Author: craigf

Australia’s elite head to South Australia this weekend for the start of the 2009 SILVA National Orienteering League. SILVA will again sponsor the 2009  League and have kicked in a huge sponsorship with $20,000 worth of cash and prizes over the season.

The women’s elite field will be strengthened by the return of 2006 World Champion Hanny Allston. Allston spent most of 2008 in New Zealand, only returning for the national championships in September, where she won the middle and long distance titles. Also a strong contender is Victoria’s Kathryn Ewels. Ewels had a breakthrough year, with Australian 3-days, and national sprint distance titles to complement her 14^th at the world championships.  Fast improving youngsters Vanessa Round and Jasmine Neve will add great depth to the 2009 women’s competition.

The 2009 men’s field will see South Australia’s Simon Uppill, 2008 Australian champion in all three disciplines, racing NSW Stinger Julian Dent for the title. Dent recently returned from a stint in Sweden competing for Malungs Club. Uppill holds most of the silverware from the Australian and Oceania Championships, but Dent still holds the #1 Australian ranking. ACT’s David Shepherd is slowly overcoming a serious ankle injury but likely to miss much of the 2009 season. Matt Parton (NSW) and Ryan Smyth (TAS) will also be looking to improve on some great results in 2008, and perhaps recluse Victorian Troy De Haas will come out of hiding and spice things up a little.

This years’s SILVA NOL competition will include 17 races conducted over four states. To see where the races are held check out the Google maps link below. And stay tuned to the Orienteering Australia website http://www.orienteering.asn.au for all SILVA National Orienteering League updates.

The Orienteering Australia Board has considered both WOC in Israel and EOC in Denmark.  The decision of the Board is paraphrased as follows:

OA will support an official team to WOC in Israel.  This will be funded and supported by an official, provided the Australian Government security warning on travel to Israel does not get lifted to a ‘do not travel’ level.  This means that WOC is ‘on’ officially from an OA point of view, but that in the event things get worse it may be cancelled.

OA will endorse entry of riders to EOC in Denmark.  This will not be funded and will not have any official support.  I will co-ordinate management of the team before the event, but in Denmark one of the team will be manager for the week of races.  Anyone wishing to compete in EOC will have to pay all costs including (mandatory) uniforms, as specified by OA.  That’s likely to mean 2 sets of riding gear and an Australian tracksuit.  Of course you’re welcome to borrow these from a friend if you want.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO.

Anyone interested in competing in either event must nominate by sending me (pd@psd.net.au) an email to nominate specifying which event.  The WOC team will be selected on the criteria set out for WOC teams.  The EOC team will be basically open to anyone in the squad and/or someone who clearly shows at the trials they are of sufficient standard to race at that level.

The email should have all your basic details: name, email address, address, phone number/s, DOB, etc.  Please do it asap.

On behalf of the selectors

Paul Darvodelsky

After a very successful 2008 competition, SILVA will again sponsor the 2009 National Orienteering League. SILVA will provide cash sponsorship and prizes worth $20,000 over the season. The highlight prize will be a free trip for one lucky (successful) junior orienteer to attend the Swedish 5-days (or WOC) competition in 2010. Sweden is the home land of both orienteering and SILVA compasses. SILVA will provide prizes for competitors in all age classes, not just elites, so come along to a SILVA National Orienteering League event in 2009 and see orienteering at its most exciting level.

The competition will include 17 races conducted over four rounds. The League kicks off in South Australia in mid March followed by the Easter carnival in Tasmania in April. In May, the League heads to ACT and will finish the year with the Australian Championships carnival in Victoria.

Full details can be found at: http://dev.orienteering.asn.au/index.php/national-league/

Prize details can be found here: 2009SILVANOLcompetitiondetails.pdf

Entries for the first round closed yesterday, so anyone wanting to race should contact the organisers soon. All details can be found here or in the files below.

Round 1- Adelaide South Australia –
SILVA NOL 2009 Round 1 Bulletin 2 and Entry_Form

The first ever Stromlo Running Festival took place this weekend in Canberra, providing entrants with unlimited opportunity to compete in numerous running races, talks and seminars. Orienteering featured in the festival, with 2006 World Orienteering Sprint Champion Hanny Allston giving novice orienteers a perspective of orienteering and providing some guidance for their first orienteering event. 

The elite race began at 2pm, providing tough racing conditions in the heat of the day. The World Games format of the sprint race ensured some exciting head to head racing. Two runners started together, running 2 loops each in a different order, before coming back to the finish to pick up their 3rd map for a common last leg.

Hanny Allston (pictured) showed her class and easily took out the womens class, followed by Kathryn Ewels and Jasmine Neve. Julian Dent (also pictured) edged out Grant Bluett and Rob Walter who completed the placings.

There was much prize money on offer and the race attracted most of Australia’s best orienteers. The National Senior Squad members were in town this weekend attending their annual training camp.

Many thanks must go to Bob Allison for making this fantastic new sprint map in the technical area surrounding the Stromlo Forest Park centre. The area will provide many future opportunities for exciting orienteering. 

Elite results can be found here. 

Novice results can be found here, and splits here.

Stromlo Running Festival Entries close this Sunday, 22nd February 2009. Full details can be found at www.stromlorunningfestival.com.au

The orienteering race will feature Australia’s best atheletes in a fast and exciting course based around Canberra’s Stromlo Forest Park. The $1200 prize-money for the elite classes has caused plenty of excitement and has attracted a strong field.

The race will involve a new feature – punching a wrong control will result in a 2-minute time penalty instead of disqualification.

National team member and local Dave Shepherd is the course setter, and has promised exciting head-to-head racing with 2 athletes starting at the same time over a 6 Km course. Most of Australia’s top 20 elites are competing, so if you live in Canberra please come along and cheer loudly.

Additional Night Orienteering Race
A massed start Night Orienteering race will be held at 9pm on Friday 27th Feb. This race is included in your SRF entry, but is not advertised to the general public. Detailed information will be emailed to all entrants into Saturday’s elite race.

This is a reminder that normal entries for The Australian 3 Days Orienteering Championships in Launceston, Tasmania close on 20th February, i.e. this coming Friday, so don’t delay in getting those entries in or you could have to pay the $30 late fee.

Planning for the carnival is going well with seven events on nine days commencing 10 April 2009. Already almost 500 entries have been received with more coming in each day, so the competition will be exciting.

We have had another very dry summer in Tasmania which bodes well for good weather in April. More information is available on the carnival website – click the link on the OT home page atwww.tasorienteering.asn.au. You can download a pdf entry form and post it in or download the MS Word version and email that. Any queries can be sent to easter@tasorienteering.asn.au. See you in Tasmania at Easter!!

Bert Elson / Jan Hardy – Carnival Directors

Tragedy strikes orienteering family for a second time

Tasmanian orienteers, Miriam and John Whittington have confirmed that John’s parents (David & Kate) who lived in Marysville have almost certainly died in the recent bushfires.  Miriam, current Orienteering Tasmania president, is the daughter of the late Irena and Dexter Palmer who also died as a result of an accident (motor vehicle) some years ago.

In Miriam’s words: “We are sad, exhausted and resigned to yet another devastating tragedy for our family… We cannot comprehend the magnitude of the tragedy but live each day in their memory and knowing how precious and short life can be.”

Orienteering loses a mountain bike rider in the fires

With regret we advise that Rob Davey has died in the Kinglake fires along with his wife and 2 children.

Rob was a regular Mountain Bike orienteer, competing in the Summer series, State League events and was enticed by Ralph Koch to make the trip to NE Victoria to Shelley to ride in the MTBO championships.  Rob was a wine merchant, so loved his wines and food and found that the riding was helping him get fitter.  Ralph had introduced him to orienteering a few years ago and they had planned to ride in the Summer Series this Saturday at Eltham.

Courtesy Peta Whitford         Further information: The Age A (photo)  The Age B

Street orienteer another victim of fires

Melbourne Northern Series competitor Carolyn O’Gorman has also been lost as the fire toll increases.  Although she had not competed in the current series, Carolyn attended previous Summer Series events performing well in the Power Walker division.

Further information: HeraldSun online 11 Feb

Many other members have been touched by this tragedy with family or friends involved.

On behalf of the Board and all the members of Orienteering Victoria we extend our heartfelt condolences to all those impacted.

Victorian Bushfire Fund – 1800 811 700
Concerned about family or friends? 1800 727 077
The Age online Condolence Book – Share your sorrow over the tragedy
Latest updates from the CFA

The selection procedures for the 2009 Australian team to attend the Junior World Championships in Italy have been published (see link below). As in previous years, the principal selection trials will be the four days of Easter.

Nominations from intending candidates are required by 3 April.

Detailed selection information and procedures are available in this document.