OA would like to announce the appointment of JWOC Managers for 2006 and 2007. Co-Managers from 2005 Nick Dent and Hilary Wood have been re-appointed joining the co-coaching team of Grant Bluett and Gareth Candy. Congratulations to Nick and Hilary and OA’s thanks to them for taking on a position that they filled so ably this year.
Author: craigf
JWOC 2006 Selection Criteria
The JWOC Selection criteria for 2006 have been released. Please find the criteria attached from Blair Trewin, Chair of the Junior Selection panel.
2006 JWOC selection
BJ wins final park race, but overall title goes to Österbö
Despite finishing over 30 seconds ahead of second-place getter Mats Haldin in today’s race, BJ’s 15th place in the penultimate race was always going to make it difficult for him to overtake Öystein Kvaal Österbö in the overall points standing, and sixth place was enough to give Österbö the 2005 PWT title.
Although Tatiana Riabkina missed the first two races of the tour in Italy, she still finished second overall, only 4 points behind Dana Brozkova; Riabkina won today’s race by over 40 seconds from Finland’s Riian Kuuselo, with round 3 winner, Ieva Sargautyte of Lithuania third.
Riabkina wins three in a row, and BJ’s hopes fade in Hangzhou
Race 6 of the Park World Tour featured an extremely close men’s race with Mats Haldin beating Chris Terkelsen by just 1.2 seconds, and Yuri Omeltchenko 0.1 seconds behind in third place. In the women’s race, Tatiana Riabkina was 2.8 seconds ahead of Norway’s Elise Egseth, with Helena Jansson third.
For David Brickhill-Jones, 15th place behind series leader Öystein Kvaal Österbö’s 6th place makes it tough for him to take out the series, with only one race remaining.
NSW ‘Ultimax’ Stingers Rob Preston wins inaugural Turkey Trot
Rob Preston of the NSW ‘Ultimax’ Stingers team had success yesterday in the inaugural Turkey Trot Orienteering Race in Sydney.
Based on the popular Turkey Traverse race in New Zealand, the 19.2km massed start race spanned 4 maps, starting at Castle Hill and finishing in Parramatta Park.
Peter Preston turned up the pace right from the start, stretching the small field of 19 runners across ‘The Graveyard’ map. Rob Preston led for a few controls, but when the course left the bush and headed into streets Adventure racer Simon Manson surged to the front.
The first major road crossing was also an intermediate sprint (similar to road cycling sprints), allowing the top runners to collect time bonuses. When the lights went green, there was a distinct group of 7 runners. Peter Preston became a victim of his own fast pacemaking and was first to be dropped in the intermediate street stage. Then onto the second map ‘Crestwood’, where a route choice to #10 split the field. Richard Mountstephens gained 100m on Rob Preston, veteran Michael Burton and Manson.
Mountstephens was finally reeled in at #13 on the ‘Winston Hills’ map. Burton then took a safer, but ultimately slower route to #14 via a bridge, while Mountstephens, Manson and Preston headed straight through the river.
The leading three stayed together into the last map, ‘Parabianga’ and into the Westmead Hospital grounds. Preston lead from #14 to #22 and picked up the pace as they neared Parramatta Park. The crucial moment occurred when Preston gained 10 seconds by quickly scaling a 2m high metal spiked fence, while the others hesitated.
Seizing the advantage, Preston punched the last control and held his lead over the final 500m to win by 15secs from Mountstephens and 30secs from Manson. Burton finished 4th closely followed by Peter Preston 5th, who made up places near the end of the course.
The easier navigation and massed start format allowed less experienced orienteers with running or Adventure Racing backgrounds to match it with the top orienteers.
The Western and Hills Club was happy with the race format, and is looking to make the 2006 Turkey Trot bigger, better, and maybe even longer…
Contracts with Orienteering Australia – Call for Expressions of Interest
Orienteering Australia has cancelled all existing agreements with paid officers and is seeking a suitable person or personnel to contract services in relation to two newly created positions:
Head Coach – from January 2006 to December 2007 for someone with coaching experience in orienteering
Executive Officer – from April 2006 for someone with administrative skills in sport.
Although details will be negotiated with the successful applicant or applicants, the notional commitment with respect to each position is $18 000 in return for a minimum of 500 hours per year.
Job descriptions for each role can be downloaded in pdf format:
Applicants should forward a written expression of interest detailing their capacity to undertake the specific duties of a position to the President of Orienteering Australia.
An appointment or appointments will be made after 3 December 2005 and applications will be received until the time a contract or contracts are offered by the Board of Orienteering Australia.
For further information please direct enquiries as follows:
for Head Coach to Mike Dowling – Director (High Performance) – 03 6244 7173
for Executive Officer to Bob McCreddin – President – 08 9381 1727
Rattray returns as Osterbo and Riabkina win again!
David Brickhill-Jones has continued his outstanding Park World Tour form by finishing second behind series leader Oystein Kvaal Osterbo (NOR) in Jinhua. BJ has consolidated second place in the overall standings in front of new Swedish sprint sensation Martin Johansson (3rd in Jinhua), but will need to lift in the final two races to have any hope of overtaking Osterbo and taking the Park World Tour crown.
With her second victory in three starts, Tatiana Riabkina (RUS) has moved into second in the overall standings but will need a miracle to overtake runaway series leader Dana Brozkova (CZE). Brigitte Gruniger (SUI) and Maria Berqkvist (SWE) were close behind in second and third after each held the lead at some stage during the race. In an incredibly tight race only 37 seconds separated the top ten women in Jinhua.
There was good news for Ben Rattray who returned to racing only four days after dislocating his shoulder at his Park World Tour debut in Shanghai. Understandably Rattray took a conservative approach to the race but still managed a creditable 20th out of 25 competitors.
For further details and overall standings – PWT Website
Rattray returns as Osterbo and Riabkina win again!
David Brickhill-Jones has continued his outstanding Park World Tour form by finishing second behind series leader Oystein Kvaal Osterbo (NOR) in Jinhua. BJ has consolidated second place in the overall standings in front of new Swedish sprint sensation Martin Johansson (3rd in Jinhua), but will need to lift in the final two races to have any hope of overtaking Osterbo and taking the Park World Tour crown.
With her second victory in three starts, Tatiana Riabkina (RUS) has moved into second in the overall standings but will need a miracle to overtake runaway series leader Dana Brozkova (CZE). Brigitte Gruniger (SUI) and Maria Berqkvist (SWE) were close behind in second and third after each held the lead at some stage during the race. In an incredibly tight race only 37 seconds separated the top ten women in Jinhua.
There was good news for Ben Rattray who returned to racing only four days after dislocating his shoulder at his Park World Tour debut in Shanghai. Understandably Rattray took a conservative approach to the race but still managed a creditable 20th out of 25 competitors.
For further details and overall standings – PWT Website
Riabkina and Osterbo win in Suzhou, BJ second by 3 seconds
Tatiana Riabkina continued her successful 2005 season with a breakthrough win in the Park World Tour (PWT) event in Suzhou, China. Following top-ten finishes in the middle distance and long-distance finals at WOC2005, Riabkina became the first Russian woman to win a PWT race.
Oystein Kvaal Osterbo, four seconds behind David Brickhill-Jones (BJ) in Tuesday’s race, won the Suzhou leg by three seconds from BJ, and now holds a 6 point advantage over BJ in the overall standings, with three races remaining.
BJ fourth in Shanghai
David Brickhill-Jones, running his final series of races as an Australian orienteer, finished in 4th place in the first race of the Park World Tour China leg.
Martin Johansson from Sweden won the first race of the 5 race China leg of the tour, from Ukrainian veteran Yuri Omeltchenko, with another veteran, Chris Terkelsen of Denmark, in third place.
Australia’s only other entrant to the race was Ben Rattray, making his Park World Tour debut. Ben dislocated his shoulder during the race, and failed to finish – it’s likely he will be ruled out for the rest of the series, and may need to return home immediately for treatment.
In the women’s race, Dana Brozkova was only three seconds in front of Brigitte Gruniger, and a further 12 seconds to Tatiana Riabkina.