I haven't heard all the details yet, but both the Mens and Womens races from an IKHP standpoint were very interesting.

The Women finished 3rd after what sounds like was a very exciting sprint for 2nd with Halden, a sprint which was only decided in the final meters. Very reminiscent of last year's Jukola, in which the Womens race was decided by a sprint which was a dead heat from the last control until the very final meters of the chute. It was a long run-in, and fully visible to all in the arena-like Finish area--just incredible.

IKHP's 4th leg runner, Anna Envall, was with the leaders but had a small yet costly mistake that separated her from the other leaders. It looks like a victory could well have been possible!

As for the men, IKHP was alone led by about 4 minutes only a few controls away from the finish on the 7th leg, but then missed, and what had been a solo lead became a shared lead between 10 teams.

I don't know more details yet, but here, too, it looks like a victory had been possible, but with 3 tough legs left there was certainly plenty of race left and a 4 minute lead at that point could have hardly been considered decisive.

Still, all in all a terrific weekend for the club from Huskvarna!

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlinbk.net), April 30, 2001