Nordics

[DIDSCO]

Why arn't there any British juniors running the Nordic Championships this week?

Looks like a big race opportunity missed for our best juniors.

[Mrs H]

It's the absolute thick of the exam season for anyone aged 16-20 if my household is anything to go by

[Scott]

Plus I imagine that the top 18s/20s are currently focussed on peaking for JWOC in four week's time; another big international competition might not be the best idea at this point.

[Gross]

Looks like Oli J as top Brit - just inside the top 30.

[mharky]

Aye, coz all those Scandi's running H/D20 aint going to be doing JWOC are they...

[Gross]

Who's the new backroom staff? Did BOF ever replace lead coach Mr Peel???

[Scott]

Still vacant, I believe. Last I heard was that none of the applicants they'd received were thought suitable for the job.

[DIDSCO]

Scott wrote "Plus I imagine that the top 18s/20s are currently focussed on peaking for JWOC in four week's time; another big international competition might not be the best idea at this point."


I would say totally the opposite, and see the Nordics as ideal race preperation for JWOC in 4 weeks time. The British juniors lack of big race experience and ability to orienteer cleanly under pressure is what always lets them down at JWOC. As Mharky pointed out, all the Scandinavians and Swiss running will also be at JWOC in 4 weeks time, and probably winning most of the medals.

Surely some of our top juniors were available? Were they given the option?

[greywolf]

sounds like the swedish juniors were there:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u ... uage_tools

although the "senior citizens" had mixed feelings...

"I did the world's idiotbom on the last loop in the nest. I was tired and saw schweiziskan Vroni König-Salmi protrude from the control as I would to. When I did not find the screen so irrade I just recklessly and was finally read me at a fluid-control on the road. That just does not make for a championship, sighs Helena, which lost over two minutes on the kitty and before that was second 20 minutes before the goal"

[Gross]

Looks like the Relays today are a bit of a no-no for Team GB. Men's GB1 14th and Women's GB 2 12th

Mind you it was always said that the standard at the Nordics is much higher than at WOC because of the number of Scandis allowed to run.

[graeme]

Mind you it was always said that the standard at the Nordics is much higher than at WOC because of the number of Scandis allowed to run.

Scandis aren't saying that now though...

"Nordic" Men's classic..

1. Daniel Hubmann Switzerland SUI 1.24.53
2. Matthias Merz Switzerland SUI 1.25.11 +18
3. Thierry Gueorgiou France FRA 1.26.04 +1.11

[DIDSCO]

Speaky ran good in the relay today + Helen B was solid on the 1st leg for the girls 2nd team. Scott ran ok considering he started a bit off the pace.
Otherwise the runners have got to be dissapointed........but the good thing is theres another race on Tuesday, we've probably got our best podium chances, and I can watch it live on TV Come on Britain!

I'd still like to see Heather Munro take on the coaching job, but maybe she's still 'mammaledig'?

[Duncan]

If anyone wants some entertainment, check out the GPS tracking from the Nordics. Firstly its really impressive to see some of the leading runners spiking control after control in tricky terrain..... but then check out 3rd leg in the M21 relay. Keep an eye on NOR3 (Lucasen) and FIN2 (Föhr), 5th and 6th place en route to the penultimate control, before spending several minutes way off the map. Föhr works it out first, then Lucasen a bit later to finally finish 13th, only seconds ahead of GBR1 (Scott), DEN3 and GBR2 (Dan). Happens to the best of them!

[ba-ba]

WoO have a collection of the 'best' mistakes for those that haven't seen it already.
Whatever happened to checking your compass! Unless there's big lumps of metal about the terrain.

I do like the 2 Hubmann errors - just the 10 and 15 seconds lost, although my favorite is Kaas's on the northern butterfly loop - you can't even follow the tractrac he went round in circles so much!!

[Lard]

Why arn't there any British juniors running the Nordic Championships this week?

Looks like a big race opportunity missed for our best juniors.

Hi Dids.
The GB team were asked if they would like to attend this year - on a self-help basis joining ad making use of the senior team support and facilities where possible.
Unfortunately, these Nordics fall right in the middle of school exams and tail end of Uni exams, one very keen athlete had been ill and not yet fit enough. To sum up. The opportunity was there but the timing wasn't the best. Had anyone committed to going we would have done our best to support them.

Yes, you are right, a great racing opportunity missed.