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1.11.2005,
PWT
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Johansson and Brozkova on top in Shanghai
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Swedish rookie Martin Johansson and Czech mountainclimber-orienteer Dana Brozkova smashed to the top in the Park World Tour race in Shanghai on Tuesday. Johansson was 12 seconds ahead of Ukrainian PWT legend Yuri Omeltchenko, while Brozkova won by a margin of 3 seconds to Swiss Brigitte Gruniger.
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Swedish sprint champion Martin Johansson, 21, just missed out from the World Championships in Japan this year. He had to wait three more months for an international breakthrough in Asia, in the first of five PWT races in China.
Omeltchenko impressed
- You're gonna be tough to beat, noted three-time PWT Champion Yuri Omeltchenko, 34, who was quick to congratulate the cheeringly happy Swede.
Strong runner Johansson scored his first victory in the park around Shanghai Weiming Habitat Forest Resort Hotel, on a fairly flat course with route choice challenges.
While Johansson did a nearly perfect race, last Omeltchenko was happy with second spot after suffering from injuries during the whole season. Another orienteering veteran, Chris Terkelsen of Denmark, took the bronze one second behind the Ukrainian in a tight competition.
Norwegian Oystein Kvaal Osterbo finished fifth and thereby maintained his overall lead ahead of David Brickhill-Jones, Australia, now forth.
Top shape from the mountains
The fight for the top spot in the women's race was even tighter, with Czech Dana Brozkova scoring her fourth PWT win in two seasons.
- I was very tired but did only two small mistakes, said Brozkova, getting back into good shape after a one month camp in Africa in September.
Joining expeditions and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro (5,892 metres) she found new motivation for orienteering and now grabbed a clear lead in the overall standings with four races to go.
Lithuanian Ieva Sargautyte, who shared the lead with Brozkova ahead of Tuesday's race, saw the Czech half-way on the course, but then chose a slower route on the long distance between controls 12 and 13. After another mistake, she dropped to 14th in the race.
Bronze debut for Riabkina
Experienced Swiss Brigitte Gruniger won the silver, with Russian PWT newcomer Tatiana Riabkina finishing third.
- It was a nice course, even if it wasn't too difficult. To win is however always difficult, said Riabkina, who competes in China for the first time.
Young Swede Maria Bergkvist was fourth in her PWT debut, followed by Riina Kuuselo of Finland who climbed to third spot after Brozkova and Sargautyte in the overall standings.
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