Favorites win at ÖTILLÖ, The Swimrun World Championship 2023

Stockholm, 4 September 2023

Good weather conditions, but strong currents and wind from south-west made the 17th edition of ÖTILLÖ, The Swimrun World Championship exceptionally tough.

Max Andersson and Hugo Tormento delivered the strong race that everybody expected and defended their title, winning in a time of 7:32:13. In the mixed category, Adriel Young and Amanda Nilsson won with yet another very impressive performance and became the first mixed team ever to finish in the top three overall. The women’s category was the most competitive this year with three teams racing close together for three quarters of the race distance before multiple World Champion Desirée Andersson together with her partner for this year Anna Hellström could pull away from the team of Ulrika Eriksson and Hanna Skårbratt and secure the win.

The Swedish/ French duo Max Andersson and Hugo Tormento have been unbeatable since last year’s World Championship and they showed their strength yet again today in a challenging race. Excellent conditions meant that the teams were racing aggressively from the start, bringing even the top teams to their limits towards the end of the race. They beat the second placed French team of Matthieu Poullain and Tom Ralite by an impressive margin of 21 minutes.

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Post-race interview Hugo Tormento and Max Andersson:

World Champions again! Was it a surprise or is it now just daily business for you?
Max Andersson: It was definitely not daily business today I would say. It was kind of a surprise. Obviously, we came here to defend our title, so that was the main goal, but it has been some ups and downs for us last week, but we are super happy that we made it to the finish line.

We understand you had Covid-19 last week, Hugo?
Hugo Tormento: Yes, I had Covid-19 until last Saturday and it was really bad.

Were you still feeling it this morning?
Hugo Tormento: Yes, I felt it all day long! It was not the best day we have had, but I had the best partner there is.

When did you know that you are going to win this race?
Max Andersson: I think it was pretty late in the race to be honest. We knew that we had a little bit of a gap from Nämdö, but it was not increasing much. First we heard 4min and then it was 8min on Ornö, but I mean 8min is a gap but it can change quickly if something happens. Therefore, I could only tell when we reached Utö because then I knew that we would make it to the finish line somehow.

In the mixed category, the incredibly strong team of Adriel Young and Amanda Nilsson lead the race the entire way, challenging even the men’s teams all the way to the finish line. With their finishing time of under 8 hours, they became the first mixed team ever to finish on the overall podium. Teemu Toivanen and Heidi Hyvärinen from Finland and Karolina Sydner and Mattias Isberg from Sweden are rounding up the mixed category in second and third.

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Post-race interview Amanda Nilsson and Adriel Young:

You are the first mixed team that got on the overall podium of ÖTILLÖ, The Swimrun World Championship. Was this your goal in the first place?
Adriel Young: It was sort of a little thing in the background. We just wanted to win the mixed category, which was the most important to us. But we always had in mind that there has never been a mixed team on the podium so it would be nice to be the first and now we are really happy to get that we got that little frosting on the cake.

When did you know that you were gonna make the overall podium?
Amanda Nilsson: Never!
Adriel Young: One second before the finish line.

What was the most challenging part of the course today?
Amanda Nilsson: It is always Ornö!

Adriel Young: We had a tough day. For me, it was this last hill. I have never wanted to walk more in my life than here. It was good that we had Oscar there to push us, because all I wanted to do is walk.

Amanda Nilsson: Actually I agree, it was the last hill.

First time World Champion for you Amanda. How does it feel?
Amanda Nilsson: It feel GREAT!

Adriel Young: It is so special to win a World Championship that ain’t come every day. We are so happy that we stand on the top

Amanda Nilsson: I am very happy to get this title with Adriel. I can’t think of a better teammate to win this with. I am so happy that I can compete with him and it wouldn’t be possible without him.

In the women’s category, the three teams of Desirée Andersson & Anna Hellström, Ulrika Eriksson & Hanna Skåbratt and Sabina Rapelli & Eugenie Plane were racing each other for the first half of the race and at the end it was the strength of Desirée Andersson that allowed her and Anna Hellström to built a lead and win by over 13 minutes. This was an impressive win given that they only teamed up in the week before the race.

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Post-race interview Desirée Andersson and Anna Hellström:

What was the most challenging for you two on the course today?
Anna Hellström: Actually, the last part of the run on Ornö because I was quite tired.

Desirée Andersson: It’s hard to say what the most challenging part was, but the swims were a bit harder today. So, being in front for the swims was probably the most challenging part of today.

At what point of the race did you know that you were going to be the new World Champions of the women’s category?
Desirée Andersson: For me, it was when we could still keep our pace on Ornö and we knew we had a gap.

Anna Hellström: I didn’t want to believe it to 100% until we entered Utö because I didn’t want to take it too early.

Where you able to push each other?
Anna Hellström (laughing): Well at least mentally I hope, but Desirée really did the hard work today – she is so strong.

Desirée Andersson: Yes, definitely mentally! Without Anna, I would not be here, so it’s teamwork!

The competitors tackled 60 km trail running and 10 km open water swimming over and between 24 islands in the stunning Stockholm archipelago. ÖTILLÖ, The Swimrun World Championship is long and it is painful but racing with the elements of nature is a unique experience. As a competitor you need to be well prepared, race it wisely with your team mate to excel and find a pace that will take you all the way to the finish line, making the cut offs before dark.

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Swimrun World Champions 2023 and Winners of ÖTILLÖ:

Men: Hugo Tormento (FRA) and Max Andersson (SWE), Ark Swimrun, 7:32:13
Mixed: Adriel Young (AUS) and Amanda Nilsson (SWE), Team Ark, 7:57:53
Women: Desirée Andersson (SWE) and Anna Hellström (SWE), Team Dessi & Anna, 8:39:13

ÖTILLÖ, The Swimrun World Championship; 60 km trail running and 10 km open water swimming (in pairs) in the wild terrain of the Stockholm archipelago, is considered one of the toughest one-day races in the world.

Photos free to use for media can be found here
Please credit photographers: Jean-Marie Gueye / ÖTILLÖ or Pierre Mangez / ÖTILLÖ)

Photos and video
Press images with free usage rights for press here
Please credit photographers: Jean-Marie Gueye / ÖTILLÖ or Pierre Mangez / ÖTILLÖ.
News cuts (un-edited for TV news) incl. shot list here
Official race video within the next two weeks here 

Top 3 results ÖTILLÖ, The Swimrun World Championship 2023:

Men
1. Max Andersson (SWE) and Hugo Tormento (FRA), 07:32:13
2. Tom Ralite (FRA) and Matthieu Poullain (FRA), 7:53:13
3. Lars Ekman (SWE) and Daniel Hansson (SWE), 7:58:05

Mixed
1. Adriel Young (AUS) and Amanda Nilsson (SWE), 7:57:53
2. Teemu Toivanen (FIN) and Heidi Hyvärinen (FIN), 8:35:43
3. Karolina Sydner (SWE) and Mattias Isberg (SWE), 9:18:38

Women
1. Desirée Andersson (SWE) and Anna Hellström (SWE), 8:39:13
2. Ulrika Eriksson (SWE) and Hanna Skårbratt (SWE), 8:52:43
3. Sabina Rapelli (SUI) and Eugenie Plane (FRA), 8:59:39

Complete result list here