JWOC

[Lard]

The French guys seem to be cramming in well!
(Hopefully this will jinx them instead;-)

[Lard]

Mmm, top 30 perhaps.
I don't think Jonny will be happy with that.

[buzz]

Mmmm, I'm saying nothing from now on - I seem to be jinxing folk!

No, keep it up - I keep trying to dip in to the live results but your summaries really help.

Disappointing results so far except perhaps Peter in the long. No one seems to be able to pull off a clean run when it matters. Fingers crossed for the sprint and relay.

[Ravinous]

Mmm, top 30 perhaps.
I don't think Jonny will be happy with that.

But actually, he qualified in 10th place so actually, it was a par performance for how he is performing in this terrain, at the moment.
I wonder how many training sessions he has had preparing for the middle in this type of terrain? (And I don't mean in the UK.) Was he on a pre-JWOC camp for 10 days in Czech last summer (same vegetation and heat) like the Swedes were? How did they do (top 3 and 5 in the top 12). They knew the score.
Just look at the map - does it scream 'All or nothing approach needed here?' Who is telling him this?
6 athletes made the A finals last year, 4 this year.
1st and 2nd in the heats for the top 2 girls, 19th and 21st in the Finals. There are some issues which need to be addressed which obviously haven't/aren't being... Great for Lucy to improve on her Final result of 36th last year but if she can win the heat.... Charlotte was 9th last year...
Orienteering is a mental sport. If you cant win the battle of your mind, it is irrelevant how good your running skills are.

[PhilJ]

Couldn't agree more, a few years ago I went to the Czech 5 day and earlier this year gave my maps to one of the girls who is attending jwoc to get an idea of the courses, terrain etc, my advice to her was, forests are clean, green is green, maps are excellent, very rocky terrain, micro nav needed, route choices will make all the difference, lots of climb etc...and looking at maps and courses they reflected the Czech 5 day I went to...so why did BO not take the top 30 ranked boys and girls to last years Czech 5 day for experience, self funded obviously? Next year jwoc is in Bulgaria, looks like already missed the Bulgaria 5 day in May, where again the top 30 ranked juniors should have gone, jwoc 2015 is in Norway. So instead of the laganllia or aviemore tours get the juniors overseas to multi day events in preparation for jwoc. If you take the top 30 that will surely enthuse them to a) try to get on the tour in the first place and b) motivate them to try and be 1 of the 6 boys and girls who get selected for jwoc.

Talent squad managers need to start thinking more imaginatively.

It's left to the squad coaches to get the juniors overseas (scots/welsh/nwoc etc) and Ravinous for experience.

[buzz]

Just look at the map - does it scream 'All or nothing approach needed here?' Who is telling him this?

I saw the 'all or nothing' comment and couldn't believe it. I suspect the Talent Squad coaches are feeding him this kind of rubbish.

As a coach of one of the team I've found much of what I've worked on over the years is being undone by this kind of advice from the Talent Squad. Its not clear to me whether the coaches just don't understand elite sport and orienteering in particular or whether they're looking at their own short term interests and hoping that someone gets lucky on the day. Either way it doesn't bode well for long term development of our athletes.

[Spookster]

Sprint underway. Women are GPS tracked live. Interesting map and course, but I'd say there are plenty of opportunities for collisions on narrow stairways around the old city

[buzz]

A course of two halves!

Good luck to team GB.

[Lard]

No sign of Butt. Sitting it out for the relay?
If so, Charlotte may choose to do so too....

[Spookster]

No sign of Butt. Sitting it out for the relay?
If so, Charlotte may choose to do so too....

Yes, see @ButtLucy on twitter, she's skipping sprint.

Adam has lost some time early on, but Aidan is going well at radio 1.

[buzz]

Aidans right up there through the easy stuff - hopefully planning ahead for the tricky bit - go Aidan!

[buzz]

Aidan's lost nearly a minute to the second radio

[Lard]

Anyone know why Ian Lawford is Dsq. Shame.

[Spookster]

Aidan and Adam about the same split to the second radio.

And Charlotte is running... just started.

Anyone know why Ian Lawford is Dsq. Shame.

It was a stunning time, but no idea... perhaps missed one?

[buzz]

Good start from Charlotte....