Saulīte posts career-best World Cup middle-distance orienteering result
Matīss Saulīte finished 29th in the middle-distance A-final at the third stage of the Orienteering World Cup in the Czech Republic, his best-ever World Cup result in the discipline. Home favorite Tomáš Křivda won the race, while Jēkabs Ločmelis scored his first-ever World Cup points.
At the third stage of the Orienteering World Cup, held in the Vyšší Brod mountains of the Czech Republic, Latvia's Matīss Saulīte finished 29th in the middle-distance A-final — the best World Cup result of his career in this discipline. He had earned his spot in the A-final by winning the long-distance C-final, bouncing back after a disappointing qualification run earlier in the event.
Home athlete Tomáš Křivda won the 5,370-metre course in 35 minutes and 50 seconds. Saulīte finished four minutes and 24 seconds behind him, narrowly trailing Estonia's Lauri Sild by one second — Sild posting the best result among Baltic athletes.
Other Latvian results
Jēkabs Ločmelis, 23, also set a career milestone. After placing 51st in the long distance, he finished 37th in the middle distance, earning his first-ever World Cup points. Uldis Upītis placed 51st, while Artūrs Pauliņš finished 64th, saying he had not fully recovered from the long-distance race. In the B-final, Edgars Bertuks and Ainārs Lupiķis placed 29th and 46th respectively, while Alvis Reinsons finished sixth in the C-final.
Women's race
In the women's middle distance, Switzerland's Simona Aebersold claimed a commanding win, extending her lead in the overall World Cup standings. Latvia's Signe Sirmā and Elza Ķuze finished 54th and 55th, more than 11 minutes behind the winner. Sandra Grosberga, conserving energy for the following day's relay, ran cautiously in the B-final to finish 29th.
Athletes described the course as technically demanding, with difficult terrain and rocky sections that led to minor navigation errors for several competitors.
