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After an extended, grueling competitors, the Swedish Armed Forces Journey Crew emerged victorious at Tuesday’s conclusion of the 2023 Journey Racing World Championship.
The workforce of 4 athletes crossed the end line at South Africa’s Cape St. Francis Resort about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. It marked the tip of an exhausting journey by the Kouga area of the nation. The athletes coated a staggering 522 miles in simply 118 hours, 33 minutes, and 26 seconds.
The Swedish workforce, consisting of John Karlsson, Malin Hjalmarsson, Oskar Svärd, and Per Vestling, additionally had loads of competitors. They confronted off towards 106 groups representing 30 nations — however the Swedes additionally had expertise.
Their victory marked the second World Championship title for every member. Vestling beforehand secured the title in 2011 with the Thule Journey Crew in Tasmania, and the remaining three members triumphed within the 2021 version of the race in Spain.
“That is what we labored collectively for all yr and it feels so good now,” Svärd stated. “It’s one of the best feeling.”
Trekking, Biking, and Kayaking
The turning level of the workforce’s journey got here on the fifth day of the journey race.
They seized a commanding lead throughout a demanding 77-mile biking stage by the rugged Kouga Mountains. Then, the workforce navigated by a 20-mile coastal trekking stage, lastly reaching the end line on the morning of the sixth day.
Nevertheless, the ultimate levels weren’t with out their trials. The workforce had navigation issues within the Sand River Dune Fields in the course of the evening. Combating towards exhaustion, sleep deprivation, and an damage to Hjalmarsson’s foot, they persevered, spending 14 hours to finish the stage as a substitute of the anticipated seven.
All through the race, the workforce confronted excessive climate situations, from scorching temperatures exceeding 86 levels Fahrenheit to unseasonably chilly spells. Heavy rains even pressured the cancellation of a canyon stage.
“We had a tough time within the warmth and have been leaping in each stream to chill down,” Hjalmarsson stated. “At one level, John rolled within the mud and was all brown!”
Crossing the End Line
The workforce’s tenacity was rewarded with a heat reception from a spirited crowd on the Cape St. Francis lighthouse, organizers stated. Reflecting on their achievement, John Karlsson impressed a crowd of excited schoolchildren, in response to a information launch.
“Once I was small, I dreamed to be a world champion, and now I’m a world champion!” he stated. “It reveals you all that you could observe your goals and obtain what you need in the event you work laborious.”
Because the newly topped champions, the workforce receives a money prize and free entry to the following Journey Racing World Championship. That’s slated for November of subsequent yr in Ecuador.
However this yr’s competitors nonetheless isn’t over. Crew 400 of France is anticipated to be the following to complete, organizers stated, adopted by Vidaraid of Spain. With nearly all of the groups nonetheless navigating the course, there are 4 extra days of intense competitors forward.
For dwell race updates, pictures, and movies, take a look at the competitors web site.
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