Switzerland claims double relay gold at the 53rd WMC Orienteering
STANS (SUI) – Switzerland enjoyed a remarkable day of success at the 53rd CISM World Military Orienteering Championship on Thursday, 22 October 2026, securing both the men's and women's relay world military titles in the challenging Kernwald forest near Stans. Under beautiful autumn skies, more than 60 teams competed in an exciting second day of competition, with the host nation demonstrating its strength in military orienteering while Finland, Austria and France also celebrated podium finishes.
Following Wednesday's demanding long-distance races in wet and slippery conditions, the athletes were greeted by significantly improved weather as they returned to the forests of central Switzerland. The Kernwald, characterized by small hills, depressions, scattered boulders and technically demanding navigation, provided a spectacular setting for the relay competitions, where teams of three athletes combined individual performances with collective strategy in pursuit of the coveted military world titles.
The men's competition began at 10:00, with each athlete facing a 5.76-kilometre course featuring 195 metres of elevation gain and 17 control points. From the opening stages, the race developed into an intense battle between Switzerland's two teams, both determined to secure victory on home soil.
Benjamin Wey delivered an impressive opening leg for Switzerland 2, establishing a 16-second advantage over Switzerland 1, while Türkiye and Estonia remained close behind. The competition intensified during the second leg as Pascal Schärer maintained Switzerland 2's narrow lead, handing over to final-leg runner Tino Polsini just five seconds ahead of Switzerland 1's Riccardo Rancan. Estonia also remained firmly in contention, trailing the leaders by only half a minute.
The decisive final leg saw Polsini produce a determined performance to extend Switzerland 2's advantage and secure victory by 1 minute and 32 seconds. Together with Benjamin Wey and Pascal Schärer, he crossed the finish line to claim the overall relay victory and the men's CISM World Military Championship title. Reflecting on the challenging race, Polsini acknowledged the difficulties encountered throughout the course.
"It was tough today. The terrain was tricky. Fabian Aebersold and I both made mistakes on the final leg, so it definitely wasn't my best performance. But I managed to pull myself together and stay focused," he explained.
Switzerland 1, represented by Reto Egger, Riccardo Rancan and Wednesday's long-distance silver medallist Fabian Aebersold, finished second overall, completing an impressive Swiss one-two finish.
However, under the championship regulations allowing only one medal-winning team per nation, the silver medal was awarded to Finland, whose trio of Florian Fritzen, Lari Pernu and Akseli Ruohola produced an excellent comeback performance.
After finding themselves in 12th position following the opening leg, the Finnish athletes progressively moved through the field, with Ruohola crossing the finish line third overall, 6 minutes and 27 seconds behind the winning Swiss team. Their determined recovery secured Finland the silver medal and underlined the importance of consistency and teamwork in relay orienteering.
Austria completed the official men's podium, with Lukas Novak, Mathias Peter and Nicolas Kastner earning the bronze medal after another strong collective performance.
The women's relay provided further celebrations for the host nation, as Switzerland's Paula Gross, Lilly Graber and Simona Aebersold combined their talents to secure a commanding victory and another world military title.
The opening leg produced a closely contested battle, with Poland's Ewa Bernaciak and Finland's Kiia Kuusikko establishing an early advantage. Latvia's Signe Sirma and Switzerland's Paula Gross remained in pursuit, handing over to their respective teammates just 49 seconds behind the leading runners.
Switzerland took control during the second leg thanks to an outstanding performance from Lilly Graber. Demonstrating excellent navigational precision and physical strength, Graber caught the leading athletes before establishing a substantial advantage, sending newly crowned long-distance champion Simona Aebersold onto the final leg with a lead of 4 minutes and 34 seconds over Finland.
Despite encountering some difficulties at the first control point, Aebersold maintained her composure and extended Switzerland's advantage, eventually crossing the finish line more than ten minutes ahead of the nearest challengers.
The victory crowned Paula Gross, Lilly Graber and Simona Aebersold as the new women's CISM relay world champions, completing an exceptional day for Switzerland and giving Aebersold her second gold medal of the championship following her individual long-distance triumph on Wednesday. Finland secured another silver medal through Kiia Kuusikko, Jenny Virtala and Virna Pellikka, confirming the nation's strong performances across both relay competitions.
Kuusikko, who had helped establish Finland's early advantage, expressed her satisfaction with her individual performance. "I didn't even realize I was in the lead for so much of the race. It was one of my best runs this season," she declared.
The battle for the women's bronze medal provided one of the most dramatic moments of the day, with France, Sweden and Poland involved in an exceptionally close contest that remained undecided until the final metres. Represented by Juliette Basset, Tifenn Moulet and Florence Hanauer, France eventually secured third place following a thrilling finish. After more than two hours of racing, the French team held off Sweden by just two seconds in the final sprint, while Poland finished only nine seconds behind the bronze medal position.
The narrow margins separating the three nations highlighted the intensity of the competition and the importance of every second in a discipline where concentration, physical endurance and tactical decisions can determine the final outcome.
With two gold medals, Switzerland emerged as the dominant nation of the relay competitions, while Finland celebrated two silver medals and Austria and France completed the men's and women's podiums respectively.
Combined with Wednesday's long-distance results, the host nation has now secured three gold medals across the four championship events contested so far, further confirming its position among the leading nations in international military orienteering.
Beyond the sporting achievements, the relay competitions once again demonstrated the values of teamwork, determination, discipline and mutual support that characterize military sport. The ability to perform under pressure, adapt to changing circumstances and contribute to a collective objective reflects the fundamental principles shared by athletes and military personnel within the CISM family.
Following two demanding days of competition, the championship will observe a rest day on Friday, 23 October, allowing athletes to recover and prepare for the final sporting challenge.
The 53rd CISM World Military Orienteering Championship will conclude on Saturday, 24 October, with the sprint competitions taking place in the streets of Sarnen. Moving from the technically demanding forests to an urban environment, the final races will require athletes to combine explosive speed with precise navigation and rapid decision-making as they compete for the last world military titles of the 2026 edition.
The championship will officially conclude with the Closing Ceremony on Saturday evening, bringing together participating delegations, officials and organizers to celebrate the sporting achievements and international friendships developed throughout the event.
As the competition approaches its final day, the performances witnessed in Stans continue to illustrate the spirit of excellence, respect and camaraderie that lies at the heart of CISM's mission to unite armed forces through sport.
(Source: CISM Media & Communication Department - Pictures: Swiss Delegation to CISM)
