997-98, will challenge the Ukrainian Tour supremo Yuri Omeltchenko, who has won a total of 13 of the 57 PWT races organised so far.

The reigning king of Saturday's host town Prostejov is however Petr Losman, the 24-year old Czech who won the last PWT race here in 2002. Strong contenders include World Championships medallist Mats Haldin (Finland) and speedy PWT newcomers Nick Barrable (Great Britain) and Robert Feldmann (Switzerland).

While Swiss orienteering queen Simone Niggli-Luder competes in her current homeland Sweden, PWT 2003 Champion Anne Margrethe Hausken (Norway) is a hot tip in the women's class, together with Britain's Sarah Rollins.

Sunday sees the first-ever Park World Tour race in Slovakia - and the PWT
comeback of 1997 World Champion Lucie Böhm. The Austrian recently won the
national long-distance championships, and has prepared well for an interesting sprint course in central Bratislava.

CZECH-SLOVAK PARK WORLD TOUR WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Saturday 8/5: PWT race 3/2004 in Prostejov, CZE
12.00 First start, women
13.00 First start, men
14.00 Prize-giving ceremony

Sunday 9/5: PWT race 4/2004 in Bratislava, SVK
10.00 First start, women
11.00 First start, men
12.00 Prize-giving ceremony

Start lists, results and full coverage of the PWT events at
Park World Tour