The winning or the taking part?

[gross2004]

Methinks the weather must be hot & steamy in Edinburgh just now... only explanation for Graemes thoughts that you can in any way compare a performance in a World Championships to a performance in a GB National Event... even if it was a selection race.

Athletes prepare mentally & physically for major races... some are better than others. From seeing some athletes in stressful race conditions you can say almost from the outset that person X isn't going to perform as well as thier potential.

Finishing in top 40 at WOC is a great result....... remember you are racing against the top runners from 25 countries or so... not just the 60 or so 'elite' who enter GB National events.

[Kitch]

OK

I've been holding off , but I'm gonna do it...sorry

Having done both, which means more to me now ?

Winning BEOC, particularly the second time.
first time was out of the blue, second time was targeted to show the first was no fluke.

Why ? because in winning BEOC I beat everyone, I prepared, the pressure was on, no-one thought I could do it - so I did.

Why not WOC ? I dissapointed myself.

I haven't voted
but what would I want to do now ?
Get to WOC and get a good result, a top 10.
but only because it isn't on my CV.

for those that voted get to WOC - if you can't win BEOC, and against every top British orienteer you would be going to WOC to make up the numbers - wasting your time.
WHich is one reason why I believe that BEOC should be contested by every top British orienteer, because it forms a real, valid, achievable stepping stone towards international success.
As things stand that opportunity, that confidence boosting stepping stone, is being denied to British orienteers.

The need for a progression path of success and confidence is not sufficiently recognised. It starts way, way down the pecking order, way below BEOC, but get it right and it ends on the WOC podium.
There is too much focus on WOC / JWOC for people who have never really won anything.
Everyone wants to run before they can crawl

[graeme]

Finishing in top 40 at WOC is a great result....... remember you are racing against the top runners from 25 countries or so... not just the 60 or so 'elite' who enter GB National events.

Nonsense.

Finishing 40th at WOC03 was Canadian Nick Duca over 28 minutes down. In North America I regularly beat Nick Duca, and I reckon I would have be capable of finishing 28 minutes down (in a UK perspective 20 minutes behind Dan Marston).

Which of the 20 people I named above can you imagine saying "Yeah, I had a great run, only 20minutes down on the top Brit"?

Graeme

[gross2004]

What you are saying then is that you were / are capable of being number 3 ranked GBR runner at WOC having come through the qualifying rounds & got your mental & physical preperation correct on the day??

Seems like to achieve that you should regularly be featuring in the top half dozen or so runners at GBR elite events including selection races.... I don't think I'll check those results out:)

[Steve O]

I voted to rather take part in WOC.

I don't stand a chance of doing either but the thought of actually going to the world champs is very exciting, especially if its somewhere like Japan. Nice as Lossie was there isn't really much of a contest when it comes to winning there or going to Japan, even if I were to get whipped and the achievement is probably not so great.
I think that's why going to WOC is leading, it's seen as the pinnacle, where you get a chance to run against the very best and represent your country in a foreign land.

[graeme]

What you are saying then is that you were / are capable of being number 3 ranked GBR runner at WOC having come through the qualifying rounds & got your mental & physical preperation correct on the day??

No, I'm saying that even I am capable of what you describe as a "great performance" - finishing 20 minutes down on the top Brit.

Seems like to achieve that you should regularly be featuring in the top half dozen or so runners at GBR elite events including selection races.... I don't think I'll check those results out:)

Those results will confirm what I'm telling you - there are plenty of people capable of finishing 20minutes down on the top Brit. Its much, much harder to get on the team than to finish 40th at WOC.

Now answer my question:

Which of the 20 people I named above can you imagine saying "Yeah, I had a great run, only 20minutes down on the top Brit"?