Gold for Khrennikov and Christelle Gros in ski orienteering
Russian Eduard Khrennikov and the French Christelle Gros are the new Ski Orienteering world champions, titles awarded this morning at Cogne.
All foreign athletes on the podium, for the ski orienteering competition of the Winter Military World Games. Russian Eduard Khrennikov ranks first in the discipline, in a sunny day on a track well covered with snow, in ‘’Prato di Sant’Orso’’, time 45’25’’10. Right behind him, the Norwegian Elvind Tonna, (47’54’’00). Bronze medal for the Finnish athlete Antti Vaino (50’45’’40).
Swiss Remo Fischer, third on the finish line (49’08’’20) got disqualified because of skipping a checkpoint, and therefore excluded from the final ranking. The best Italian athlete of the race is the military Simone Paredi, 19th.
Gold and bronze medal go to France , the winner determined by photofinish at the final sprint, thanks to Christelle Gros that times 41’31’’60, and Elodie Bourgeois Pin; silver medal goes to the Russian Natalia Naumova. Russia ranks fourth and fifth place as well, respectively Natalia Tomilova and Tatiana Vlasova.
Ski orienteering combines both Cross-Country Skiing and orientation; all athletes must follow a track – 13km today, to be done freestyle – and indications of the course on maps.
Eduard Khrennikov is a specialist of this discipline, already a winner of several World Cups and World Championships, today to be added to his palmares is the World Miltary Title.