WOC Relay

[Scott]

Johansson has "got a stick in his leg". Thierry and Smola waiting with him, Nordberg ran to the finish to get help.

[geomorph]

Reported that: -

News that Martin Johansson SWE was injured in forest and Anders Nordberg and Thierry Gueorgiou have stopped to help him. He has a bad leg injury.

And this is why Orienteering is best sport - who else stops at a WC when a competitor is injured. Well done AN/TG/MS

[EddieH]

So 1 gold medal potential injures, and 3 other medal placed teams abandon their runs. Goodness that says a lot for these guys. It leaves me with very mixed feelings and will no doubt be the cause of much debate.

[Gross]

GBR finish 9th.... outsprinted on run in ...

But the IOF should give the 3 guys that stopped a medal of some description !!! And lets hope the Swede from Mora is ok !

[EddieH]

I honestly don't know what I'd do in a similar position, but I am cetain that if I had a bad but non life threatening injury so close to the end I would want the others to finish then report my position for the rescue. I know it would be very hard for them to concentrate.

Elite bashers should note the massive selfless behaviour of these guys.

[Scott]

A twig through the thigh could result in quite severe bloodloss. [Edit: apparently Johansson is safely on his way to hospital.]

Particularly selfless behaviour from Thierry after last year.

[geomorph]

I honestly don't know what I'd do in a similar position, but I am cetain that if I had a bad but non life threatening injury so close to the end I would want the others to finish then report my position for the rescue. I know it would be very hard for them to concentrate.

Elite bashers should note the massive selfless behaviour of these guys.

Three times I've had others stop to check out my disabling injury and the hardest thing was to get them to get back on their way - I knew I could get back. Maybe a stick in the leg lead to a need to stem blood flow, so staying put was truly the right thing to do

[King Penguin]

Truely noble of those that stopped to help. With all the bad news in the world it restores one's faith in human nature. Will the first 3 finishers match up to this standard and decline the medals ? Will the "result" be annulled or allowed to stand ?

[mikey]

I honestly don't know what I'd do in a similar position, but I am cetain that if I had a bad but non life threatening injury so close to the end I would want the others to finish then report my position for the rescue.

"Martin is a tough guy but when he is crying like a baby it is not a good sign" Thierry interview.

[Tatty]

I hope somebody in authority notifies the British press and brings up the despicable behaviour of Harlequins RFC as a comparison (also Bristol city players playing on after they had conceeded a goal) with the behaviour of these 3 runners.
These guys are such a credit to themselves and our sport

[Becks]

The quotes from the Thierry interview on World Of O are wonderful "Martin was obviously not so fit this year, we tried to carry him but he was too heavy."

He's in hospital now, but Swiss reports say he was unconscious for a short time. The "Three Musketeers" got a standing ovation on finishing.

The three medallists are discussing not accepting their medals.

What a lovely bunch of people!

[ba-ba]

TG's quotes are hilarious. Something about only having a bike this year, when last year he got a helicopter...

[EddieH]

I guess the screaming would me stop, but I'd be useless with the injury - I'd faint - run straight to the finish for rescue though - that I could do.

[Mrs H]

Eddie - I don;t think you'd have had any difficulty in coming to the right decision under these circumstances - you'd have to be a psychopath to ignore someone in that level of distress - it must have looked pretty terrible and I bet Nordberg broke several records running back to get help. These guys knew what they had to do and probably never had a question mark in their head.

I think in some ways if the medalists step off the podium out of respect theirs' will have been the harder decision to take - but I really hope they take it.

[Gross]

I think they should accept their medals.... they cannot determine what happens to others in the forests (if the Swiss had had a better leg 1 & 2 it could have been them stopping).... otherwise it could be argued that GB should not have accepted the medal last year..... BUT... the IOF should give some kind of award to the runners who pulled out!!!

Jo Stevenson got some kind of award when she stopped in Jukola/Venela or Tio Mila some years ago for the same reason..........