BJesus

[gross2006]

IOF Rule 6.2 can be read both ways in my mind.... i.e. it does say you need a passport but can also be read to say you don't

[candyman]

sorry i should have said "what's all this passport jobby?"

Anyway off to the servo then down to the bottle-o to pick up some long necks.

[Guest]

you can get just about anything at the servo these days.

Gareth shouldn't you be making some important decisions about certain junior elite's holiday plans instead of banging on like a dunny door?

I do not think alcohol will improve your ability to make decisions...

[Hammer]

I believe it was about 10-12 years ago that the passport holding rule came into play. There was a lot of movement of elite runners between countries. In the early 1990's I am certain that a person with Canadian "Landed Immigrant" status could run for Canada. Landed Immigrant status is shall we say part way to becoming a Canadian - you must wait at least 3 years after being landed immigrant to become Canadian but it is just a time residency thing. There are several European born Canadian landed immigrants that we would love to have race for Canada now but because they require the passport they must wait. In many other countries the status
of our 'landed immigrant' would be considered a citizen (since you can vote in elections, get
government assistance etc.)

If the rules hadn't changed then Katarina Smith (nee Allberg) could run for Canada today!

[Lil' God'rs]

http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/asp/news.asp?news=O

[Guest]

Its more a case of what the Australians - in terms of developing the sport domestically -have failed to do in order to provide him and the likes with the support they require to make the top. I think instead of sounding off they should be a little more circumspect about their own short comings and learn from it.

Respectfully Mrs H, I think you should not comment on things you know nothing about. You have no idea how difficult it is to compete internationally in what is essentially a European sport from the other side of the world. I suggest your country would have similar "problems" if government funding of your federation was at the level of what Orienteering Australia receives, and you had to travel to the other side of the world for 95% of your international competition. If the Australian system has shortcomings, then I wonder how come they can produce a 19 y.o. that finishes 6th in the World Championships this year? (Hanny Allston - classic)

Rob Crawford
President
NZ Orienteering Federation

[Guest]

Well spotted lil Godders. I've just seen it too. Congrats to everyone at all levels, especially newbies

[Mrs H.]

Well Rob, all you've really said there is I'm right - you have the athletes but you can't project them on to the world stage because you have been unable to get the rsources to do so - you just don't want someone like me saying it.

[candyman]

Well Rob, all you've really said there is I'm right - you have the athletes but you can't project them on to the world stage because you have been unable to get the rsources to do so - you just don't want someone like me saying it.

You might care to notice that not only has Australia developed such orieteering talent as BJ, Hanny and Julian but we also manage to send full teams to WOC and JWOC every year, unlike many European countries. I doubt we would have regular training camps in Europe even with BOF's lotteries funding resources when it costs $2500 (1000 pounds) for each airfare to Europe, so instead we run them in Australia. Yes we have a different system, Yes it doesn't suit as well an athlete in BJ's position and Yes we could do better with more funding but I would compare the success of our programs, particularly in value for money to GB's any day.

I get the impression that you are just stirring jobby to get a reaction. You also might have noticed that Rob is the president of the New Zealand orienteering federation, not Australia, they are in fact two seperate countries and two seperate federations.

Seeing as Great Britain usually tries to copy Australia's highly successful elite sports programs, and recruit most of their top sports administrators from Australia, don't be too surprised if lotteries funding is soon not available to minor sports like orienteering.

[mharky]

Mrs H, yet again you are butting into a discussion for which you have absolutely no knowledge. You know nothing about British Elite orienteering, let alone Australian Elite orienteering. Hush woman.

[Guest]

I don't mind anyone saying anything as long as it's not done in complete ignorance.

And why is it a country such as Australia is "unable to get the resources" required? Could it be that the "resources required" are far greater for a country like Australia than your own? It's not as if the Australian junior squad can just pop over the North Sea and spend a weekend training in Halden (noted ironically with an Australian senior) is it?
Could it be that different countries in the world have different priorities when it comes to government spending? Despite Australia's reputation as a sporting nation, their government funding of sport is at lower levels when compared to UK, both in absolute terms and on a per capita basis.

Sport is never a level-playing field. I'm not complaining about that fact, but neither do I think it is right for someone to criticise without foundation, or suggest there are shortcomings in a country which I suspect you have very little knowledge about when it comes to their Orienteering.

Rob Crawford

[fell]

Also note-
it is not just travelling distances to international competition that is a problem. Competing in the elite domestic scene is not a very practical option for the poorly student.

eg. The National Champs next year will be a few thousand kms away, and unless I suddenly get rich quick (which I am hoping is the case), I will not be able to compete.

[gross2003]

Me keep quite.. Oz & NZ orienteering are great... GB can learn lots..... Oz can learn lots NZ can learn lots... everyone can learn lots from each other.. interaction is the key...

Why even learn from the Eassties... why not:)

[awk]

Respect to David - it must have been a tough decision. I look forward to cheering on a man who has as much British blood in him as many of us (I only wish he'd done it earlier - that fantastic day in Battersea Park would have been even better!)

My sympathies lie with the Aussies: it must be very difficult to try and balance the books and needs of their athletes if funding is so short. As a Brit, I know how galling it has been when British sportsmen and women have decided to run for other countries (or when English have decided to become Scottish ). I think we Brits need to be a bit circumspect in our comments - we are extremely lucky that current funding is relatively so good. It's not always been that way, and could easily go backwards in future, particularly as 2012 starts to eat into the system.

(BTW, I say lucky, and there has been a strong element of luck in it, but it has also been well ridden, and has been the result of a huge amount of work there from those involved in BOF).

[Mrs H.]

Your right - I am ignorant about elite orienteering - and what is more I don't even care along with a significant majority of other ordinary orienteers - but it doesn't mean I can't see there is more here than meets the eye and being curious. BJ had already moved to Scandi - along with a lot of other top orienteers from all over, and appears to have been training with other national squads - so to a certain extent had levelled his own playing field and yet he has still chosen to shift his allegiance.
As for Government funding - well we know it's hard - and will get harder in the light of 2012 - so we musy look elsewhere if necessary - and that probably starts a long way from your dizzy elite heights - probably somewhere down where I am trying to build the broad base of the pyramid which you aspire to get to the top of - so don't rubbish me or you may find yourselves undermined. If you don't want comments and observations from the likes of me then don't debate this in a public forum set up your own private one - and since when did ignorance ever stop anyone commenting on things. Besides - compared to some of the bile that has poured forth from both sides of the globe on this subject, I fail to see how my observations were offensive.