NORT 2011

[Arnold]

Reading through the whole programme it's funny how they've completely thrown out of the window the normal distances & principles - sprint, middle and long.

There's everything from shortened sprint (with mass start) to lengthened middle just not the "proper" ones.

Good idea to adapt the race style to the terrain & the spectator interests? But then why bother having agreed types of races...?

The slightly-shorter-than-middle-but-sprint-style-map-and-course-but-middle-terrain race from yesterday's qualification looks brutal though.

[ba-ba]

Round 2 today - sprint and knock-out sprint, Gotland, Sweden.
09.00 GMT - Qualifying - Regular sprint (Gottaplatsen)
13.05 - KO-sprint quater finals (for the top 30 qualifiers).
17.05 - TV feed starts. KO Sprint semi (17.05) and Final (18.05).

Live results for the qualifying, and live TV for the knock-out finals are available here.
There's no live GPS today as there appears to not be a way to stop competitors watching it before they run. GPS replay will be available afterwards however.


After the last race I now understand how they're scoring the overall tour - the tour time is based on the qualification, with time bonuses for everyone who makes the final depending on where they finish.

[Duncan]

As far as I can tell, there aren't even live results from the qualifications (which are currently happening). There are no links to it on the 'live' page on the NORT website. Anyone know different?

[ba-ba]

The link was there until about 9am but has since dissapeared despite continued refresh attempts. WoO suggests that it looks like they're not happening any more.
disappointing, but hopefully it's just a malfunction!

[Ravinous]

Live reults now up at http://www.nordicorienteeringtour.com/

Looks like Hector has already blown it with an Ej Godk. 30 to qualify and seeded - it will be tight for some of the GBR runners currently in the finish..

[Ravinous]

Only 3 girls out of 8 made it - 49 on the startlist, 48 in the finish. Top 10 below plus GBR/IRE

1 Maja Alm Denmark 12:29
2 Merja Rantanen Finland 12:42
3 Lena Eliasson Sweden 12:50
4 Lilian Forsgren Sweden 12:53
5 Signe Søes Denmark 12:56
6 Elise Egseth Norway 12:58
7 Amélie Chataing France 13:00
Tove Alexandersson Sweden 13:00
Annika Billstam Sweden 13:00
10 Linnea Gustafsson Sweden 13:02

17 Claire Ward Great Britain 13:24
Judith Wyder Switzerland 13:24

20 Hollie Orr Great Britain 13:28

23 Sarah Rollins Great Britain 13:36
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
35 Rachael Elder Great Britain 13:59
36 Tessa Hill Great Britain 14:02

38 Pippa Archer Great Britain 14:22

41 Niamh O'Boyle Ireland 14:38
42 Signe Klinting Denmark 14:51
Helen Palmer Great Britain 14:51

Catherine Taylor Great Britain Ej godk.

[ba-ba]

Women's quali appears to be over, won by Maja Alm.

Clare 18th, Hol;ie 21st, Sarah 24th. Rachael and Tessa 36th and 37th, Pippa 39th, Harry =43rd and CatT Ej godk have missed out on the final.

Men's quali still going I think, the Kyburz brothers in the top 2 places. GG and Scotia 2 seconds apart and *should* qualify, Ralph on the Bubble. Rocky appears to have just missed out (4 seconds down on Ralph), as have Spongey and Hector as previously mentioned.

[edit] looks like Ralph's out now as well

[Ravinous]

Ok - so last finisher went in between 10 and Claire so Claire Ward and all brits are plus 1 - as Ba-Ba comments.

In the guys, only 2 of the 6 qualified. Scott 19th and GG 18th at the mo with some finishers yet to come in maybe... Murray is 4 seconds slower than Ralph. But who will the selectors give the last WOC Sprint place to??

It is a Knock out sprint so only 5 of the 14 Brits get another race today. Sprint is the event we get the best results in. At World Cups of course the 6 top nations send 8 and the rest send 6. GBR qualify for 8 places only in the Womens. So we end up further down the results as better nations have more top people . At WOC we can get into that top 10 - 20 bracket with the occasional break into the top 10 as nations only send 3 + 3.
Arguably we dont have some of our best runners at NORT - maybe Craney, Oli J, (Speakey but currently injured, like others...) could well have done better!?? In the women's, these 8 are probably the best we have!?

How can we improve our Sprint results? Surely more than this should be qualifying in a standard urban with a small block of forest - Sprint? Finland has a specific Sprint National Team which focuses its athletes only on Sprint. Perhaps we should do this? Murray for example would be an ideal candidate for this - and I can think of others...

[Paul T]

Can anyone comment on how the Swiss organise their national team programme ? In terms of making the very best of a pool of talent, they seem to be the stand out team. And if the team is as well organised as their travelling WOC supporters (always the noisiest) , then their success is no surprise.

[andypat]

In the guys, only 2 of the 6 qualified. Scott 19th and GG 18th at the mo with some finishers yet to come in maybe... Murray is 4 seconds slower than Ralph. But who will the selectors give the last WOC Sprint place to??

It is a Knock out sprint so only 5 of the 14 Brits get another race today. Sprint is the event we get the best results in. At World Cups of course the 6 top nations send 8 and the rest send 6. GBR qualify for 8 places only in the Womens. So we end up further down the results as better nations have more top people . At WOC we can get into that top 10 - 20 bracket with the occasional break into the top 10 as nations only send 3 + 3.

How can we improve our Sprint results? Surely more than this should be qualifying in a standard urban with a small block of forest - Sprint? Finland has a specific Sprint National Team which focuses its athletes only on Sprint. Perhaps we should do this? Murray for example would be an ideal candidate for this - and I can think of others...

Thats a really good point about the differences in team numbers between this event and WOC. Means the results of likes of Murray and Ralph are maybe better than they look. Still a minute or so down on a podium though - which is a fair way in sprint. Be interesting to find out (if anyone knows) what sort of track speed the top guys have over the relevant distance in comparison to the likes of GG, Scotia and Murray. Do we need to run faster or thinkfaster (or both)?

Like the idea of a sprint specifc team but not sure we have the strength in depth. Would you include GG and Scotia - who arent sprint speciaslits but are the best sprinter?

Wouldnt like to ahve the job of picking the last sprint mens place for WOC after this result!!

[Ravinous]

What is a sprint specialist? If someone says persistently that they are not and are forest Middle/Long specialists, yet their best results come from Sprint..., are they in fact Sprint specialists? I am thinking mainly of Heather here whose only WOC medal was in Sprint. I am also thinking of GGs best ever result is his Urban Sprint World Cup Final Silver last year and Scotts European Silver in Sprint from 2008 - I would say this is better than 6th in WOC last year as the competition was tuffer and he ran the sprint 'without company'.
So of course those two need to be included.
Indeed I do not advocate having a GB Sprint Squad like Finland's which is very small. You can maybe select a small core who are semi-funded but the camps/weekends/training should be open to a much wider group. It is up to individuals to participate or not.
Making a wide and Open group, means you can pull in people from lower down the pyramid (or 'Athletes Development Pathway' if you like to over complicate things) and inspire, train, coach and develop them too. Our next Sprint podiums could come from anywhere, but not if we dont develop it.

Raw speed does not win a race. Just look at Carsten Jorgenson who never one an individual WOC Gold but started many an international race with the fastest running times on paper. Sprint racing is all about technique. Running technique and navigation technique. Eg acceleration and deceleration (speed control), speed round corners, picking good smooth lines, keeping out the water, off the gravel and on the tarmac, off steps, and lots and lots of things. Just like most thngs in life, these need training, discussing, thinking about, analysing. There has been some Sprint training in Sheffield which has been Open and this sort of thing should be repeated and developed.

Anyways, Quarter Final results out - looks like GG misses out (5th out of 6) and Scott goes through - 2nd in his Quarter Final.

[Gross]

Making a wide and Open group, means you can pull in people from lower down the pyramid (or 'Athletes Development Pathway' if you like to over complicate things) and inspire, train, coach and develop them too.

Sounds like a little organisation from some years ago.... or two actually... one being NEDS & the other known as GBR Squad

[Ravinous]

All 3 girls got knocked out in the Quarter Finals - Hollie 6/6, Claire 5/6, Sarah 4/6. Top 3 go through.
Watch the Semis and Final Live on SVT Play here from 1700 UK Time...

http://svtplay.se/v/2457489/orientering ... 21_6_18_05

[andypat]

Cheers Nick - will be heading off home a bit early to tune in.

Re definition of a "sprint specialist" - I bow to your better judgement of course, but I'd suggest that to be a "sprint specialist" you have to be prepared to sacrifice your performance in other disciplines to put all your efforts into sprint. I'm not sure I'd put GG or Scotia in that category at present, but I reckon Rocky might.

And of course you dont need to be an elite to be a sprint specialist......

[Kitch]

We have only one specialist and that is Murray, he is focussed on the sprint.

over the years most people have tried to get as many races as they can, presumably the logic here is "more races = more chances"

as opposed to "more focus = better chance"

people should focus more.

We have more men with a WOC relay medal (8 people 10 medals ) than individual medal (1 person 2 medals)
If you want a medal then focus on the relay.
The best individual discipline to back this up would then be the middle
Focus on the middle / relay combo.

well done the selectors this year, the boys have a chance to do well

(god forbid the Urban relay should ever take hold)