The first timing point in the Women's Relay Last Leg at the World Cup Final, screengrab from IOF TV
The last leg in a tight race at the front of major relays is arguably as pressured as anything in orienteering.
The last race of the 2024 Senior International Season was the Women's Relay. It was the final race of the World Cup, it was a Finnish forest and the first four runners to start the last leg were the athletes of the first teams of the big four orienteering countries: Sweden, Norway, Switzerland and Finland. It was very appropriate as these runners had figured so prominently during the 2024 season in similar situations, with many really impressive runs. And, this being orienteering, the occasional miss or mishap. What a demonstration of skill and resilience!
The curious thing is that in a sport where teams can vary their last leg runners, and where many runners are considered more forest focused or more sprint focused, these four athletes are all-rounders and have all been reliably trusted with the last leg by their coaches in all the big races this year.
It was the same runners who ran the last leg of the World Champs Sprint Relay in Edinburgh, where three took the medal places. They took the medal places at the European Champs Relays in Hungary. Three of them were in the six contesting the Knockout Sprint Final at the World Champs. They have done more "first to cross the line" racing in really important situations, against each other, than anyone else this year.
And of course when they run for their clubs they run the last leg.
And incidentally all finished on the World Cup podium for the top-6 individual runners.
Tove Alexandersson
Tove Alexandersson, flanked by teammates Hanna Lundberg (right) and Sanna Fast (left), wins the World Cup Final Relay, photo: Hannu Keranen
Tove runs the last leg for Sweden. She is ranked number one in the World Rankings in both forest and sprint. She hasn't always been the last leg runner of choice. Before this year she often ran leg 1 in the sprint relay with Sarah Hagstrom taking last leg. But Sarah has been injured and Hanna Lundberg is the selection to run aggressively on the first leg in the same attacking style as Tove.
Simona Aebersold
Simona Aebersold at the World Cup Final 2024, photo: Joni Solonen
Simona runs the last leg for Switzerland. She won the World Cup for the first time this year. She is ranked number two in both forest and sprint. She hasn't always been the last leg runner of choice, in previous years often facing Tove on leg 1. Elena Roos did the last leg more often, but Elena retired from international orienteering at the end of the 2023 season.
Andrine Benjaminsen
Andrine Benjaminsen at the World Cup Final, photo: Joni Solonen
Andrine runs the last leg for Norway. She is ranked three in the World Rankings for forest orienteering and 19th for sprint.
There have been nine WOC and EOC sprint relays and womens forest relays since COVID. (There were three in 2021 as the World Champs included both.) Norway has come 2nd or 3rd in all but one, with Andrine running last leg in all eight. The one she didn't run (EOC23) it happened that Norway were outside the first three.
Venla Harju
Venla Harju at the World Cup Final, photo: Timo Mikkola
Venla runs the last leg for Finland. Venla is ranked eighth for forest and tenth for sprint in the World lists. She won the European Champs Long race in 2022. Her World Champs silver this year was her second: she ran first leg for the forest relay team in 2013 for the other. She also has four WOC bronze medals, and two bronze medals in European Champs..
2024 Races
TioMila 4/5th May
Tove took Stora Tuna from 7th to the win on the last leg, whilst Simona took IFK Göteborg from third to second.
Venla brought Tampereen Pyrintö home in tenth, picking up three places.
World Cup Round 1 Knockout Sprint 20th May
Tove won, Simona was second, and Andrine third in the final. Venla was knocked out at the semi-final stage in the semi won by Simona.
World Cup Round 2 Sprint Relay 2nd June
Simona overtook Venla and Tove on the last leg to take the win. Venla came in second and Tove fourth. Andrine started and finished sixth.
Venla Relay 15/16th June
Tove took Stora Tuna from third to first on the final leg. Venla was fifth with Tampereen Pyrintö.
World Champs Sprint Relay 14th July
Simona brought home the gold with Tove mispunching. Venla brought Finland in silver position, and Andrine brought Norway in bronze position.
World Champs Knockout Sprint 16th July
Tove won, Simona was third, and Venla sixth in the final. Andrine was eliminated in a quarter-final.
European Champs Relay 20th August
The finishing order was Simona, Andrine, Tove (up from fifth), with Venla in fifth.
World Cup Final 29th September
The finishing order was Tove, Andrine, Venla, with Simona in fourth.