Matthias Gröll: Used to hard ground, success on the soft

Matthias Gröll: Used to hard ground, success on the soft

Matthias Gröll has grown up with quite hard ground under his feet, but he can also do very well in the soft surroundings in Norway.

The marshes are a bit Nordic and the runners from the Nordic countries did very well at JWOC in Rauland in the middle of the southern part of Norway. Of course the Swiss found their way very quickly too. They always run and navigate well, but there were also others nations’ runners who impressed a lot in the forest races, like Matthias Gröll. The Austrian finished sixth on the Long Distance, just 3.12 after winner Olli Ojanaho.

“It was tough in the marshes, but I also have some experience. Two years ago I was exchange student at the orienteering gymnasium in Sandviken in Sweden”. He has also been to some camps in the Nordic countries.

On the Long he had one of the best results ever of an Austrian, but not at all the very best. “Robert Merl got a silver medal some years ago”, Matthias says. The 19-year-old from Graz was taking part in his fourth JWOC.

Also in the Relay he ended up with diploma and prize. The Austrian team was fifth.