Hugo Tormento Claims Third ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championship Title

Overcast, windy conditions and strong currents made the swimrun (a combination of trail running and open-water swimming) particularly demanding for the roughly 400 competitors tackling the 70 km course between the 24 islands scattered between Sandhamn and Utö. The route included 61 km of trail running and 9 km of swimming. Water temperature was around 17°C, while the air stood at 13°C at the start before rising to 17°C during the day.

Hugo Tormento and Adriel Young claimed the title in 7:18:32, taking revenge after finishing runners-up together at the 2025 World Championship. The pair stayed neck and neck with French duo Arnaud and Pierre de Lustrac for the first 20 kilometres before opening a gap. Once in front, Tormento and Young never let up, steadily extending their lead all the way to the finish.

© Adam Axelsson/OtillO

© Adam Axelsson/OtillO

© Adam Axelsson/OtillO

© Adam Axelsson/OtillO

This was Adriel Young’s fifth world title, making him the most decorated male athlete in the history of the World Championship. “When I reached Ornö, I had nothing left and Hugo pulled me all the way to the finish,” Adriel admitted. “That’s what’s so great about this sport: there are always two of you, and you have someone to help when things get tough. Our strategy was never to look back, because we’d been under pressure in other races this year, constantly checking what was happening behind us. So we stuck to that strategy. At times it’s really tempting to turn around, but we kept reminding ourselves all day: ‘Don’t look back. Don’t look back.’ And I think it really paid off. We didn’t put unnecessary pressure on ourselves and we ran our own race.” For Hugo Tormento, who holds the course record at the World Championship, it was his third title. It was a particularly meaningful one after he lost his former teammate, Swede Max Andersson, in an avalanche earlier this year.

I’m really happy to win this title, which feels particularly special because this year we raced as three rather than two, with Max in our thoughts throughout the race. I think that’s exactly what swimrun is all about: being with friends, reconnecting with friends and creating unforgettable memories.

Matthieu Poullain, another French world champion in 2024, teamed up with his brother Guillaume this year. The pair finished second, 49:59 behind the winners. Swedes Daniel Adams-Ray and Daniel Hansson completed the men’s podium after a very strong second half, as many competitors began to struggle.

In the women’s race, French pair Johanne Laizeau and Mélisande Muller took the lead from the start and dominated from gun to tape, winning in 9:06:47. The victory confirms their excellent form after their recent joint performance at ÖTILLÖ Åland. “We’re really happy with our race today,” said Johanne Laizeau. “We led from start to finish, and our lead kept growing. The final swim sections were really tough, but that worked in our favour because we were very strong in the water today. Ornö was a little difficult, but it’s always difficult on Ornö. After that, we found the energy we needed to finish the race strongly, and we’re incredibly happy with this win.”

© Adam Axelsson/OtillO

American Amanda Martin and Briton Fiona Larsen gave everything they had over the final kilometres but could not close the gap. They finished second, nearly 12 minutes behind the winners. Finland’s Heidi Hyvärinen and Heini Hartikainen put together a strong race from start to finish to take third.

The mixed category produced the closest race of the day. The two leading teams and the three teams chasing them remained within sight of one another until the long run section on the island of Ornö. That was where the race finally opened up and the podium was decided.

© Adam Axelsson/OtillO

Frenchman Alexis Charrier and Swede Anna Hellström emerged from the battle to claim the title in 7:58:09, confirming their victory in Göteborg, Sweden, earlier in the season. “I think Anna and I had a really, really good day. The weather conditions were very difficult. There were a lot of waves, probably some of the toughest swim sections we’ve ever experienced. But we kept our rhythm and continued encouraging each other. And in the end, we did it,” Alexis Charrier said at the finish.

French duo Lydie Waucquier and Tom Ralite pushed them all the way and finished less than five minutes back in their first race together. Swedes Hanna and Johan Skårbratt, the defending champions, completed the podium in third.