Spain also took a big step forward with five medals and their first three individual podiums in 20 years, with Marta Serrano as the star with two silver medals. The Madrid-born 20-year-old won gold at the European Cross Country Championships four years ago and bronze at the European U23 Championships in 2023 in the 3,000m steeplechase at the U23 European Championships in 2023. 

It was the second major event in the 2024 FISU calendar (International University Sports Federation) calendar after the World University Ski Orienteering Championships in Lenzerheide, Switzerland.  The next event will be the World University Speed Skating Championships in Hamar, Norway from 22-25 February. 

FISU President Leonz Eder made sure to be in Oman for this historic event and he took great pleasure in awarding the winners and spending time with Dr. Salim Al-Araimi, the President of the Oman Committee for University Sports. 

South Africa produced a stunning performance in Muscat, winning three of the four individual gold medals. The women's short course was perhaps the most spectacular of two days of intense competition, with South Africa's Simonay Wetsz breaking away in the final half kilometre of the race to win in 9:14. The reigning national 4km cross-country champion finished three seconds ahead of Serrano and four seconds ahead of Great Britain's Bethan Morley.

The southernmost country on the African continent also claimed gold in the men's short course with Keanu Domingo. The student of Human Movement Science at the North West University in the city of Potchefstroom was the best, stopping the chrono in 7.58, ahead of his compatriot Christopher Swart (8.01), who crossed the line a few hundredths ahead of Spain's Adam Maijo (8.01). 

Another South African student-athlete, Karabo Mailula, dominated the women's long distance. after winning the Bestmed TuksRace 10km in 2023. She broke her personal 5.000m record days a few days earlier from 17:58.00 to 16.43.34 and will represent her country at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Serbia. She won in Muscat in a time of 34.03, beating Britain's Alice Goodall (34:14) and Japan's Haruka Ogawa (34:22). 

Africa completed its reign in the individual events with a great performance by Uganda's Seth Akampa in the men's long distance in 29:12. The law student from Bishop Stuart University in Mbabara ran the second half of the race alone to win in 29:12, ahead of Spain's Miguel Baidal (29:23) and France's Baptiste Fourmont (29.26). 

After winning its first three individual medals since 2000, Spain put on a show in the mixed long relay. With a time of 34.03, Miguel Baidal, Alicia Berzosa, Miguel Ángel Martínez Chazarra and Andrea Romero gave France (52.36) and South Africa no chance, despite the presence of individual champion Mailula.

The best team at the last edition, Great Britain, won gold in the mixed short relay with Tyler Bilyard, Tia Wilson, Alexander Mellody and Bethan Morley, who was also her country's only individual medallist. They finished in 19.19, three seconds ahead of Spain, with Marta Serrano on the third leg, and South Africa, despite the presence of Domingo, Weistz and Swart (19.32).

Results
Mixed short relay (2+3km).
1. Great Britain and North Ireland (Tyler Bilyard, Tia Wilson, Alexander Mellody and Bethan Morley), 19:19.
2. Spain (Alejandro Quijada, Raquel Echeverria, Adam Maijo y Marta Serrano), 19:22.
3. South Africa (Keanu Domingo, Simonay Weitsz, Christopher Swart and Sisanda Dumisa), 19:32.

Mixed long relay (2x10km).
1. Spain (Miguel Baidal, Alicia Berzosa, Miguel Ángel Martínez Chazarra and Andrea Romero), 52.19.
2. France (Julien Rebeck, Melanie Allier, Baptiste Cartieaux and Manon Cumy), 52.36.
3. South Africa (Phemelo Ntoe, Karabo Mailula, Abdenico Choba and Kristi Erin Bell), 53.10.

Women's short course (3km).
1. Simonay Weitsz (South Africa), 9:14.
2. Marta Serrano (Spain), 9:17.
3. Bethan Morley (Great Britain and North Ireland), 9:18.

Men's short course (3km).
1. Keanu Domingo (South Africa), 7:58.
2. Christopher Swart (South Africa), 8:01.
3. Adam Maijo (Spain), 8:01.

Women's long course (10km).
1. Karabo Mailula (South Africa), 34:03.
2. Alice Goodall (Great Britain and Northern Ireland), 34:14.
3. Haruka Ogawa (Japan), 34:22.

Men's long course (10km).
1. Seth Akampa (Uganda), 29:12.
2. Miguel Baidal (Spain), 29:23.
3. Baptiste Fourmont (France), 29:26.

Medals table:
1. South Africa. 3-1-2 6 medals.
2. Spain. 1-3-1. 5 medals.
3. Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 1-1-1. 3 medals
4. Uganda. 1-0-0. 1 medal.
5. France. 0-1-1. 2 medals.
6. Japan. 0-0-1. 1 medal.