Junior TioMila - GB Start take BRONZE & 4th places

[Ravinous]

In dry and mild conditions, at the end of Halden 2009 (2 week BOF Junior tour), GB Start had 2 teams running in this prestigious event, held just outside of Tranemo, near Ulricehamn - one in both the girls (5 legs) and the open (10 legs). At approximately 0815 this morning, Charlotte Watson from WCOC led the team home, out running 2 teams who she was just behind at the map exchange on the final loop. I am almost certain the girls have never come this high before (90 teams entered - Tullinge SK, Stockholm won)
Approximatlely 10 minutes later, Jonny Crickmore SO came in for the guys team (which actually had one leg with 2 girls on it) in 5th place. After some confusion, a Finnish team in third was disqualified and 4th place was awarded. I think this equals our previous best (? - we have certainly come 5th before).
Tremendous performances from many of GBs top year 16s and bottom year 18s (& Rob Gardner - top year 18!) Check out these results...
http://www.u10mila.se/default.asp?page=resultat&year=2009
Athletes are all currently travelling home and all but 2 will be at the Scottish 6 days.
Well done.

[bendover]

quality! well done GB Juniors.

[JennyJ]

That's a great result!! I remember we came 5th in 1996 and won a basketball each...

[Gross]

That's a great result!! I remember we came 5th in 1996 and won a basketball each...

Were you out of nappies in 1996???????

PS - good result

[DIDSCO]

They are the best placings ever by a GB/England team at the U-Tiomila. Great results well done

It's worth noting that Jenny's team that came 5th in 1996 was just 6min down on the leaders, with almost double as many competing teams as 2009. A fantastic result also that they never dropped out of the top 5 throughout the whole race.
In 1989 the British girls were just 2½mins down on the winners but in 6th place

The previous best boys result was back in 1986, with a 6th place and 17mins down.
The closest timewise we've been to winning was in 1994, where we were 9 minutes down on the winners and came 12th, I was lucky enough to run last leg that day, and got taught a lesson in orienteering by a nerdy looking short guy in glasses that turned out to be Jani Lakanen!

[JennyJ]

we were all 1st/2nd yr W17s (so 18s now I guess) though

did they win some cool prizes this year?

[Adrian]

Excellent results indeed.

I couldn't help LOL-ing when I clicked on this page... http://www.u10mila.se/default.asp?page=video

[fish]

Dids / Jenny - that took me back to 95/96 and memories of good runs both times.

First time round on leg 4, picking up a few places on a good run (somewhat helped by a finnish runner who might have had the same gaffle!)
Then in 96 I got to run last leg, and ended up in a head to head with OK Hallen, who Louis Goffe had run for earlier, and who had been spouting on about how they'd beat us! Well, in the end I got the better of their last leg runner, and came in 20 seconds up - looking back it turns out it was one of the few times I'd beat that orienteer - it was Peter Oberg!


Aah for looking back at the halcyon days of youth!

[Ravinous]

Girls won Orange fluffy feeces, Boys won sunglasses.

3 of the girls were top year 16s, other 2 were bottom year 18s. Meaning that if the same team went next year, we'd have a better chance of winning!

Similar with the boys - mix of top year 16s and bottom year 18s, plus we have Kirsty Coombs and Sophie Kirk in the 'boys' team. I dont think many of the top teams in the boys (who all looked to have 'big strapping lads) ran any girls!

Despite being a National Team racing principally Swedish and Finnish clubs, we were a 'younger' team than most.
It was good to see the Juniors fullfil and realise their abilities. So often a disaster or 2 (like in 2007 - boys mispunched) ruins what would be a good result/performance. Of course we had a few problems - eg. Katrin Harding sprained ankle badly towards end and had to hobble in) but they battled to the finish - and this, after a hard 2 weeks training and racing, culminating in 16's - Jonny Crickmore and Aine McCann winning H/D18L at Gransjakten 2 day in torrential weather on Thursday night.