POM 2015: Lucas Basset and Catherine Taylor won Middle Distance

The Portugal O 'Meeting 2015 continued today with the second stage of competition. Lucas Basset and Catherine Taylor were the big winners, while Tiago Romão and Patricia Casalinho finishing today as the best Portuguese athletes.

The Portugal O 'Meeting 2015 fulfilled the second stage of its competition program, in what was the farewell to the municipality of Mira. The Middle Distance stage - the only one of this distance during the Portugal O' Meeting – widened along the magnificent terrains of Dunes, calling to the competition 1995 athletes. In the Men Super Elite class, the French Lucas Basset (Pôles France U) was the fastest with a time of 36:11, beating his closest competitors, the Russian Valentin Novikov (Russia) and the Swiss Baptiste Rollier (Swiss O-Team ) by margins of 16 and 22 seconds, respectively. The winner of yesterday's stage and one of the major candidates top the final victory, the Swedish Gustave Bergman, decided to take the day off, thus renouncing to the victory in the POM 2015. Frédéric Tranchand is the current leader, but the differences to Baptiste Rollier, Martin Hubmann, Aaro Asikainen, Lucas Basset and Valentin Novikov are minor.

In the Women Elite class, the winner of the day was the British Catherine Taylor (OK Linné), who made a time of 33:08 and clearly hit the Finnish Saila Kinni (TP), seeded second with 34:51 and the Swedish Kamilla Olaussen (Fredrikstad SK), who spent 35:05, finishing in the third place. With these results, Taylor will start tomorrow for the Long Distance WRE course in the leadership of POM 2015, although the proximity of the Finnish Minna Kauppi and the Russian Galina Vinogradova not allow Taylor to be tranquil. In the Elite Men class there wasn't surprises and the British Alasdair McLeod continues to showing his value, winning today with a time of 37:05, 1:06 least than the Swedish Ludwig Ljungqvist (IKHP), second placed. Michal Olejnik (SNO) repeated yesterday's third place with a time of 39:15.

Among the Portuguese, Tiago Romão (GafanhOri) was today the fastest in the Men Super Elite class, finishing in 32nd place with 40:37. In the Men Elite class, also from GafanhOri, Tiago Martins Aires (photo above) was again the best Portuguese, finishing in the 22nd place with 6:42 more than Alasdair McLeod. Finally, the in the Women Elite, our best athlete was today Patricia Casalinho (COC), ranked 62nd with a time of 43:18.

Results

Men Super Elite class

1. Lucas Basset (Pôles France U) 36:11

2. Valentin Novikov (Russia) 36:27 (+ 00:16)

3. Baptiste Rollier (Swiss O-Team) 36:33 (+ 0:22)

4. Kiril Nikolov (Kalevan Rasti) 36:47 (+ 00:36)

5. Edgars Bertuks (TuMe) 36:48 (+ 00:37)

6. Aaro Asikainen (Kalevan Rasti) 36:58 (+ 00:47)

7. Frédéric Tranchand (Paimion-Rasti) 37:05 (+ 00:54)

8. Martin Hubmann (Swiss O-Team) 37:14 (+ 1:03)

9. Carl Godager Kaas (BSK) 37:25 (+ 01:14)

10. Murray Strain (Interlopers) 37:39 (+ 01:28)

Women Elite class

1. Catherine Taylor (OK Linné) 33:08

2. Saila Kinni (TP) 34:51 (+ 01:43)

3. Kamilla Olaussen (Fredrikstad SK) 35:08 (+ 02:00)

4. Galina Vinogradova (Russia) 35:12 (+ 02:04)

5. Anastasia Denisova (Sävedalens AIK) 35:43 (+ 02:35)

6. Mari Fasting (Halden SK) 35:49 (+ 02:41)

7. Minna Kauppi (Individual FIN) 36:07 (+ 02:59)

8. Charlotte Watson (Edinburgh University) 36:24 (+ 03:16)

9. Hollie Orr (Lakeland OC) 36:32 (+ 03:24)

10. Isia Basset (Pôles France U) 37:05 (+ 03:57)

Men Elite class

1. Alasdair McLeod (Clydeside Orien) 37:05

2. Ludwig Ljungqvist (IKHP) 38:11 (+ 01:06)

3. Michael Olejnik (SNO) 39:15 (+ 02:10)

4. Aleksi Niemi (TP) 39:33 (+ 02:28)

5. Richard Robinson (OK Ravinen) 39:49 (+ 02:44)

6. Tobias Henriksson (OK Trian) 39:54 (+ 02:49)

7. Erik Berzell (Järla Orientering) 40:09 (+ 03:04)

8. Luukas Valtonen (HS) 40:22 (+ 03:17)

9. Lauri Nenonen (Kalevan Rasti) 40:46 (+ 03:41)

10. Rinat Gabitov (Espoon Suunta) 40:52 (+ 03:47)

To know more about POM 2015, please consult the event's webpage at em www.pom.pt/en/.

Joaquim Margarido