Forth Valley Orienteers hosted Euromeeting last weekend as part of the build-up to next year's World Championships. After the sprint relay on Friday 13th there was a full knockout sprint on Saturday 14th, and an individual sprint on Sunday 15th.

There is a very good writeup of the Euromeeting October 23 weekend on the Scottish Orienteering Association website.

Euromeeting Knockout Sprint at IOF Eventor

Euromeeting Individual Sprint at IOF Eventor

Tilda Ostberg (Sweden) won both women's sprints. This is the knockout sprint podium, with Megan Carter-Davies 2nd and Hanna Lundberg (Sweden) 3rd, photo: Scottish OA

In the knockout there was a runner's choice for the semi-finals, but not for the quarters or the finals.

The runners in the women's final ran together on an early long route choice leg 1-2 but those in the men's final didn't. Fabian Aebersold (Switzerland) and Eddie Narbett, not at the front at control 1, went right whilst the 3 Swedes and the Norwegian went left. Fabian and Eddie were ahead at control 2. Fabian went on to take the win, whilst the Swedish duo of Jonatan Gustafsson and August Mollen, silver and bronze medallists in the knockout at last year's World Champs in Denmark, passed Eddie to take the other podium spots.

Individual Sprint

In the women's the 1-2-3 was Tilda Ostberg, with Eline Gemperle (Switzerland) and Hedvig Valbjorn Gydesen (Denmark) sharing second..

In the men's Yannick Michiels (Belgium), Jonathan Crickmore, Loic Capbern (France).

Men's Individual Sprint 1-2-3, photo: Yannick Michiels Instagram

WOC 2024

For Swedish and Swiss runners who took wins here it is very encouraging but there is still the question of getting in their national team for the World Champs. Both Tilda Ostberg and Fabian Aebersold will be paying careful attention to races that matter for national selection.

For the British team, good runs from Megan Carter-Davies and Jonathan Crickmore are encouraging, but the runner who took the biggest step over the weekend is Eddie Narbett. It was known when selected for the European Champs last weekend he brought running speed. But a lack of events since COVID meant his orienteering was at best rusty. On Saturday and Sunday. he also showed good orienteering to take 4th and 8th places in the sprint races.