The Swiss O Week is started! This morning at 10 a.m. Swiss O Week 2003 started on time. The Elite classes where won by Swiss favorites with Donatus Schnyder, Annemarie Sieber, Daniel Hubmann and Martina Fritschy.

Matthias Merz has arrived! The fresh backed junior world champ Matthias Merz has been arrived at SOW Center and has checked in. He is - together with Daniel Hubmann - the top favorite for he victory in mens junior class and there will probably be some very interesting figths between them....

The SOW Center has opened! Beautiful weather and great ambiance yesterday in SOW center in Jona. Almost 300 competitors have aleady been arrived - also the 100 men delegation from Russian Federation - and have installed there tents on camping place. Almost 1000 competitors will arrive today, tomorrow the competitions will start in Teufen.

The startnumbers have been arrived, Swiss O Week can be started! Almost 3500 numbers, which were produced by Datasport, Zollikofen have been arrived and will be sorted and packed in the next days by volunteers of the Orienteering Club OLG Cordoba. On each number there is printed the name of the runner, all starttimes and the start itself. The color is corresponding to the flags which sign the the way to start. So there are no problems anymore to have an unforgetable orienteering week in Switzerland....

Training Swiss O Week 2003 in the Jonerwald/Ausserwald cancelled Due to the heavy storm that hit Jona (and also caused the shifting of the WM relay race), the Swiss O Week 2003 training in the Jonerwald has to be cancelled. The training course in the Löliwald close to Pfäffikon SZ is still available and further options for a second training course are currently evaluated; we'll keep you posted on this website, and information will also be avilable in the Swiss O Week Center in Jona.

Rikard Claesson for Felix Bentz! The start places in the mens elite class are very desired. The swiss top runner Felix Bentz, who's in the Swiss Team for OL WM, has done an ordinary registration to Swiss O Week. On the other side there is the swedish top orienteer Rikard Claesson who didn't pass the swedish Qualification to OL WM and wished for a start place at Swiss O Week. Some phones between Emma Engstrand, Gabi Grimm, Nik Suter made it possible that Claesson will start at SOW with the name 'Bentz' on his start number. We wish both of them good luck ;-)

Please note, that all information to the competition, like startnumber, program booklet, Identity card, Buscard and so on can only be handed over for the whole club. It would be great if you decide on a leader of your club, someone who will arrive early and would hand over all information for the whole club. Thank you.

The startlist is online now: The Women-Elite Daniela Wehrli has took out the number 1, Nora Liechti Aschwanden starts with the number 2003 and Swiss O Week 2003 will be opened by the Norwegian Björn Verde Thon, the Finn Ulla Letho, the Swiss Bruno Steinegger and the guy from Hungary Miklos Forrai! (Mutations until July 4 are considered)