Have a looksie at one of the areas for WOC 06 to make your training well-informed over the summer. Thanks to Jimbo Russell copies of the Sprint map are available here at OA HP central:
2005 Archive
ACTAS scholarships for 2006
The ACT Academy of Sport (ACTAS) has announced its new scholarship holders for 2006. The squad for the 2006 season has a mix of seasoned international campaigners, and some young blood who are hoping to be the future of Australian orienteering. Between them, the 8 squad members have run 116 world championship races, and have over 15 years in Europe competing and training.
New for the 2006 season is that ACTAS is offering full scholarships in the National Training Centre, meaning that runners who have lived in the ACT for 2 years can have the full benefit of an ACTAS scholarship and still compete for their home states in the National Orienteering League. ACTAS is also offering scholarships at the National Training Centre for high performance orienteers who are based temporarily in the ACT, these scholarships being partly funded by the orienteers’ home states.
Scholarship holders receive support with a holistic approach to their athletic performance, under the guidance of the new head coach Grant Bluett. Apart from specific orienteering training, some of the areas athletes receive support in include sports science, psychology, career and educating assistance, nutrition, strength and conditioning, and medical support.
The 2006 scholarship holders are:
ACTAS High Performance
Jo Allison
Sophie Barker
Gareth Candy
Tom Quayle
David Shepherd
ACTAS, National Training Centre
Julian Dent (NSW)
Danielle Winslow (Tas.)
National Training Centre
David Meyer
World Ranking Events (WREs) 2006
The IOF has announced Australia’s World Ranking Events for 2006. Our 3 allocated races will be:
April 17, Day 3 (Monday/last day), Australian Easter 3-day, Vic
Aug 19, Bushrangers Test Match (and NOL Middle Distance race), Qld
Oct 7, Australian Long Distance Champs, WA
Change at the top of men’s rankings
The Australian Orienteering Elite Ranking Scheme points are now finalised for season 2005. Recent World Ranking Events in China provided David Brickhill-Jones (Tas) with the opportunity to climb to the top of the ranking list for the first time. His 1312 points in the Yunnan Orienteering Festival Sprint Distance race and 1223 in the Middle Distance has enabled him to leapfrog Grant Bluett (ACT) and finish the season as Australia’s number one ranked orienteer.
There is no change to the women’s list, with Hanny Allston (Tas) finishing the year at number one, ahead of Jo Allison (ACT) and Tracy Bluett (NSW).
Double for Adrian Jackson at the Australian MTBO titles
Adrian Jackson was a clear winner in middle and long distance races, winning the middle distance race by over 3 minutes from Alex Randall, and the long distance race by 15 minutes from Tom Walter.
Anna Sheldon was just over 3 minutes in front of Mary Fien in the women’s middle distance race, with Carolyn Jackson third, but Jackson prevailed in the long distance race to beat Sheldon by a similar margin.
JWOC Team Managers 2006-06
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.
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…