Sprint relay  – NZL team 2 just pips team 1!
JWOC kicked off in Levico Terme, a picturesque spa town on the shores of the Lake Levico. The town was buzzing with excitement as residents prepared to host the event, proudly displaying orienteering flags on balconies and street signs in anticipation of the races. The terrain for the Sprint relay was an urban park with a mix of paved areas, streets and residential areas on a mostly flat course. It was an exciting JWOC sprint relay with the two kiwi teams finishing close to a minute apart.
SPRINT RELAY RESULTS
NZ teams
42nd New Zealand 2 – Georgia Lindroos, Sam Carryer, Jake McLennan, Rachel Baker, 1:02:11
48th New Zealand 1 – Katherine Babington, Felix Hunt, Jacob Knoef, Anna Babington Anna 1:03:08
In composite teams (with no official result):
Mix 1 – Tide Fa’avae as first runner, Riley Croxford as second runner
Mix 5 – Phoebe Hunt as first runner
The Australians did well with Milla Key setting the pace for the first leg, followed up by Cooper Horley, Elle Dent & Nea Shingler for team Australia 1 finishing in 7th place.

Sprint – Jake strides into 7th and 3 men in top 30   
The weather was a tad cooler. The leg-burning inclined narrow streets in the old town were more technical than the sprint relay which suited our athletes. We were one of two nations to have 3 men finish in the top 30, with special mention to Jake in 7th place. NZ were the second best scoring nation in the men’s sprint 
MEN
=7th Jake McLellan 13:41 (also 7th MUELLER Corsin SUI)
13th Felix Hunt 13:51
29th Jakob Knoef 14:11
96th Sam Carryer 15:39
128th Riley Croxford 16:28
WOMEN
59th Tide Fa’avae 14:17
65th Rachel Baker 14:28
77th Georgia Lindroos 14:50
81st Phoebe Hunt 14:59
83rd Katherine Babington 15:06
105 Anna Babington 15:53

Long – Kiwi grit in heat & hills brings 3 in top 30 
“It’s the Kiwi way to wear shorts,” the commentator remarked — which is just the norm, especially in the heat! What stood out more was the solid navigation by the kiwis in the forest with 3 finishing in the top 30 places, achieving 9th nation for NZ in the team competition results.
The whole team will need the rest day tomorrow, and one athlete needs to put his feet up. Eddie finished his run with the sign of the cross — perhaps nodding to old Italian customs, but more likely a gesture of gratitude for completing the course well after munting his ankle at Jukola.
Results:
MEN
17th Felix Hunt 1:18:21 +7:37
28th Jake McLellan 1:21:48 +11:05
42nd Eddie Swain 1:24:04 +13:20
81st Riley Croxford 1:32:49 +22:05
98th Jakob Knoef 1:38:34 +27:50
137th Sam Carryer 1:57:10 +46:26
WOMEN
21st Rachel Baker 1:16:33 +10:16
53rd Tide Fa’avae 1:27:18 +21:01
73rd Phoebe Hunt 1:33:04 +26:47
77th Anna Babington 1:34:23 +28:06
85th Katherine Babington 1:36:05 +29:48
113th Georgia Lindroos 1:51:23 +45:06

Heat & map tested in the middle challenge – 2 finish in top 50
In blistering heat, the athletes ran to the challenge. The forest was stunning, with an almost Scandinavian feel to it, but the map had surprises in store. Both Riley and Felix Hunt, along with athletes from other nations, took a route choice that led them deep into an unexpected wall of green — impenetrable, despite what the map suggested.
And we may have one for the ONZ history books… are there any siblings who have finished with the exact same time? The Babingtons just might have pulled off a unique NZ result!
MEN
37th Felix Hunt 32:35 +6:43
75th Jake McLellan 34:53 +9:01
80th Jakob Knoef 35:25 +9:33
137th Sam Carryer 41:27 +15:35
162nd Riley Croxford 48:49 +22:57
Eddie Swain DNS
WOMEN
39th Rachel 32:39 +7:17
=52nd Katherine Babington 33:45 +8:23
=52nd Anna Babington 33:45 +8:23
Phoebe Hunt 35:42 +10:20
Tide Fa’avae 39:34 +14:12
Georgia Lindroos 41:09 +15:47

Forest Relay – 9th team ranking, 15th for both NZL relay teams
The team enjoyed being back in the middle terrain for the relay. Jake said “It was really good fun and a nice way to end the week”. Overall we finished 9th in the teams competition, and the men and women are of equal strength placing 15th in both the women’s and men’s relay.
15th Men’s NZL team 1 – Jakob Knoef, Jake McLellan, Felix Hunt 1:55:39 +9:30
For leg 1 in the men’s team NZ 1 Jakob brought us in at 24th position, and Jake stormed the team up into to 16th place on leg 2, and Felix brought us into 20th.
15th Women’s NZL team 1 – Rachel Baker, Katherine Babington, Tide Fa’avae 2:08.33 +18.20
Rachel finished leg 1 in 14th place, Katherine’s run finished the team in 12th, with Tide’s final run bringing us in in 18th position.
Both teams finish in the 15th in the nations final score after the second teams for other nations has been removed.