Edinburgh’s Jamie Stevenson played a key role in helping team GB to their first ever gold medal at the Orienteering World Relay Championships in Olomouc, Czech Republic.

The team consisted of Graham Gristwood, running the first leg, Jon Duncan, who was born in Aberdeen second and Jamie on the anchor leg.

They finished in a time of 2hrs 18mins and 17secs, 41 seconds clear of second placed Russia.  Switzerland placed third, but were way off the pace, almost four minutes behind the Brits.  It was far from plain sailing, though.

By the end of leg one, Gristwood was in 4th place, 30 seconds behind the leaders, France.  Duncan then led the chasing pack, making ground on the French, and eventually opening up a lead at the pre-warning.

He handed over to Stevenson in first place, with a thirty second lead.  The race became a one-on-one duel between Stevenson and Frenchman Gueorgiou, but Stevenson slipped up and fell to third.

However, a French injury (from a bee sting to Gueorgiou's throat) eliminated the leaders from the challenge, and Stevenson powered through at the last to claim the gold medal with an outstanding run.

“I made a small mistake in the middle of the course and Gueorgiou got away and Novikov (Russia) caught me,” said Stevenson.  

“I worked really hard and caught back, then from control 25 I went for it, it felt like Novikov slowed down.”