Photo: Alice Leake running the arena passage in Riga Old Town Square, World Champs Sprint Final.
Alice Leake had the best run of the British athletes in this year's World Champs Sprints: she was eighth.
The fact that both the men's and women's titles were retained by last year's champions, Daniel Hubmann and Maja Alm, is to disguise a great deal of drama.
Both races were only decided right at the end. Crowds and cobblestones were features of both races, and rain hit the men's race. Last year's men's silver medallist, Frederic Tranchand, was eliminated in the heats (heat A was very tough, a runner needed to be within 30 seconds of the winner to make the qualifying 15.) Hubmann and the New Zealander Tim Robertson were neck-and-neck the whole way (Daniel said he could hear the announcements of "two seconds up, two seconds down" as he was running the course.) The bronze medal margin was less than a second.
Official Results
Reports
World of O: WOC 2018 Sprint Maps & Results.
Other articles at World of O provide analysis.
British Orienteering WOC 2018 Sprints by Will Gardner..
Post RaceShort Interviews
In Old Town Riga @HectorHaines talks to @AliceLeake after Alice achieves eighth in the world champs sprint final @woc2018latvia pic.twitter.com/GGFcfLGOuf
— On The Red Line (@OnTheRedLineO) 4 August 2018
A disappointed Peter Hodkinson talks with @HectorHaines after the men's sprint final in Riga today. @woc2018latvia pic.twitter.com/8oWo5yruTq
— On The Red Line (@OnTheRedLineO) 4 August 2018
Tenth in the world champs sprint final today @Thekrisjones talking with @HectorHaines looks to do better in tomorrow's team race. The @GBRorienteering team is @charlward92 Kris PeterHodkinson @cdmegan . Good luck to them. @woc2018latvia pic.twitter.com/LNhURZkXdR
— On The Red Line (@OnTheRedLineO) 4 August 2018