Danish Spring 2015: Søren Bobach and Maja Alm unstoppable

By winning the Middle Distance and the Sprint stages, Søren Bobach and Maja Alm were the common denominators of the first two days of the Danish Spring. Played in the Danish region of North Zealand the event has three WRE stages and counts with the participation of eight hundred athletes from 17 nations.

Accomplished the two first stages of the Danish Spring, opening race of the Danish Foot Orienteering season, Søren Bobach and Maja Alm arise as the event's great names until now. The Sprint stage was held yesterday at Allerød and showed an interesting duel between the two current World Champions in Sprint, the Elite and Junior ones. Søren Bobach was impeccable and, with a clean run, hit the young New Zealander Tim Robertson by comfortable difference of 20 seconds. The Danish Thor Norskov got the third place, 25 seconds behind Bobach. Despite some small mistakes, Maja Alm came to victory in the women elite class thanks to a second half of her course full of will and strength. The athlete imposed herself to the Russian Galina Vinogradova by 29 seconds, while the third place was to the very young Cecilie Friberg Klysner, with more 35 seconds than Maja Alm.

Already today took place the Middle Distance course, in which it was possible to watch a repeat of what happened the day before regarding the winners, in both cases by comfortable margins. In the men elite class, Bobach completed his course in 32:44, leaving his compatriot Tue Lassen in second place, with over 1:20. The Latvian Rudolfs Zernis was a surprising third placed with the time of 34:07. Like yesterday, only in the second half of her course Maja Alm has spread throughout her most direct rivals, but the advantage of 2:06 over the Russian Galina Vinogradova raises no room for any doubts. After a forced stop due to injury, Ida Bobach reached a moralizing third place on her return to competition with more 2:22 than the winner.

Results

Sprint (2015.03.27)

Men Elite
1. Søren Bobach (OK Pan Århus) 15:02
2. Tim Robertson (NZL, Hutt Valley) 15:22
3. Thor Norskov (IFK Göteborg) 15:27

4. Tue Lassen (Faaborg OK) 15:37

5. Trond Einar Moen Pedersli (NOR, OL Trollelg) 15:38

Women Elite
1. Maja Alm (OK HTF) 13:47
2. Galina Vinogradova (RUS, Alfta Osa OK) 14:16
3. Cecilie Friberg Klysner (FIF Hillerød) 14:22

4. Sofia Haajanen (FIN, SK Pohjantahti) 14:49

5. Nicoline Friberg Klysner (FIF Hillerød) 14:52

Middle Distance (2015.03.28)

Men Elite

1. Søren Bobach (OK Pan Århus) 32:44

2. Tue Lassen (Faaborg OK) 34:04

3. Rudolfs Zernis (LAT, Aerla IF) 34:07

4. David Andersson (SWE, Malungs OK) 34:12

5. Thor Norskov (IFK Göteborg) 34:15

Women Elite

1. Maja Alm (OK HTF) 26:59
2. Galina Vinogradova (RUS, Alfta Osa OK) 29:05

3. Ida Bobach (OK Pan Århus) 29:21

4. Lena Eliasson (SWE, Domnarvets GoIF) 29:27

5. Kristin Löfgren (SWE, Varegg Fleridrett) 30:23

Full results at http://www.danishspring.dk/results/

[Photo: Carsten Nøhr Nielsen/Frame the Action]

Joaquim Margarido