Rotorua orienteer Angela Simpson is one of six New Zealand competitors who have qualified for the middle distance finals at the Junior World Championships.
Simpson, who is the New Zealand junior champion, is joined by Matt Ogden, Toby Scott and Gene Beveridge who all finished in the top seven of their heats. The top 20 go through to the final.
Simpson was seventh.
"It was fast running in open forest, with a patchwork of green," she said.
"It was essential to keep map contact all the way."
Teammates Kate Morrison and Jaime Goodwin had to wait nervously for all orienteers to complete their heats, before confirming their finals place, both in 16th.
New Zealand has never qualified six - half the team - to the finals of the Junior World Championships before.
"The New Zealand team did great," she said.
"We are all excited and will battle our hardest in the final."
After three races the high fitness levels of the New Zealanders are starting to make inroads and hopes are high for more podium places to accompany Simpson's sixth in the sprint race.
The finals were due to be held overnight.
Men's results
Heat 1: 1 Eskil Kinneberg, Norway 19:47; 2 Christoph Prunsche, Germany 20:05; 3 Micha Olejnik, Poland 20:25; 4 Pavel Kubat, Czech Republic 20:28; 5 Rafa Podzi� , Poland 20:29; 6 Yngve Skogstad , Norway 20:40; 7 Toby Scott, New Zealand 20:51.
Heat 2: 1 Andreu Blanes, Spain 20:49; 2 Philipp Schiel, Austria 21:14; 3 Lucas Basset, France 21:23; 4 Jonas Nordstrom, Sweden 21:29; 4 Gene Beveridge, New Zealand 21:29.
Heat 3: 1 Marius Thrane Odum, Denmark 20:14; 2 Kristian Jones, Great Britain 20:44; 3 Martin Vister, Norway 20:45; 4 Topias Tiainen, Finland 20:54; 5 Albin Ridefelt, Sweden 20:56; 6 Matt Ogden, New Zealand 21:04.
Women's results
Heat 2: 1 Johanna Olsson, Sweden 17:54; 2 Helena Karlsson, Sweden 18:12; 3 Ita Klingenberg, Denmark 18:52; 4 Tereza Novotna, Czech Republic 18:57; 5 Maren Jansson Haverstad, Norway 19:29; 6 Paulina Faron, Poland 19:46; 7 Angela Simpson, New Zealand 19:47; 8 Sarina Jenzer, Switzerland 19:49; 9 Kerstin Uiboupin, Estonia 20:13; 10 Anna Nilsson-Simkovics, Austria 20:20; 11 Natalia Chepaeva, Russia 20:21; 12 Sari Anttonen, Finland 20:29; 13 Emily Kemp, Canada 20:44; 14 Camilla Sogaard, Denmark 20:46; 15 Henna Haikonen, Finland 21:06; 16 Jaime Goodwin, New Zealand 21:14.
Heat 3: 1 Tove Alexandersson, Sweden 19:01; 2 Mairead Rocke, Great Britain 19:10; 3 Julia Blomquist, Great Britain 19:24; 4 Julia Gross, Switzerland 19:49; 5 Emma Klingenberg, Denmark 20:07; 6 Anna Segersson, Sweden 20:16; 7 Therese Haare, Norway 20:26; 8 Adela Indrakova, Czech Republic 20:34; 9 Mira Kaskinen, Finland 20:39; 10 Olena Fedorova, Ukraine 20:49; 11 Julia Bauer, Austria 21:13; 12 Stine Bagger Hagner, Denmark 21:21; 13 Carlotta Scalet, Italy 21:24; 14 Andra Cecilia Anghel, Romania 21:28; 15 Marion Aebi, Switzerland 21:55; 16 Kate Morrison, New Zealand 21:57.
Orienteering: Six Kiwis fight through to finals
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