Orienteering Australia is pleased to announce that Grant Bluett was the successful applicant for the position of Orienteering Australia’s Head Coach. Grant will commence duties with effect from February 1st 2006 and will be the principle contact for all High Performance matters for Orienteering Australia. The position of Head Coach arose from the review of Orienteering Australia’s operations in 2005 and is a combination of the former duties of the Manager, High Performance and some of the duties of the former Manager, Coaching & Officiating.
Author: craigf
First Ultimax Sydney Sprint Race
The first race in the Ultimax Sydney Sprints was held in the north Sydney suburb of Riverview yesterday. An excellent course was put on by birthday girl and Australian international Tracy Bluett weaving through the harbour-side park. Excellent use was made of the intricate track networks and creek system that caught many of the more experienced off-guard.
Forty six people enjoyed the event on a night perfect for a twilight series. The course was great, and the organisation went without a hitch.
Ben Rattray showed real class beating all-comers by over a minute. Ian Meyer narrowly defeated Andy Hill, both of the Ultimax Stingers. All three were in China in November competing in the Park World Tour displaying the advantages of international experience in this race format.
Just like in tennis, the Swiss showed class as Linda Sesta won the women’s event narrowly ahead of Phoebe Dent (Ultimax Stingers). Local Lane Covean Cathy McComb showed experience taking third.
Full results can be found at http://sydneysprints.blogspot.com/
The next round of the Ultimax Sydney Sprints move on to Hunters Hill on Monday 30th January.
Doug Goodwin 1924-2006
Doug Goodwin, long-standing member of Tasmania’s Australopers club and its club treasurer for many years, died recently as the result of a cycling accident. Doug truly personified the orienteering ideal of a “sport for life”, and was a regular at local events after taking up the sport in 1978 with wife Hilary and children Sarah and Paul. Doug also introduced orienteering to many children at the Princes Street primary school in Hobart, where he helped with the reading programme. Doug was generally the first competitor at events in Tasmania, and he gave organisers a great incentive to have everything set up before he arrived. Although I don’t think I ever succeeded in being fully prepared before Doug arrived, he always generously helped with last-minute preparations. In 2005, Doug won the M80 class at the Australian long course championships at St Helens, an achievement that gave him great satisfaction. Doug was once asked if he would like to try lawn bowls – his (less than tactful) response was “No, not while I’m still active”. He never got to take up bowls.
Just where did I go wrong at the Christmas 5-days?
For those not familiar with Splitsbrowser, it is
an open, web-based system for the display and analysis of orienteering split times.
Check out the Christmas 5-days results (thanks to Mathieu McGuire, Queensland) on the splitsbrowser website (they are listed under “Recent Results”).
Winners are grinners
I would like to thank Orienteering Australia (mountain biking in particular) for the opportunity to enter and subsequently win, a new mountain bike. I had forgotten that I had even entered and to actually win the bike and a Miry board was just amazing. I think the only other thing I have ever won before is a pair of socks in a mountain running event. My seven year old (battered and bruised) bike is in dire need of replacing.
Many thanks to Melbourne Bicycle Centre (Warren Key) and Orienteering Service of Australia (Tom Andrews) for the prizes.
Anitra Dowling
Christmas 5-days day 4
The 2005 Xmas 5 days headed to Buckenderra for the 4th day of competition. It proved to be a tough day for the field, with steep hills, lots of rock, high temperatures and thicker forest.
Robbie Preston took full opportunity of the terrain early, catching Switzerland’s David Schneider 1 min into the course. Schneider ran into the finish 25 seconds ahead of Preston for third place, while Preston took the lead. Schneider later reported being disappointed with his run due to several mistakes.
Eric Morris finished a mere 2 seconds behind Preston to take 2nd place for the day and the overall lead. The final day is set to be exciting with David Schneider in need of victory if he is to snatch the overall honours out of Morris’s hands.
The women’s course saw Grace Elson take her 3rd victory out of a possible 4. Sofia Olsson from Sweden had little difficulty with the unique Australian terrain to finish a close second only 28 seconds behind. In third place was up and coming junior Sophie Barker, who has shown some good form over the 5 days so far.
Barring any surprises on the final day, overall honours look to be heading towards Grace Elson. Sofia Olsson looks solid in second place but can’t afford any major mistakes, as Anna Sheldon could pounce from her current position of third.
Kerrin Rattray
Splits for day 4 (lost)
Christmas 5-days heats up
Increasing temperatures are beginning to take their toll in the Christmas 5-Days as competitors begin to wilt. Despite the heat, the cream of the elite classes maintained their dominance and today provided some truly classy performances. In the Elite Women, Grace Elson kept her place at the top of the leaders board. The course was made for fast running, and Grace showed that she has the speed necessary to do well in Denmark next August. Tracy Bluett (pictured, right)
did her best to keep Grace honest, finishing a short time behind but there was a larger gap back to Anna Sheldon in third. New Senior Squad inductee (still a junior) Jasmine Neve was fourth, with Sophie Barker rounding out the top five.
The men’s race saw a blistering run by Grant Bluett who won by a clear 2 minutes in under 5 min per km pace. The run is a reminder to the rest of the Australian men that there is some work to be done to truly replace Grant’s international status. Switzerland’s David Schneider took second place, only seconds ahead of Eric Morris in what is building as a great battle between the two. David Brickhill-Jones’ British skin is obviously struggling with the Aussie heat but he still managed fourth. Despite a massive training day the previous day, Robbie Preston rounded out the top five.
Results with splits (lost)
Ben Rattray
Christmas 5-days: Morris takes the lead
Eric Morris has taken the lead in a quality men’s field on the first day of the Xmas 5 days yesterday, while Swedish international Sofia Olsson heads the women’s field.
Morris holds a narrow 10 second lead over young gun Julian Dent, with Swiss international David Schneider 3rd. Surprise of the day was a return to form for Peter Preston (NSW) finishing within a minute of British international David Brickhill-Jones in 6th place.
Sofia Olsson and Eva Tiselius, both Swedes, head the womens field, with the leading Australian being Grace Elson in 3rd.
Results with Splits (lost)
Stay tuned for regular updates from the 5-days over the next week
Christmas 5-days: Report on days 1 & 2
Mt Gladstone Day 1
The Christmas 5 days kicked off in traditional fashion with a hot afternoon greeting orienteers to Mt Gladstone, being used for the first time since the 1989 Family Relays. With most runners having some time off orienteering since the Australian Championships, there was some rough navigation and a few unfit bodies charging around the courses. As usual, there are many European orienteers littered through the classes enjoying some of the best granite the Snowy Mountains has to offer.
The men’s A class is looming as a close battle over the coming week. Swiss WOC star David Schneider (4th in the Long Distance in Japan earlier in the year) spearheads a quality field containing some of Australia’s top elites and juniors. But it was the local Ultimax Stingers Eric Morris and Julian Dent who showed some early form. Morris claimed a close victory over Dent by 9 seconds when Dent lost 60 seconds on the second last after leading the whole race. Schneider was acclimatising to the Australian conditions and came in third two minutes back, while senior retiree Grant Bluett was just behind in 4th. Back home for the summer, British international David Brickhill-Jones, was 5th ahead of a close pack containing the Ultimax stingers boys, Peter Preston, Rob Preston, and Dave Meyer in 6th 7th and 8th respectively.
It was a case of the traditional Scandinavian invasion in the women’s A class. Former Swedish B team member Sofia Olsson claimed the top spot in an impressive first hit out in Australia winning by over two minutes over another Swede, junior Eva Tiselius. The local girls seem to have their work cut out for the rest of the week. Newlywed Anna Quayle was leading for the majority of the course until losing 5 minutes on controls 12 and 13, but this proves she will be a threat in the remaining days. Consistent WOC contender Grace Elson will also be one to beat. She had a good start today finishing 3rd ahead of group of other up-and-comers llka Barr, Briohny Davey and Jasmine Neve.
Results from all classes with splits (lost)
Day 2 – Glenbrook
Returning to the open fast granite terrain, the conditions on day 2 were more favourable with the weather cool but with very gusty wind.
Again the early starters were the men’s A with junior Simon Uppill posting an early pace setter after quite an impressive run. Simon is seen as Australia’s great hope at JWOC 2007 in Dubbo. But it didn’t take long for the big guns to shine with David Schneider proving that he doesn’t take long to get used to the Aussie terrain. Schneider posted a two minute lead over Eric Morris to take the win. Morris was content with a 2nd to add to his 1st from the previous day to show that he is again in his traditional 5 days quality form. Julian Dent, after leading Schneider by more than 2 minutes early on in the course, finally settled for 3rd. David Brickhill-Jones has still not quite re-adjusted to the Aussie terrain, and came in 2 minutes back in 4th, with Uppill 5th.
It was a local fight back in the women’s A class. Grace Elson came away with an impressive win after leading most of the way, overcoming MTBO medallist Anna Sheldon, who was 2nd by 90 seconds. Day 1 winner Sofia Olsson had to settle for third 4 minutes back. The consistent Briohny Davey was in 4th, and Swedish junior Eva Tiselius had a clean run to end up 5th, backing up her 2nd place from day one. Tiselius had a clean run today, but tired towards the end — being one of Sweden’s best juniors is a good benchmark for our young girls to compete against.
Provisional results with splits (lost)
The competitor’s head back to more grass seeds at Glenbrook for tomorrow’s Day 3, before heading to the shores of Lake Eucumbene for the final two days at Buckenderra. With a lot of racing ahead both A classes are still wide open, but the consistent performers should win out, but stay tuned for more reports from the snowy region.
Julian Dent & Kerrin Rattray
National Squads Announced
Top performers at WOC 2006, Troy de Haas (7th in sprint race) and Hanny Allston (6th in long distance) feature in Orienteering Australia’s 6 person High Performance Group (HPG) for 2006. Other selected athletes are Jo Allison, Tracy Bluett, Dave Shepherd and Julian Dent.
New into the squad in 2006 are Tracy Bluett, who returns after the birth of her daughter Tiia, and Julian Dent whose outstanding promise (including 4th at the Junior World Championships) has led to his selection.
The HPG comprises the most outstanding prospects for the World Championships team for the next year. The aim is to provide them with financial and other support to help them reach their potential at WOC.
Orienteering Australia has also announced a National Senior Squad of 12 men and 12 women. The purpose of the National Senior Squad is to give formal recognition to excellent results over the last year. It is also a vehicle for identifying those with the best potential for international representation next year, as a focus for coaching, training and other support.
New into the squad include promising orienteers Julia Davies and Jasmine Neve. Notable omissions include David Brickhill-Jones, now running for Great Britian, and Grant Bluett who has retired from international competition.