Swedish Dominance at 5 Days Italy in Val di Sole: Filip Ossiansson and Erika Källvik Leufvén Win the Eighth Edition
The event was preceded by the new 3Tre Orienteering in Madonna di Campiglio, won by Switzerland’s Borner and Finland’s Räty.
The eighth edition of 5 Days Italy has also come to a close in Val di Sole after crowning its champions: the international orienteering challenge saw Swedes Filip Ossiansson and Erika Källvik Leufvén — teammates at IFK Göteborg Orientering — climb to the top step of the podium, based on points accumulated across the five stages, among more than 2,000 athletes from 46 countries.
Silver medals went to Norway’s Tobias Alstad (Frol IL) and Sweden’s Johanna Källvik Leufvén (IFK Göteborg Orientering), with bronze going to Daniil Fomin and the Czech Republic’s Kristýna Matyášová (OK Chrastava). The event, organized by the eponymous sports club in partnership with PWT Italia, with support from the Val di Sole, Pejo and Rabbi Tourist Board, funding from the Autonomous Province of Trento, and the patronage of the municipalities of Ossana, Peio, Pellizzano, and Vermiglio along with FISO (the Italian Orienteering Sports Federation), will return in 2027, moving to the Paganella Dolomites from June 28 to July 4.
STAGE-BY-STAGE PODIUMS
After a warm-up Sprint in Pejo, the five stages kicked off at Passo del Tonale on high-altitude alpine terrain, with the Presanella and Adamello massifs on the horizon. Romania’s Ioan Iacob (IOF YLA) took the Middle Distance win, ahead of the Czech Republic’s Kryštof Hájek (OOB TJ Turnov) and Fomin. In the women’s race, Sweden’s Alva Björk (OK Pan-Kristianstad) dominated with a smooth, well-paced run, leaving behind fellow Swede Johanna Källvik Leufvén and Norway’s Oda Scheele (NTNUI).
Day 2, also at Tonale, tested competitors over longer stretches of the same high-altitude terrain, interspersed with rocky outcrops and wooded areas, demanding constant focus over the Long distance. Alstad delivered a masterful performance marked by remarkable consistency. Ossiansson placed second, while Iacob rounded out the top three. Among the women, Björk triumphed with a solid run all the way to the finish line, leaving Matyášová and Sweden’s Elsa Kaipe (OK Kåre) with no answer.
The caravan then moved on to the pine forests of Lago dei Caprioli for two Middle Distance races: the steep, densely wooded slope, rich in topographical detail, called for careful contour reading and the ability to interpret ground conditions while managing physical effort. In the first race, Ossiansson tackled the tricky hillside course, making the difference at a series of demanding control points, followed by Fomin and Sweden’s Tim Lundberg (OK Kåre). Sweden’s Erika Källvik Leufvén prevailed over the Czech duo of Matyášová and Kamila Gregorova (OOB Kotlarka Praha). In the following Middle race, Alstad again surged to the top with a superb tactical performance, getting the better of the Czech Republic’s Lukáš Richtr (KOS Slavia Plzeň) and Ossiansson. Relying on control and strategy, Erika Källvik Leufvén claimed a second consecutive win, followed by Björk and Kaipe.
The final stage was a Sprint in Ossana, weaving through its medieval castle, wooded parks, and urban areas: the standings were shuffled among the winners, with the men’s top three made up of Fomin, Alstad, and Ossiansson, and the women’s of Johanna Källvik Leufvén, Erika Källvik Leufvén, and Matyášová.
SUCCESS ALSO FOR THE NEW 3TREO
Ahead of 5 Days Italy came the first edition of 3Tre Orienteering in Madonna di Campiglio, a new three-day competition in the stunning Brenta Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site, born from the collaboration between the 5 Days Italy sports club and the Madonna di Campiglio Tourist Board, with partnership from the 3Tre FIS Ski World Cup Committee, funding from the Autonomous Province of Trento, and cooperation from local authorities.
More than 400 orienteers from Switzerland, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and Italy took part in three very different events paying tribute to the iconic 3Tre World Cup alpine skiing slalom, honoring its origins through a competition built around three orienteering disciplines. Combining the results, the overall elite title went to Switzerland’s Joël Borner (OLV Zug), who — despite a stumble at the very end — finished ahead of Tommaso Besomi and Christian Foley, and to Finland’s Elina Räty (Rasti-Nokia), ahead of Polina Cabis and Zora Jelinkova. To relive the excitement in the Canalone Miramonti, the event will return from June 25–27, 2027.
