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Sports exchange on top of the world

70 Norwegians and Russians gathered this weekend in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, for the world’s northernmost international sports exchange.

Location

The two teams won three competitions each when 28 athletes from the Russian settlement Barentsburg came to Norwegian Longyearbyen to compete in soccer, table tennis, badminton, volleyball, floorball and chess, news paper Svalbardposten reports.

The event is an important arena for the development of a good realtionship between the Norwegians and Russians on the Arctic archipelago, leader of the local sports club Svalbard Turn, Per Krokan, told the news paper.

The visitors from Barentsburg won the matches in table tennis, volleyball and chess. The sports exchange continues in spring, when Barentsburg welcomes athletes from Longyearbyen for new matches.

Longyearbyen is located at 78°N and is the world’s northernmost permanent settlement.