Who is the champion?

[graeme]

Angela,
Please don't take it personally, I'm only using Scottish sprints as an illustration of the more general case. So we should perhaps make it clear that for this particular event the rules weren't clear and that that was my fault. (and its also my job to fix it)

[andypat]

Ah...
Angela = Frog
Now you need one of those super-injunction thingys!

[frog]

Injunction? Didn't realise I had that scary a reputation.

[Adventure Racer]

I think the same goes if men's and women's courses are combined. If a woman beats the men she should also get the mens prize.

I once won a prize for first man. Quite proud of having beaten all the other men taking part in a very long tough race. IIRC the first women's prize was a bit better than what I got

[keever]

I once won a prize for first man. Quite proud of having beaten all the other men taking part in a very long tough race. IIRC the first women's prize was a bit better than what I got

Good effort , although if I'd been dishing out the prizes you would've taken both.

[Adventure Racer]

I once won a prize for first man. Quite proud of having beaten all the other men taking part in a very long tough race. IIRC the first women's prize was a bit better than what I got

Good effort , although if I'd been dishing out the prizes you would've taken both.

I think you misunderstand my point - I am a man, if you were dishing out the prizes I'd have only got 2nd.

[keever]

I think you misunderstand my point - I am a man, if you were dishing out the prizes I'd have only got 2nd.

Oops , I should have realised when you said "other men". Never mind. And yes, you would have only got 2nd. Although I do remember reading that when it comes to very long races it might not actually be a disadvantage being a woman and possibly an advantage (but vaguely remember reading later that this was complete rubbish), so maybe I would be wrong to give you 2nd.
But anyway in terms of orienteering I think most would agree that the men's class should be the open class with either gender free to compete.

Do people not feel embarrassed going up to collect a trophy when they know they've been beaten by a better orienteer who happened to enter an older age class? I know I would.

Just remembered I have won a prize as 1st man in a small road race even though I was 2nd to a 15 year old lad, and I was embarrassed (seeing him sat there, knowing what he's thinking). But as the prize was a bottle of wine I didn't feel it would be responsible to hand it over .

[Adventure Racer]

Although I do remember reading that when it comes to very long races it might not actually be a disadvantage being a woman and possibly an advantage

Given it wasn't the first time she'd beaten the men (and had at one point held the absolute records on some long distance challenges, which ought to give quite a big clue who I'm referring to - she's far better known than I am) I certainly wasn't at all embarrassed at accepting the first men's prize!