Bjørgul: “I will always remember the arena passage”

Bjørgul: “I will always remember the arena passage”

Ida Marie Næss Bjørgul was looking to get good results on terrain close to her home town. Halden Skiklubb, organisers of today’s World Cup race, is one of the strongest clubs in the world. They are also very good organisers, and this World Cup race took place just twenty kilometres from the town.

“But I had never been there before”, Ida Marie Næss Bjørgul states. She was one of several Halden runners taking part, but the only one born here. She has grown up in this town close to Sweden.

On the Long distance there was quite a lot of pressure on her. She has done quite well this year, and now it was time for doing well in an important race. It was also “home ground”. The Norwegian got fifth place and was very satisfied. “It was so great to make it when there were such expectations”, she says.

– And especially as it was home ground?

“I will always remember passing the arena when everyone was yelling ‘Ida’!”

– How much home terrain was it?

“I know how to do the orienteering because I am familiar with this type of terrain, but I have never been out in the forest here”.

She has been in the top three in a World Cup once before, but at that time there were no expectations.

Her partner Olav Lundanes was a spectator at the race. He has not been feeling good in his running. On Thursday he will take a test run to decide whether or not to take part in the Middle distance race on Sunday.

Ida will not participate in the Sprint Relay in the centre of Halden. “I know it too well”, she says. In fact no-one from Halden will take part.