Ķuze finishes 40th at World Cup stage in Czechia, Sirmā sets two career bests
Latvian orienteers Elza Ķuze and Signe Sirmā, both representing Jelgava club "Alnis", competed at the third World Cup stage in Czechia, with Ķuze placing 40th in the long distance and Sirmā posting two career-best results.
The third orienteering World Cup stage took place in the Czech town of Vyšší Brod, with two athletes from the Jelgava club "Alnis" — Elza Ķuze and Signe Sirmā — representing Latvia. The competition area in southern Czechia, near the Austrian border, featured hilly, rocky terrain, with hot weather adding to the challenge.
Middle distance
Both Latvians advanced through qualification — Ķuze finished fifth in her heat of 38 competitors, while Sirmā placed 16th out of 39. In the A final, over a 4,490-metre course, Sirmā finished 54th with a time of 42:28.26, while Ķuze took 55th place at 42:48.17. Both trailed the winner by more than 11 minutes. For Sirmā, this was her best-ever World Cup result in the middle distance.
Long distance
In the long distance — nearly 13 kilometres with almost 600 metres of climb — Ķuze reached the top 40, finishing 40th with a time of 2:01.26. Sirmā placed 55th (2:12.54), setting a new personal best for this distance as well. Ķuze finished almost 25 minutes behind the winner, while Sirmā trailed by more than 36 minutes.
Relay
The stage concluded with relay races, where the Latvian women's team was represented by Ķuze, Sirmā and Sandra Grosberga. Ķuze posted the 20th-best time on the first leg, and after Sirmā's leg Latvia stood in 21st place, but Grosberga withdrew from the final leg due to injury, meaning the team's result was not counted.
The next and final World Cup stage will be held from September 24 to 27 in Druskininkai, Lithuania.
