Niggli-Luder keeps up winning ways
Switzerland's Simone Niggli-Luder has won her second gold medal in 24 hours at the world orienteering championships in Aichi, Japan.
After dominating the sprint race on Wednesday, she also swept aside the opposition on Thursday in the middle-distance event.
Niggli-Luder crossed the finishing line 2 minutes 13 seconds ahead of Jenny Johansson of Sweden and Finland’s Minna Kauppi.
Two other Swiss competitors, Lea Müller and Martina Fritschy, were among the top ten in Thursday’s race over a distance of 4.1km.
“It was a near-perfect performance. My legs felt great,” said Niggli-Luder after the event.
It is the Swiss athlete’s eighth world title overall. The world number one orienteering specialist has also won two World Cups and three European championships.
Switzerland’s men appeared to have more trouble mapping their way to the finishing line over the middle distance. Matthias Müller came 13th, while Matthias Merz finished 17th.
France’s Thierry Gueorgiou won Thursday’s race for the third time in a row.
On Wednesday, Niggli-Luder left her opponents trailing in the sprint event, while Daniel Hubmann took silver in the men’s short course competition.
The long-distance and relay races are still to come.
swissinfo with agencies
Orienteering involves using a detailed map and a compass to navigate one’s way round a course with designated control points.
On the route, orange and white control markers are set in the places that correspond to the points on the map.
The winner is the participant who takes the least time to visit the points in the right order.
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