September 23rd, 2024
ÖTILLÖ, The SWIMRUN World Championship 2024
Very tough conditions at ÖTILLÖ, The Swimrun World Championship 2024
Very tough conditions at ÖTILLÖ, The Swimrun World Championship
| ÖTILLÖ, THE SWIMRUN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – SEPTEMBER 2ND Torrential rain for the first three hours of the race made for extremely difficult conditions at this year’s ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championship. Wet and very slippery rocks in the technical trail running sections of the first part of the race course presented an extraordinary challenge to the racers. In the mens category, the duo of Alexis Charrier and Matthieu Poullain became the first all-French team to win the World Championship in a very tight competition. Four teams were within sight of each other for the second half of the challenging race course. They beat the second placed Swedish Team of Alexander Berggren and Viktor Törneke by 12 minutes. Three minutes behind were Thomas Deffains and David Pesquet from France who were only 44 seconds ahead of Rémy Andrade and Thomas Guerry, also from France. In the mixed category, 2018 ÖTILLÖ World Champion in the mens category, Fredrik Axegård, won together with his wife Lorraine (both SWE), 17 minutes ahead of Johan and Hanna Skårbratt (SWE). Helene Alberdi Sololuce and Ruben Ruzafa Cueto from Spain came third in a time of 8 hours and 52 minutes. Multiple World Champion Desirée Andersson won the women’s category together with Sabina Rapelli from Switzerland with a very strong performance and winning time of 8:43:04. Josefine Jangvert and Lena Sjöquist from Sweden came second, thirteen minutes ahead of the third placed team of Perilla Irewährn and Eva Rongård, both also from Sweden. ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Champions 2024: Men: Alexis Charrier (FRA) and Matthieu Poullain (FRA) – Team Orama – Alexis & Matthieu, 7:56:03 Mixed: Fredrik Axegård (SWE) and Lorraine Axegård (SWE), Team Swimshop.se, 8:31:04 Women: Desirée Andersson (SWE) and Sabina Rapelli (SUI), Team Envol Orama Desirée & Sabina, 8:47:00 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. Statements from the Winners in the Mens category: Matthieu Poullain: It was the first time I teamed up with Alexis and we did not really know what to expect from the race. It was clear that we were aiming to win. We had a very good first swim and on the first island on the slippery rocks we managed to create a gap which we managed to keep with our pace. Once we got to Ornö it was really hard for me because after the pig swim my legs were really tired. Then again the last three years I always felt bad on Ornö so I was used to that so I just followed Alexis who was really strong. Getting to Utö we had a good enough lead that we could really enjoy the last few kilometers. Alexis Charrier: Matthieu and I had never raced together but we both have a lot of experience racing against each other the last few years. So we tried to put together a good strategy that worked for both of us and then stay as close to it as possible. We actually had planned to start fast on the first swim and get away from the other teams but that did not happen so we were in a close race with the other teams. The pig swim was one of the worst I have had in the five times that I have raced in ÖTILLÖ. Sometimes it felt like we ran into a wall of waves, but we had a very good plan, we were switching who was in front during the swim. Even though we never practiced it we had a very seamless way of racing. We switched also in the running. The strategy was also to minimize mistakes up to Ornö. Ornö was the hardest part of the race, we were cold before so the legs were tired. Statements from the Mixed Winners: Lorraine Axegård: It was a tough day. But it was really an achievement to finish first. We had our strategy set that we were going to push hard on the trail and on the rocks because that’s where we are really strong and also the swimming and then just keep a steady pace on the gravel roads. And we followed that and it turned out pretty well. Fredrik Axegård: We had a great day and we are super happy with this achievement. Lorraine was strong al the way. We were great on the slippery rocks and in the swims. We had a game plan and we executed it well. Statements from the Winners in the Women’s category: Sabina Rapelli: The race was very hard today. The conditions were hard. But we managed a very good teamwork. We shared a lot of swims and we pushed each other when we had bad moments. We had a great day. I am so happy to win with Desirée. Desirée Andersson: It was a tough day. It was definitely my toughest World Championship so far. It was a bit cold at the beginning and then it was very slippery so I had some bad moments in the middle of the race but I had a partner that was very strong who helped me recover. |
| RACE RESULTS Top 3 results ÖTILLÖ, The Swimrun World Championship 2024: MEN 1. Matthieu Poullain (FRA) and Alexis Charrier (FRA), 07:56:03 2. Alexander Berggren (SWE) and Viktor Törneke (SWE), 8:08:10 3. Thomas Deffains (FRA) and David Pesquet (FRA), 8:11:56 MIXED 1. Fredrik Axegård (SWE) and Lorraine Axegård (SWE), 8:31:04 2. Johan Skårbratt (SWE) and Hanna Skårbratt (SWE), 8:47:53 3. Helene Alberti Sololuce (ESP) and Ruben Ruzafa Cueto (ESP), 8:55:19 WOMEN 1. Desirée Andersson (SWE) and Sabina Rapelli (SUI), 8:47:00 2. Josefine Jangvert (SWE) and Lena Sjökvist (SWE), 10:15:57 3. Pernilla Irewährn (SWE) and Eva Rongård (SWE), 10:28:24 Complete result list here. |
| PHOTOS FOR FREE MEDIA USE Press images with free usage rights for press here. Please credit photographers: Jean-Marie Gueye / ÖTILLÖ or Martin Wikestad / ÖTILLÖ or Adam Axelsson / ÖTILLÖ Race footage here. |
| ABOUT ÖTILLÖ AND SWIMRUN Swimrun is an endurance sports where you alternate trail-running and open-water swimming on a marked course. ÖTILLÖ is the leading brand and the origin of the sport. ÖTILLÖ, The Swimrun World Championship (ÖTILLÖ meaning island to island in Swedish) is the original swimrun race, renowned as one of the toughest one-day races in the world. |
| ÖTILLÖ SWIMRUN WORLD SERIES In 2024, there are the following qualifying races to ÖTILLÖ, The Swimrun World Championship 2025: – ÖTILLÖ® World Series Utö, Sweden, 08 June – ÖTILLÖ® World Series Engadin, Switzerland, 29 June – ÖTILLÖ® World Series Whistler, Canada, 07 July – ÖTILLÖ® World Series Gothenburg, Sweden, 03 August – ÖTILLÖ® World Series Casco Bay, USA, 11 August – ÖTILLÖ® World Series Mackinac, USA, 25 August – ÖTILLÖ® World Series Orcas Island, USA, 15 September – ÖTILLÖ® World Series Cannes, France, 14 October – ÖTILLÖ® World Series Austin, USA, 03 Novmeber At each World Series event an EXPERIENCE & SPRINT race is also organized. |
| ÖTILLÖ, THE SWIMRUN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Fast facts about 18th edition, Monday 2nd September 70 km running and swimming from dawn till dusk in the Stockholm archipelago 60 km of trail running 10 km of open water swimming in the Baltic Sea Water temperature 12–14° C 24 islands to cross 50 changes between running and swimming The swims are between 23 and 1 600 metres long The runs are between 75 and 17 650 metres long 160 teams – three categories: women, mixed, men Teams of two 22 nationalities from all over the world Course Records: Men: Max Andersson (SWE) and Hugo Tormento (FRA), 07:32:13 Mixed: Adriel Young (AUS) and Amanda Nilsson (SWE), 7:57:53 Women: Desirée Andersson (SWE) and Anna Hellström (SWE), 8:39:13 |