– Utslaget på alla funktionärstimmar är ersättningen inte hög men vi är nöjda. Allt tyder på att EM ger ett tillskott på ungefär en miljon kronor till dalaklubbarnas ungdomsverksamhet, förklarar Björn Olhans som är ekonomisvarig för EM 2012.

EM-veckan lockade orienteringselit från hela världen. Svenska och internationella medieföretag var inte sena att hänga på. Till det kom ett oväntat stort intresse från motionsorienterare att delta i mästerskapet. Under finaldagarna i Skattungbyn och på Lugnet i Falun gjordes 20 000 starter i den 4-dagarstävling som anordnades i anslutning till mästerskapsloppen.

OK Kåre, IFK Mora och övriga klubbar som ställde upp med totalt 600 ideellt arbetande funktionärer under majveckan går inte lottlösa från det största orienteringsmästerskapet någonsin i Dalarna. Dalaorienteringen får dela på ungefär en miljon kronor.

– Vår ambition var att genomföra ett sportsligt rättvist mästerskap och samtidigt synliggöra vår idrott för allmänheten. Där kände vi tidigt att vi lyckades. Att föreningarna nu får kompensation i pengar för all den tid våra medlemmar lagt ner är bonus, säger en nöjd Lars Ambrosiusson, ordförande i IFK Mora orientering.

Mats Adolfsson, ordförande i OK Kåre, ser ett par förklaringar till det lyckade ekonomiska utfallet:

– Vi har under den tre år långa EM-resan fått bra uppbackning från näringsliv, kommuner och från lokalt håll, som till exempel Skattungbyn. Vi ska heller inte glömma det stora intresset från vanliga orienterare och allmänhet. Vi hade 8 000 i publiken på Lugnets läktare i Falun när sprintfinalen avgjordes. Det är unikt för orienteringssporten.

EOC2012 was a success story even financially. The organizing clubs in Dalarna can share about 1 million Swedish kronor (1 Msek). The result is taken from the first final financial reports from the championship.

Photo: Jonas Birgerson

Congratulatory are flowing into the EOC organizers IFK Mora and OK Kåre. Swedish minister of Culture and Sport Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth noted the nice races in Dalarna with a telegram.

Här följer preliminära siffror för den svenska marknaden:

TV.                                                                                                                                            Totalt hade TV-sändningarna från EM 350 000 tittare. Torsdagens medeldistans sågs av 113 000 tittare. Lördagens sprint på Lugnet i Falun hade 79 000 tittare. Sprinttävlingen hade för övrigt mellan sju och åtta tusen åskådare i publiken på stora läktaren vid Lugnets backanläggning. Den avslutande stafetten följdes av 146 000 TV-tittare.

Övrig media.                                                                                                            Sammanställningar från Retriever visar att EM:s finaler dagligen gav mellan 90 och 100 inslag i tidningar, radio och TV. Till det ska läggas 20 inslag dagligen i rikstäckande media. Notervärt är att Dagens Nyheter med en räckvidd på 800 000 läsare hade fem och en halv helsida om orientering och EM under, och i anslutning till, EM-veckan.

Webb.                                                                                                                                          EM:s satsning på livewebben blev en succé. Under perioden 7 maj-20 maj hade sidan 212 000 besökare. Toppen med 40 000 besökare kom under långdistansen i Skattungbyn.

However, the Swiss superstar Simone Niggli who got earlier this week 3 EOC individual gold medals had already done her race. Surprisingly, she ran the second leg, and not the last one. Why? „I twisted my ankle this morning when I was jogging so I was very insecure if I can run at all. Then I tested it here and it went ok, but I still felt it, and we decided that is not the best to take the risk on the last leg where you have to push very very fast on the last part,“ Simone depicted the trouble with her ankle.

So the fight for gold became open again. And it was a drama until the last meters – a thriller with two main actors, Russian Tatiana Ryabkina and Minna Kauppi from Finland. „Just on this wooden bridge few meters before the finish line I understood I would win,“ Ryabkina told after finishing nine seconds before Kauppi.

(Photo: Jonas Birgerson)

„It is so important medal for us because we never got a gold medal. We have some silver and bronze in relay but never gold. Even in individual races we don’t have any gold, so for us it is really big event,“  Tatiana revealed the Russian joy.

The home team who defended gold from the 2010 EOC came as the third, 55 seconds behind Russia.

How did the race go for the Russian winning trio?

(Photo: Jan Kocbach)

„I just ran with other girls and didn’t loose so much time, so I think I did my goal for the first leg perfectly. It feels like the first leg is not so important as the second and third one,“ Natalia Efimova humbly told after finishing 8th, only 12 seconds behind by then leading team of Denmark.

„I did very good race, maybe just very small mistakes. I did everything I could today,“  Svetlana Mironova said. She came as the third from the secong leg, one and half minute behind by then leading Switzerland.

„The girls did very good race so I could start at the beginning, and it was very important, of course. I did a good race. We ran with Minna together some time, but then there was some gaffling and then I was a little bit better. But then I did a small mistake and we were together again. But I felt I could run faster than her,“ Tatiana Rybkiana described how it came that the Russians won today.

„We were so surprised she could run so fast, faster than Minna, impossible! But she did it!“ Mironova smiled.

(Photo: Jonas Birgerson)

„It was physically tough to keep a contact with the leading group, but I did. In the end, I made not the best route-choice, but I had always control and I knew I did a good race and I knew it was not large behind the leading group,“  Martin Hubmann told after the race. He came as the 9th, just 24 seconds behind by then leading France.

„It was quite a good position for the start, it was still in contact to the first. I tried to push really hard after the hill so I could catch up the lead already to the second control, and then I felt good all the way, could be in the lead, could take quick decisions. It was just a good feeling,“ Matthias Müller depicted his second leg from which came as the first, 3 seconds ahead of the Czech Republic. The Swiss team 1 on the 12th place was loosing to their compatriots just 55 seconds. Such a tight race!

„I went as the first, the best position I could get, and I was for sure quite nervous. It was quite close, many people but I kept contact with the lead all the way, I was running always a bit behind like on the third, fourth position but I felt quite good, good running speed,“ Matthias Kyburz described his last leg.

And what was the decisive moment of the race? „On the way to the second last control, I was running straight, jumping over a small fence so  I could make a very small gap and then I knew I had good sprint and could enjoy last meters,“ the Swiss finish-man commented.

„It was a perfect feeling! You always dream of such races that you can come first in a big crowd, that‘s so nice! And it was also nice to run with Anders Holmberg because he lives quite near my place, we train quite a lot together so it was also quite fun to run together towards the finish,“ Matthias smiled after the victory.

(Photo: Jonas Birgerson)

But it was not only joy, but also huge sorrow for the Swiss team today because Martin’s oldest and more famous brother Daniel got badly injured on the last meters of the race. While crossing a wooden bridge on the finish he broke his Achilles tendon.

„It is a quite strange feeling. In the moment I enjoy the feeling with the team mates to win the gold medals. I could never believe after my individual race that it could happen. But of course, I feel bad about Daniel. I know that for him this season should be the highlight of his career, and now it looks like the whole season is over,“ Martin depicted his mixed feelings.

I handikapp-klassens totalställning blev det en svensk trippel. Ola Jansson vann. Michael Johansson kom tvåa och Rolf Karlsson tog bronset.

Sverige vann även lagtävlingen genom Stig Gerdman, Martin Fredholm och Michael Johansson. Silvret gick också till Sverige, i silverlaget ingick Marit Wiksell, Jens Andersson och Ola Jansson. Bronset gick till Finland.

Ett bra mästerskap överlag för arrangörsnationen Sverige som tog hem 3 guld, 2 silver och 2 bronsmedaljer i Pre-O EM 2012.