2013 Archive

The Silva National Orienteering League program resumes this weekend in Canberra with three events held over the two days. Sprint distance and Middle distance on Saturday and a Long distance event on Sunday.

Added significance to these events as they are the final selection trial for local athletes who have nominated for the Australian team to compete at the World Orienteering Championships in Finland in July.

This team will be selected following the events this weekend. Also Australia will be sending a Bushrangers team to compete against NZ in early June at three events  to be held just south of Auckland and this team will also be selected following this weekends events.

Selection criteria and process for the Bushrangers team is

 ·         A team of 4 men and 4 women will be selected to contest the M/W21E Bushrangers’ Test Match against the New Zealand Pinestars in NZ on June 1^st-3^rd

·         Selection will be based primarily on results achieved in National League races in 2013 (WOC Trials, Easter, March NOLs) and to a lesser extent on 2012 National League results.

·         In accordance with OA policy, selected athletes must have no outstanding debts to Orienteering Australia, Australian University Sport or the athlete’s relevant state association.

·         The intended focus of this team is that it provides development opportunities for athletes wishing to progress to international competition; however, athletes may also be named on the basis that these races would provide preparation for WOC 2013.

·         The team will be announced in the week following WOC trials, once the availability or otherwise of athletes who have previously expressed interest has been confirmed.

The National Orienteering League standings after 6 rounds of competition are:

Senior Men- Victorian Nuggets 46

Canberra Cockatoos 45

NSW Stingers 32

Senior Women- Victorian Nuggets 43

Canberra Cockatoos 37

SA Arrows 32

In the senior individual point score

Lachlan Dow leads on 140 points from his Cockatoo team mate Matt Crane who is on 131

Grace Crane is a clear leader in the senior womens on 159 from Jasmine Neve on 132. The athlete to watch here is Lizzie Ingham who had a clean sweep of all events at Easter after missing the first two NOL events.

In the Junior teams competition  Can berra Cockatoos lead on 44 from Tasmanian Foresters on 40 and Victoria Nuggets on 35.

In the junior women Victoria Nuggets lead on 52 from NSW Stingers on 38.

In the individual competition there is a close contest in the junior men with Ian Lawford on 138, Matt Doyle on 133 and Andrew Barnett on 127.

Junior women is Heather Muir on 168 and Jacqui Doyle on 156. 

OA is seeking expressions of interest in the position of Manager/Coach for the Australian Bushrangers team to compete against New Zealand Pinestars at the events in New Zealand on 1st June, 2nd June and 3rd June.

The requirements of the position are

1. Overall co-ordination of the team once selected.

2. Organising transport arrangements in NZ.

3. Organising accommodation for team members as appropriate.,

4. Completing an evaluation of the teams performance at the events.

Some funding will be available for this position to cover expenses.

email Nick Dent  (nickdent7@gmail.com) with an expression of interest by Friday 3rd May

ASADA Anti-doping online courses – modification to requirements.
Following the Lance Armstrong revelations last year and the various drugs in sport in Australia revelations this year, the ASC and ASADA mandated that elite athletes in all sports should complete online education courses on the ASADA website http://www.asada.gov.au. (It is a funding agreement requirement of OA by the ASC.) An update on who must do these courses, and who else it is strongly recommended do the courses, is as follows.

1) Due to IT problems with the ASADA website the due date for completion of online courses is now May 10th.
If you are having IT related problems or with logging on etc please forward your queries to the ASADA Education Officer, Chris Butler – chris.butler@asada.gov.au
2) While it is desirable for all NOL and National Series participants to be educated through the online courses it is now only mandatory for:
a) all Australian elite team members – WOC, JWOC, World Games, World Cup, Bushrangers, Australian University team; Oceania W/M20 and elite teams, plus
b) all National squad members – elite, junior, MTBO or their equivalents.
c) all national team coaches and managers.
The intent is to have all regular participants in NOL / NS races at elite or M/W20 level complete the courses, especially as anyone who participates in these races can potentially be subject to drug testing.
However, we do not wish to discourage participants who are older or relatively inexperienced from being able to race the occasional NOL / NS event.
As an encouragement, there will be several Silva prizes awarded by random draw to NOL / NS participants who do complete the courses but are NOT required to do so.

Orienteering Victoria are offering a smorgasbord of MTBO events this weekend with both Victorian Championship titles and Australian selection for the World Championships in Estonia on offer.   The Saturday races are based at Castlemaine with sprint courses designed by Peta Whitford on the 1:10,000 Clinker Hill map and middle distance on “Hills Upsan Downs” at 1:15,000, with Peter Hill course setting. The latter has some 25 kilometres of purpose built single track which should figure prominently in route choice decisions.

On Sunday riders travel to “Balaclava Hill” out east of Bendigo to take on a 1:20,000 scale map that is predominantly spur gully terrain with a touch of detail.  Rob Edmonds is setting the long courses here.

The elite fields are chock full of talent.  In M20 previous Australian team members Tom Goddard (Tas) and Karl Withers (Qld) will receive strong competition from Angus Robinson and Tim Jackson (both Vic) and Queenslander Paulo Jun Alvear Fujii.

In the elite it will be on for young and old.  No 1 seed Alex Randall, in peak form after a 4^th in the Wombat 50km xc race, will be challenged by a variety of “young guns.”   Luckily it’s not a road race as the Tassie trio of Callum Fagg, Chris Horne and Oscar Phillips would outnumber him at the front.   Callum is a former Tasmanian Institute of Sport road rider who undoubtedly has the legs, but though a former foot orienteer, he’s new to the mtbo discipline.  Gisborne resident Heath Jamieson, who debuted at Jwoc last year, has the smarts to be at the pointy end, especially in the sprint and middle.  But perhaps the biggest challenge comes from Brisbane’s Chris Firman after his tremendous 5^th at Jwoc last year.  However he has spent most of the last 3 months on his wind trainer after requiring shoulder surgery after an altercation with a tree.

The women’s elite field has some new names with Victorians Kate Gavens, Carrie Edney and Rebecca Shaw stepping up.  However punters would predict an almighty battle between former WOC representatives Carolyn Jackson (AUS) and her Kiwi counterpart Marquita Gelderman for the top step on the podium.  Whereas Marquita has won most duels in the past it would be no surprise to see Carolyn (now fitter and faster than ever) outgun her this time.

Note that the 2012 National Series Award trophies, for all classes will be presented at the Saturday night dinner.

ACT MTBO Night and Relay Championship entries now open on Eventor

ACT MTBO Night and Relay Championships entries are now available on Eventor. Both events will use an expanded Pierces Creek map.  Riders of all abilities are welcome to enter.  Cotter Camp ground is 5 km from the Assembly Area.

ACT MTBO Night Championships 25 May 2013

Mass Start 75 minutes Score event, enter here.

ACT MTBO Relay Championships 26 May

Mass Start, multi-loop Relay.  Two-person teams, each person riding two loops, enter here. An option for one person to ride all four loops is available under “Available Services” when entering.  If you have a two-person team e-mail juliesunley64@gmail.com otherwise you will be placed in a team. The expected distances for each rider (double for one-person Relay):

– M21: 24 km

– M20/M40/W21: 21 km

– M16/M50/W20/W40: 18 km

– M14/M60/W16/W50: 15 km

– M12/M70/M80/W12/W14/W60/W70/W80: 12 km

For more information email juliesunley64@gmail.com

2014 NEWS

There is an opportunity to send a Bushrangers Team to compete against the NZ Pinestars in early June (June 1-3). The events are being held just south of Auckland and NZ are happy to host the test match.

Given the late notice of this I am asking you if you are interested and available to be in the team could you send me an expression of interest ASAP so we can decide whether to proceed with this planning.

It would be my intention that any elite senior or junior currently living in Australia would be eligible for the team.

To make the trip worthwhile we need at least 4 males and 4 females to make up the team. A great opportunity to get some international competition.

If we can get a team together I am happy to do the planning re accommodation entries etc.

The areas they are using are two days of coastal sand dunes and a new map on gully spur. The event on the Saturday is middle distance WRE, Sunday is a long distance.

Nick Dent
HP Manager Operations
Orienteering Australia

Colin Price of AussieOGear, the Australian Trimtex supplier, has designed a snazzy new polo shirt and vest for Australian orienteers travelling overseas for World Masters, O-Ringen, trans-Tasman orienteering and other events. Deliberately designed as a touring strip this kit will allow fellow Australians to spot you in a crowd!

Colin is ready to turn around an order in time for people heading off in June for World Masters and other events in Europe. You will need to be quick – send your order to Colin Price by this weekend (21 April) to make sure you get it in time for your international flights. This is a technical pique shirt with a great fit. The ergonomic fit ensures high freedom of movement and makes the shirt fit nice and comfortably on the body. The material used by Trimtex ensures excellent moisture management and great comfort. Pricing: Shirt $43 Vest $69.

OA has signed a three year agreement with TRIMTEX to be the exclusive supplier of orienteering textile products to OA national teams.This agreement will be for three years and so will be valid for 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Under the agreement the WOC team participants will get one free O Shirt, O Pants and socks every year. All other equipment and accessories will be available to team members at 50% discount on regular price. This  agreement provides stability and consistency in the planning of the national orienteering clothing for all national teams for the next three years.

It provides the athletes with substantial financial benefit over this three year period and will enable the teams to have the look and feel of representing Australia. The range of clothing will include sprint orienteering tops and shorts as well as mountain bike clothing.

The Ultra Long Championship event held at Creswick today provided testing courses for all age classes.   Lizzie Ingham (ACT) continued her brilliant autumn of orienteering by taking out the top prize of $2,500 towards a flight to Europe for a major orienteering event.   This was decided on the basis of pre-determined comparative kilometre rates between the elite and M&W20 E classes.  Tassie junior Brodie Nankervis finished a close 2^nd to Lizzie in winning M20E ahead of Ian Lawford and Ollie Poland.  Brodie was rewarded with a new Garmin for his effort.  The closest race of the day was in W20E where Lanita Steer sprinted in to win a mere 10 seconds ahead of fellow Victorian Mary Fleming.

The 26 kilometre men’s course involving 62 controls in the detailed mining terrain was won by Lachy Dow (ACT) in just over 3 hours, followed in 12 minutes later by Ian Meyer (NSW) and then Max Neve (Vic).   The elite women had 50 controls in their 15 kilometre course.  Lizzie took 1 hr 58 with the Victorian trio of Kathryn Preston, Aislinn Prendergast and Jasmine Neve chasing her home.

This inaugural event was the brainchild of Geoff Lawford and Jenny Bourne who set courses, organised the event and chased sponsorship.  They were aided by a legion of Eureka club members.  With 50 random draw prizes from Dirty D and Wildfire Sports many orienteers went home with an extra smile of their faces.

Lizzie Ingham completed her dominance of the Easter event in Bendigo by making it four wins out of four, all by substantial margins. She entered the day ten minutes clear of the field and could have been forgiven for taking it easy, but she went right on with it, extending her lead by a further four minutes. It was closer behind her; Hanny Allston was second on the day, but was unable to make up the necessary time to overtake Grace Crane overall.

The men’s race was a much closer affair. Matt Crane was only a few seconds ahead of Simon Uppill going into the final day. The fast, open terrain of Crusoe was never likely to be the place for the title to be decided by knockout. Instead, on a day when the top five were covered by just over a minute, Crane edged away from Uppill over the course; only five seconds here and ten seconds there, but enough to give him the result that he needed. Lachlan Dow had a solid run to take third place, while Bryan Keely, out of overall contention after errors yesterday, ensured that both Bendigo bush races were won by Bendigo locals.

One of the closest finishes of the weekend was in W17-20E. Jacqui Doyle and Heather Muir had been dicing for three days. Doyle led by two minutes going into the final day, but Muir gradually chipped away at that margin and finally took the lead in the last kilometre of the course. Her final margin was eight seconds. The junior men were not as close overall, Oliver Poland’s performance yesterday giving him a decisive edge, but today gave us a very close race between Poland and Cockatoos teammate Ian Lawford, led by Lawford most of the way until an error at the third-last control.

There was also strong competition across a range of other age classes. Two of the best races were in W16 and W45. In W16, Hannah Goddard came from fifth after two days to edge out Asha Steer by eight seconds, while in W45, less than four minutes separated the top five going into the final day before Nicola Dalheim pulled clear.

The Champion Club trophy was won comprehensively by Melbourne Forest Racers. The Australian University Championships were won by the University of Melbourne (the individual titles were taken by Jacqui Doyle and Lachlan Dow, both from ANU), and the SA-Victoria Challenge was won by Victoria, 14-6.

splits are available.

The Australian team to contest the 2013 Junior World Orienteering Championships, to be held in the Czech Republic in July, has been announced after today’s final selection trial.

The team is:

Men: Oliver Poland (ACT), Ian Lawford (ACT), Brodie Nankervis (Tas), Oscar McNulty (WA), Andrew Barnett (ACT), Matt Doyle (Vic). Reserves: Todd Neve (1), Henry McNulty (2).

Women: Heather Muir (Qld), Jacqui Doyle (ACT), Mary Fleming (Vic), Lanita Steer (Vic), Nicola Blatchford (NSW), Michele Dawson (NSW). Reserve: Melanie Fuller (SA).

Congratulations to all of those selected.