In the media it was classified as "Orientation death" - what was initially deeply associated with the word twar but which was later found to be due to the Bartonella bacterium, linked to the droppings of various animals.

Seven orienteers lost their lives in a short space of time, the last in the line was 24-year-old Melker Karlsson, elite runner in the then IFK Södertälje where he won the Tiomila earlier that year.

Danish world champion Allan Mogensen, today 52-year-old club coach in OK Ravinen, was a club mate with Melker Karlsson and still remembers with deep sadness the season ending in 1992 which ended in heavy mood after their colleague sank down to death.

- It was a huge shock and sadness. It remains something that concerns me when I think back on it, Mogensen tells SVT Sport when we meet near Hellasgården in Nacka outside Stockholm.

Sharp action gave effect

The event triggered sharp action, a six-year training and competition halt for the country's elite, senior and junior, solid medical examinations and it also became the starting point for research on what at first thought were the effects of the microorganism twar.

Much later, in the early 2000s, it was established that the bacterium Bartonella was probably behind the deaths. Melker Karlsson was found to have contracted the bacterium and died of acute chronic myocarditis.

The drastic measures in Swedish orientation had good effects, but the sport had to fight for a long time with the image outwards against a skeptical environment.

Life in the 2000s has offered more and more of greenery, a broad upswing and a medial impact with great success, not least through big star Tove Alexandersson. Now it suddenly stops again, just like for the whole sports world.

Seeing parallels with then

Allan Mogensen sees parallels, of course far from the same dramatic course, but in another way more uncertain.

- The big difference now is this moment of concern. We have this virus (in society), we don't really know how it will affect us. And also how long it will last and that is an extra factor that makes it difficult.

The orientation has at present limited the competition operations to a maximum of 300 starts and only from the immediate area, basically small club competitions.

All the big events of the spring, the SM competitions, the World Cup, the normally big national competitions that gather thousands of activists and the classic Tiomila - everything has been postponed in the future. The club training in OK Ravinen they try to keep up but no joint coffee or gym indoors. Everything happens in the fresh air and from week to week.

For the club's Ukrainian star, the 2018 World Champion Ruslan Glebov, there are many question marks. His big goal is the summer sprint World Cup and eventually an European Championship, but there are no competitions on the road. He tries to keep going as best he can.

- It feels pretty boring. We usually compete a lot in the spring season. It's a bit of a shame, but it's as it is.

Risk of losing young people

Allan Mogensen, a quadruple Tiomila winner, laments the breakup for the elite but still cares most for the youngsters he is trying to help move forward.

- If we draw parallels to 1993, when there were training and competition stops in the orientation movement, then there were many, especially young people and juniors that we lost and that did not come back in the fall. I think it is very important that we get the opportunity to continue some kind of activity. I think it's a big risk that we lose them if they get used to sitting at home and browsing social media, says Mogensen.

- Sport itself can lose big if we cannot continue to have activities for young people.

See the full report on "orientation death" below:

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Coronavirus - unpleasant parallel to "Orientation death"