Tommy Hayes has won NZL’s 4th JWOC sprint medal in 5 years with a wonderful run in today’s race in Tampere. For a long time it looked as if Tommy was going to follow Matt Ogden and Tim Robertson as a JWOC champion, only to be pipped almost at the very end by Oli Ojanaho of Finalnd who had already won gold in the previous day’s middle distance final. There was also a good run from Cameron de L’Isle who finished in 45th place. Top finisher among the Kiwi women was Dani Goodall in 56th place.

Men: 1. Oli Ojanaho (FIN) 13:59, 2. Tommy Hayes (NZL) 14:07, 3. Joey Hadorn (SUI) 14:09, 4. Tuomas Heikkila (FIN) 14:15, 5. Alex Chapelin (GBR) 14:16, 6. Ricardo Esteves Ferreira (POR) 14:17, 45. Cameron de L’Isle (NZL) 15:19, 67. Nick Smith (NZL) 15:40, 103. Ed Cory-Wright (NZL) 16:36, 110. Callum Herries (NZL) 16:45, Devon Beckman DSQ

Women: 1. Simona Aebersold (SUI) 14:02, 2. Tereza Janosikova (CZE) 14:09, 3. Linnea Golsater (SWE) 14:21, 4. Anna Dvorianskaia (RUS) 14:36, 5. Valerie Aebischer (SUI) 14:44, 6. Anu Tuomistu (FIN) 14:45, 56. Dani Goodall (NZL) 16:36, 89=. Lara Molloy (NZL) 17:20, 89=. Alice Tilley (NZL) 17:20, 94. Jenna Tidswell (NZL) 17:31, 106. Katie Cory-Wright (NZL) 17:53, 122. Kayla Fairbairn (NZL) 18:32

Tommy was also the highest placed of the 3 New Zealanders in Tuesday’s middle distance final, finishing 36th but some 8 minutes behind Ojahano. Devon, the other Kiwi man in the final was 7 places further back in 43rd. The sole Kiwi in the women’s final, Dani, was 51st. Not only was the sprint the second gold for Ojahano, but Aebersold also won the middle.

Men: 1. Oli Ojanaho (FIN) 23:47, 2. Audun Heimdal (SUI) 25:08, 3. Simon Imark (SWE) 25:50, 4. Mathieu Perrin (FRA) 25:51, 5.Anton Forsberg (SWE) 26:18, 6. Isac von Kruseristierna (SWE) 26:19, 36. Tommy Hayes (NZL) 31:37, 43. Devon Beckman (NZL) 32:47

Women: 1. Simona Aebersold (SUI) 23:15, 2. Linnea Golsater (SWE) 24:29, 3. Veera Klementtin (FIN) 25:03, 4. Victoria Haesten Bjornsted (NOR) 25:14, 5. Sofia Bachman (SUI) 25:29, 6. Sanna Fast (SWE) 25:47, 51. Dani Goodall (NZL) 34:38