For FISU, the year kick started with the FISU World Championship in Ski Orienteering taking place in Switzerland, Lenzerheide from 12-16 January. 

This event met 102 students from 14 nations, succesfully competing and cheered by the supporters with typical cowbells. The races were held in the Roland Arena, about five kilometers from the village centre of Lenzerheide. Thanks to the multifunctional building architecture, the arena has developed into a well-known sports hotspot and is a meeting place for elite and junior athletes, leisure athletes, clubs and sports associations.

The competition started with the sprint competition, where in the men's competition, the Swede Jonatan Ståhl from Umeå University won, in front of the Swiss Nicola Müller from University of Bern, and the current world ranked number two Aapo Viippola, from Kajaani University of Applied Sciences (FIN).

For the women's competition, first place belonged to Elin Schagerström of the Luleå University of Technology, also from Sweden. She beat Eliane Deininger from Switzerland, who studies at the University of Bern and the bronze went to Norwegian Synne Strand from University of Oslo.

On Tuesday, for the pursuit, the competitors leave in the order of arrival of the sprint event, so sometimes only as little as a second apart! They each had to complete two laps, with two different maps starting  with map B as their direct opponent starts with map A.

In the women Elin Schagerström from the Luleå University of Technology (SWE) won the competition, followed by Eliane Deininger from the University of Bern (SUI) and was joined on the podium by the local girl, Delia Giezendanner from University of Applied Sciences (SUI).

In the men’s event, Nicola Müller from University of Bern (SUI) managed to get the gold, Finland’s Aapo Viipola came second and Jan Lauenstein from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich brought another Swiss flag to the podium, winning the bronze.

Thursday was reserved for the middle distance competition. In the women’s competition, Elin Schagerström from Luleå University of Technology (SWE) won again, then Eliane Deininger from the University of Bern (SUI) took the second place and Maria Hoskari from Finland completed the podium.

Nicola Müller from University of Bern (SUI) won the men’s competition, followed by Jonatan Stahl from Sweden and Severin Müller in third place from Switzerland.

The last day of the Championship concluded with the competition of sprint relay. The competition was won by the first team of Sweden composed of Schagerstrom Elin and Stahl Jonatan, the second place by the first team of Switzerland with Giezendanner Delia and Mueller Severin, finally it’s the second team of Sweden took the third place, composed by Hermansson Elsa and Jonsson Gustav.

The next FISU championships will be held in February as following: Oman, Muscat FISU World University Championship in Cross Country from 17-18 February and Norway, Hamar, FISU World Unversity Championship in Speed Skating from 22-25 February. 

The compete overview of events for 2024, can be seen here https://www.eusa.eu/2024-fisu-championships-overview 

Credits for information and photos belong to FISU. 

For more information, please see www.fisu.net