The Australian Orienteer – September 2021

SEPTEMB ER 2 0 2 1

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ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA

The Chairman’s Page MIKE DOWLING – BOARD CHAIRMAN, ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA

A

fter a most successful Easter 3 Days, the COVID-19 pandemic has again impacted on our capacity to conduct our sport. As I write this column NSW and QLD are in lockdown, and the New Zealand authorities have implemented an 8 week quarantine against travel across the Tasman. Our already postponed national championships carnival from 2020 scheduled for Tasmania at the end of September will be impacted. It is highly unlikely we will have a New Zealand contingent being able to travel as well as some States not being able to enter Tasmania. The only basis now for the Championships week to not go ahead though is if the Tasmanian State Government imposes restrictions that will prevent the Championships week from being able to proceed.

It is not feasible to postpone these Championships once again. It is hoped that the COVID situation will improve to allow a reasonable level of participation. The Tasmanian organisers have a strong COVID safe plan in place to provide as safe an environment as possible for participants. The OA Board continues to monitor the situation and work closely with the Tasmanian organising committee to ensure a safe Championships week.

Speaking of the impact of the COVID pandemic on our sport, the IOF were able to hold the World Championships in the Czech Republic in early July. Unfortunately, it was the first time since the early 70’s that no Australian representation was present. A highlight of the World Championships for those of us in this part of the world was the bronze medal for New Zealand’s Tim Robertson in a most technically challenging Sprint in the grounds of an old castle. Unfortunately, the IOF subsequently reported about a dozen COVID19 cases from the conduct of the Championships.

The new OA Board has now well settled into our work. We have several participation focused projects in place, many of which are in partnership with member States, as a result of support from Sport Australia. One of the more important projects is to continue to

develop Eventor to further improve its usability for new orienteering participants and to make it easier for event organisers to readily input accurate result data across the diversity of event types we run across Australia. Having accurate member and participation data is fundamental in being able to know how our sport is progressing and to be able to acquit funding support provided by Sport Australia.

The Board has formed a small working group to develop a new strategic plan for Australian orienteering for the period 2022-2024. It is anticipated this will be shared with member States in the coming months for consultation and feedback.

The other major work in progress is the implementation of a new coaching framework. This has been a major undertaking, led by Brodie Nankervis. The Board thanks Brodie for his brilliant work in re-framing what coaching can look like for Australian orienteering.

Following feedback from a reference group and Sport Australia, the Board has signed off on the framework at its most recent meeting and has formed a small working group under the leadership of Hanny Allston to move the framework into the implementation phase.

The OA Board has been conducting monthly hook-ups with our member States on a needs basis. At our last meeting, we have agreed upon a framework for a unified national membership model such that we will have a consistency of membership types across Australia.

A working group has been formed to finalise the details of the new model with a view to implement the new model for the 2022 year.

From a personal standpoint, I am delighted that we are moving towards a unified national membership structure. We are a small sport in the greater context of Australian sport and it makes no sense for us to have different membership models across each State.

In closing, stay safe, get your COVID vaccination when you can and, when you get the chance wherever you are, get out and enjoy all that our fantastic sport has to offer.

Time for a new Editor All Editors to date have been ‘original orienteers’ from the days when Orienteering was becoming established in Victoria and had still to spread to other States. David Hogg and Michael Hubbert both competed in (and finished) the inaugural Upper Beaconsfield event in 1969, while Ian Baker joined the Orienteering scene soon after.

It’s been 17 years since I took on the Editor role and I’ve enjoyed every moment. However, it is probably time to hand over the baton to a new and younger Editor who may have some different ideas on the direction the magazine should follow. I’m happy to carry on until a new Editor can be found so, if any of you out there in Orienteering Land are interested in the role, please get in contact with me (Michael Hubbert).

EDITOR 2021 – ?

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 3

ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA

The future of volunteering in sport MATTHEW DUNSTAN GENERAL MANAGER, ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA

S

ince joining Orienteering Australia, one of the things that has stood out to me is the passion and the commitment to the sport made by so many volunteers across Australia.

It has been refreshing to see the collaboration and discussions between States and Territories, the willingness to share ideas and knowledge with the well-being of Orienteering being at the centre of discussions.

Over the years there have been many discussions among academics and politicians around the world of the role that sport plays in the wider community. You may have seen some of this in discussions around the running of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo as the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.

One thing that all researchers and politicians agree on is that sport could not have become so firmly enriched within the social fabric of Australia without volunteers. It is estimated that volunteers are worth $4 billion per year in labour costs.

Volunteers are the backbone of sport at all levels - from the Chair of Orienteering Australia and of the States and Territories, from coaches to Club Presidents to the volunteers that man the BBQ at a Bunnings fundraiser and everything in between. The case for volunteers is simple - we could not do anything without you - so thank you!

In July, Sport Australia released a new framework to help sport at all levels address the new challenges being faced in a changing world - the impacts of busier lives, a desire for more flexibility, access and use of technology and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have created a series of challenges that sporting organisations and clubs face in attracting and retaining volunteers. The likelihood that many volunteers will not return in a post-pandemic world is a significant risk to sport.

The framework has a focus on five key areas:

• Make it feel like I belong: volunteers need to see themselves reflected and included in sport volunteering. All types of people, whether they are younger, older, passionate about sport, belong to a cultural group, a job seeker or a retiree, need to see that they belong. Sport volunteering needs to be a place for inclusivity where everyone feels accepted and they have something to contribute and gain.

• Make it easy to get involved: It needs to be easy to find sport volunteering opportunities, and signing up to get involved. Signing up should require no prior connection to the club. It should be easy to start, stop, change roles, and recommence volunteering depending on what else is going on in the volunteer’s life.

4 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

• Tailor roles to my needs: Sport volunteering opportunities need to be aligned to the needs and expectations of individuals.

Volunteers should be able to participate in a way that fits with their circumstances and motivations, and makes use of their skills and experience.

• Support me: Sport volunteers should feel confident about what they are meant to be doing. They should have the training, tools and support to do the role, and achieve their personal goals e.g. social connection, altruistic outcomes.

• Create value for me, the club, the community: Sport volunteering should create value at the volunteer, club and community levels.

Volunteers should have a clear understanding of how their work is contributing to the club’s strategic objectives, and to broader social outcomes (such as mental health, or community cohesion). At the same time, volunteers need to feel as though their own personal motivations for getting involved are being fulfilled.

To help plan for the future and to ensure we are working to include volunteers effectively, Orienteering Australia are keen to establish a working group to review the current situation within the sport, understand the challenges our volunteers face at the local level through to the national level and look at what the future of volunteering looks like within Orienteering.

It doesn’t matter if you currently volunteer - it could be a good place to start, it doesn’t matter your age or where you live, if you have an interest in volunteering and would like to help design the future, I would love to hear from you.

If you would like to read the Sport Australia report, put your hand up to join our Volunteering in Orienteering Working Group, or would like to reach out, please don’t hesitate to reach out - my email address is gm@orienteering.asn.au

w w w. o r i e n t e e r i n g . a s n . a u PO Box 3379, North Strathfield, NSW 2137 Chair & Director – International (IOF) Director – Finance Director – Technical Director – at large Director – Secretary Director – Operations & MTBO Director – Coaching Executive Officer OA Head Coach OA Assistant Head Coach High Performance Administrator Manager Coaching Development Anti Doping Medical Officer Editor OA Enews National Sporting Schools Coordinator Coach & Controller Accreditation Badge Applications

Mike Dowling international@orienteering.asn.au Richard Mountstephens finance@orienteering.asn.au Jenny Casanova technical@orienteering.asn.au Bill Jones bill@orienteering.asn.au Andrew Lumsden andrew.l@orienteering.asn.au Craig Steffens craig.s@orienteering.asn.au Hanny Allston hanny@orienteering.asn.au Matthew Dunstan gm@orienteering.asn.au Natasha Key headcoach@orienteering.asn.au Jim Russell assistantheadcoach@orienteering.asn.au Fredrik Johansson hpadmin@orienteering.asn.au Brodie Nankervis coaching@orienteering.asn.au Mark Freeman markfreeman@hotmail.com Linda Burridge oa_enews@orienteering.asn.au Jim Mackay sportingschools@orienteering.asn.au Jim Mackay accreditation@orienteering.asn.au John Oliver 68 Amaroo Street, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650

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STATE ASSOCIATIONS Orienteering Queensland: PO Box 114 Spring Hill QLD 4004. Secretary: David Firman secretary@oq.asn.au Orienteering NSW: PO Box 3379 North Strathfield NSW 2137. Admin Officer: John Murray, Ph. (02) 8736 1252 admin@onsw.asn.au Orienteering ACT: PO Box 402 Jamison Centre ACT 2614. Secretary: Stephen Goggs, Ph. (02) 6162 3422 office@act.orienteering.asn.au Orienteering Victoria: PO Box 1010 Templestowe VIC 3106. Secretary: Aislinn Prendergast secretary@vicorienteering.asn.au Orienteering SA: 1 Windsor Rd, Glenside SA 5065. Sec: Erica Diment 0408 852 313 secretary@sa.orienteering.asn.au Orienteering Western Australia: PO Box 234 Subiaco WA 6904. Secretary: Ceri Pass, oawa.secretary@gmail.com Orienteering Tasmania: Secretary: Julian Roscoe secretary@tasorienteering.asn.au Top End Orienteers (Northern Territory): PO Box 39152 Winnellie NT 0821. Secretary: Susanne Casanova topendorienteersNT@gmail.com

NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE

October 15. Time-sensitive: Oct 22

ISSN 0818-6510 Issue 3/21 (no. 202) SEPTEMBER 2021

The national magazine of Orienteering Australia Inc. ABN 77 406 995 497 Published four times a year: First day of March, June, September, December. Print Post Approved PP 236080/00011, (100023602 for NSW).

Editor: Michael Hubbert, P.O. Box 165, Warrandyte, Victoria 3113 mikehubbert@ozemail.com.au Phone (03) 9844 4878 Magazine Design & Assembly: Peter Cusworth, Ph. 0409 797 023 pcusworth53@gmail.com Printer: Ferntree Print, 1154 Burwood Hwy Upper Ferntree Gully.

Contribution deadline: October 15; Time-sensitive – October 22.

Deadline dates for contributions are the latest we can accept copy.

Publication is normally planned for the 1st of March, June, September & December. Copies are dispatched in bulk to State associations in the week prior to that date.

Regular Contributors: Competition – Blair Trewin; Official News – Paul Prudhoe; MTBO – Contributions welcome, either directly or via State editorial contacts.

Prior consultation is suggested before preparing major contributions.

Guidelines available from the editor or from state contacts.

State Editorial Contacts QLD: Liz Bourne – batmaps.liz@gmail.com NSW: Ian Jessup – marketing@onsw.asn.au ACT: John Scown – scown@light.net.au SA: Erica Diment – ericadiment@adam.com.au – tel: 0408 852 313 VIC, WA and TAS – vacant Subscriptions: State Association members via State Associations. Contact relevant Association Secretary for details. Other subscribers: Write to The Australian Orienteer, PO‑Box 165, Warrandyte, Vic. 3113. Within Australia: $40 pa. Overseas: Asia/Pacific (inc. NZ) $A49, Rest of World $A58 pa.

Delivery is airmail, there is no seamail option. Please send payment in Australian dollars by bank draft or international postal order, or pay direct

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Subscription renewals (direct subscriptions only). The number in the top right-hand corner of the address label indicates the final issue in your current subscription.

Opinions expressed in The Australian Orienteer are not necessarily those of Orienteering Australia.

CONTENTS T H E C H A I R M A N ’ S PA G E.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 G E N E R A L M A N A G E R ’ S PA G E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2022 AUSTRALIAN CARNIVAL...................... 8 “J E F F ” C A R T O O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 2021 WOC............................................. 12 AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS PREVIEW................. 19 S P O T T H E D I F F E R E N C E .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 7 B A S I L & J E A N B A L D W I N A W A R D E D .. . . . . . . . . . . . 3 0 OACT 50 YEARS...................................... 34 K A Y H A A R S M A I N T E R V I E W.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 8 VA L E J O A N B O U R N E ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1 O-RINGEN HISTORY.................................. 42 O - S P Y.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4 TOP EVENTS........................................... 47

Cover photo: Matt Crane (Canberra Cockatoos) at NOL Broulee Dunes event.

Photo: Tom de Jongh – PhotosByTom.com.au SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 5

2022 Round 1

12-14 March

Melbourne Sprint Weekend

3 NOL races – Sprint & Knockout Sprint

Round 2

2-3 April

Canberra

2 NOL forest races – Middle & Long Distance

Round 3

15-18 April

Easter, Queensland

4 NOL races – Sprint, Middle & Long Distance, Relay

Round 4 22-24 April Gold Coast Sprint Weekend

Friday pm -– Night Sprint Relay (NOL team) Saturday am – Sprint Qual; pm Sprint Final (NOL individual) Sunday am – Knockout Sprint - (2 NOL races)

© PhotosByTom.com.au

Proudly supported by WILDFIRE SPORTS

Nvii Product Review (from a product review in the Finnish magazine “Suunnistaja” which compared Nvii shoes with Inov-8, VJ and Icebug)

Superfabric Forest 1 (Blue/Red)

Crazy Light Forest 2 (Navy/Pink)

•A fast racing shoe with good running feeling and grip in all conditions. Even OK to run on gravel

• Incredibly light

• Superlight •T he round spikes don’t offer as good a grip as star spikes, but good enough •Y ou can take a brand new shoe and race with it straight away. No need for a few runs beforehand • Doesn’t collect mud •T he lightness puts your legs under pressure if you are not used to it (none of the test runners were really elite runners)

• I n muddy terrain the mud sticks to the bottom, especially in Finnish wet conditions •M ade for light terrain and Sprints •T he upper fabric works fine. Even though it is very thin and light it is strong enough •F antastic running feeling but puts hard pressure on the feet in tough terrain

Peter Ivars at noname sport comments – “basically good reviews of both shoes especially compared to the competition which did not fare this well.”

6 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

Aston Key, JWOC Gold Denmark 2019.

Str8 Kompakt Compass with Str8 Magnifier and Nvii Crazy Light Forest 1 Shoes.

Nvii & Str8 are Now Available in Australia For all sales in 2020, Nvii & Str8 will donate 20% of your purchase price to your choice of National Junior JWOC or Senior WOC Team or State School Team. * nominate on purchase. Only for purchases at

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SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 7

AOC22

Breakthrough event to open 2022 Australian Carnival

T

he 2022 Australian Championships Carnival will open with an innovative new event - a first of its kind. Designed to be “the ultimate Orienteering competition” the new format will bring together the best virtues of each Orienteering discipline to a 15-20 minute winning time and the excitement of head-tohead racing for everyone.

Lake Daylesford

Orienteering Grand Prix (OGP), as the new race will be known, will combine all the expectations of traditional forest navigation with spectacular and fast lakeside parkland and a complex urban Sprint surround, culminating with a main street Finish in beautiful Daylesford, the spa capital of Victoria.

Highly regarded Event director Warwick Williams, along with technical coordinator Warren Key, have got on board the Hepburn Shire Council and local community groups along with event sponsors Nvii Sports and Str8 compasses to put together this exciting new race. They anticipate the event to

be one of the most memorable of the carnival and expect popularity across all levels.

As Warren said “….. route challenges like you experience in a Long Distance event, exacting navigation of a Middle Distance with the speed and energy of a Sprint. Add head-to-head racing and a sprint finish in the main street of this bubbling tourist town and this has the potential to be an absolute ripper.”

The OGP race format will be based on 6 to 8 people mass starts with “runners choice” map selection as used in the World Championships. It’s first across the line for the winner of each mass start. Grading or qualification will be based on the morning Victorian Championships race, supplemented with official rankings and the organisers’ wild card discretion to assure the highest quality fields.

Sprint map example.

Age categories are as per Championship classes and Finals will apply to all competitors, so expect tight racing and bragging rights against your nearest peers all the way through to the lower qualified B, C or D grades.

A newly prepared map will be at 1:5000 with 2.5metre contours to best show the variations and intricacies of the terrain. Like the many towns found in Scandinavia surrounded by forests, Daylesford offers a picture perfect example of what Orienteering can be like for this new format.

Forest map example.

Park map example.

8 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

The terrain is on the edge of a famous gold mining forest with a large variety of vegetation changes that link seamlessly to beautiful lakeside parkland with open sections that are

Scenes around Daylesford

interspersed with tall open pine trees. The last part of the multi challenge will be through a complex historic primary school and amazing Finish line right at the top of town.

Prizes will be offered for all A and Elite age classes and the introduction of special new classes M & W16 Elite and M & W35 Elite are expected to add even more excitement at the pointy end of racing. Men’s and Women’s 21 Elite will be the last starters and climax of the day with the winners being awarded the latest from Nvii shoes.

Orienteering Victoria is building a strong schools program in the region that feeds into the carnival and will be using this event as the lead in and perfect example of how much fun Orienteering can be for newcomers.

The organisers fully expect and hope everyone will fuel up between races on the day in one of the many fabulous cafes in Daylesford, one of Victoria’s most iconic and beautiful towns. For those really on their A game a pampering spa is not out of the question or for those keen for a quick dip the Daylesford Lake is not to be missed (after the race only!).

OGP Daylesford Australia is one of the many great events planned for the 2022 Australian Championship carnival. A week of Orienteering to put on your must do list for a holiday amongst some of the finest and most enjoyable terrains imaginable set amongst the living history and beauty of Victorian gold era townships.

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 9

Australian WOC, JWOC and MTBO teams are outfitted by

10 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 11

WOC 2021

2021 World Orienteering Championships TEXT: IOF; PHOTOS:TOMÁŠ BUBELA & LUKÁŠ BUDÍNSKÝ

2

021 WOC took place last July around the Doksy region of the Czech Republic. For the first time in many years no Australians took part though a very small New Zealand contingent celebrated Tim Robertson’s bronze medal in the Sprint.

The Swedish team dominated WOC this year in a record-breaking performance led by Tove Alexandersson’s five gold medals. Norway and Switzerland followed in the medals tally.

MEDALS TABLE

Gold

Silver

SWEDEN

7

1

NORWAY

1

4

2

SWITZERLAND

1

2

4

Neutral athletes from Russia

Bronze

2

DENMARK

1

NEW ZEALAND

1

UKRAINE

1

Tove Alexandersson was simply outstanding. What more can be said about a clean sweep and 5 gold medals in the same Championships.

But she was, of course, assisted by the strong performances of her team mates in the Sprint Relay and Forest Relay competitions and for Sara Hagström and Lisa Risby these were the first WOC medals of their careers. Simona Aebersold (SUI) had another good championships taking home 4 medals to add to her 3 from WOC 2019, and Andrine Benjaminsen (NOR) had a breakthrough performance winning her first 3 WOC medals. Natalia Gemperle, competing as a neutral athlete from Russia, was the final multiple individual medal winner with 2 silvers at both Sprint and Long Distance.

12 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

MEDALLISTS – WOMEN

Silver

Bronze

Simona Aebersold (SUI)

1

3

Andrine Benjaminsen (NOR)

2

1

Tove Alexandersson (SWE)

Sara Hagström (SWE)

Gold 5

2

Natalia Gemperle (NEU)

2

Elena Roos (SUI)

1

Lisa Risby (SWE)

1

1

Sabine Hauswirth (SUI)

1

Victoria Hæstad Bjørnstad (NOR)

1

Maja Alm (DEN)

1

Marie Olaussen (NOR)

1

Kamilla Steiwer (NOR)

1

The medals were distributed much more evenly among the men, but Kasper Harlem Fosser (NOR) had overall the best WOC with the first WOC gold medal of his career at the final Long Distance competition, a race that he won in dominating style. Gustav Bergman (SWE) and Matthias Kyburz (SUI) both had strong championships and could pack 3 medals each in their luggage home. Maybe the biggest surprise of the week was Sprint gold medallist Isac von Krusenstierna (SWE) winning his first WOC medal from an early starting position in the final.

Gold

Silver

Kasper Harlem Fosser (NOR)

1

3

Gustav Bergman (SWE)

2

1

Matthias Kyburz (SUI)

1

1

MEDALLISTS – MEN

Martin Hubmann (SUI)

Bronze

1 2

Isac von Krusenstierna (SWE)

1

Emil Svensk (SWE)

1

Albin Ridefelt (SWE)

1

William Lind (SWE)

1

Audun Heimdal (NOR)

1

Gaute Steiwer (NOR)

1

Eskil Kinneberg (NOR)

1

Tim Robertson (NZL)

1

Ruslan Glibov (UKR)

1

Magne Dæhli (NOR)

1

Florian Howald (SUI)

1

Joey Hadorn (SUI)

1

Swedish Double in the Sprint Nearly 3 years after the previous World Orienteering Championships Sprint, the organisers put on an excellent competition in and around Bastion 5 of the Terezín Fortress. And winning gold were two Swedish athletes, one an outsider and one very merited.

In the Men’s, 23 year old Isac von Krusenstierna (SWE) started very early as number 10 of the 46 athletes in the Final. He found good route choices and executed them well, and set a real target for the rest of the field. Looking at the split times he was never more than 1 second from the lead at any time. When his closest competitor Emil Svensk (also of Sweden) made a major error after two-thirds of the course his lead was never challenged. He ended winning his first World Championships gold 7 seconds ahead of silver medallist Kasper Harlem Fosser (NOR) who was another 6 seconds ahead of bronze medallist Tim Robertson (NZL).

Among the Women, it was WOC gold number 11 for the incredible Tove Alexandersson, although it was her first gold at the Sprint. And it was a gold medal that required a big effort to secure. Tove started very fast and had built up a dominating lead of 31 seconds at control 11 of the 20 total on the course. However, a costly route choice error on the longer leg to the 12th control erased that lead plus an additional 3 seconds dropping her to 4th place at that point. However, she had a stronger finish than the rest of the field and crossed the Finish line 9 seconds ahead of silver medallist Natalia Gemperle and another 8 seconds ahead of bronze medallist Maja Alm (DEN).

The courses featured at times very intense navigation and decisive route choices among the walls, tunnels and moats which make up the Terezín fortress. Athletes chose a wide range of route choices with these deciding the outcome of the competitions.

SPRINT MEN 1

Isac von Krusenstierna

Sweden

13:46

2

Kasper Harlem Fosser

Norway

13:53

3

Tim Robertson

New Zealand

13:59

4

Yannick Michiels

Belgium

14:02

5

Max Peter Bejmer

Sweden

14:05

6

Florian Howald

Switzerland

14:06

SPRINT WOMEN

Long Distance - Tove Alexandersson.

1

Tove Alexandersson

Sweden

14:03

2

Natalia Gemperle

Neutral

14:12

3

Maja Alm

Denmark

14:20

4

Simona Aebersold

Switzerland

14:24

4

Alice Leake

United Kingdom

14:24

6

Elena Roos

Switzerland

14:25

Sprint - Isac von Krusenstierna.

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 13

WOC 2021

FINAL SPRINT WOMEN SCALE 1:4000 CONTOURS 2M

Sweden dominates Sprint Relay The Sprint Relay at the beautiful Chateau Doksy was won by over a minute after four perfect legs from the Swedish team. On the first leg Tove Alexandersson (SWE) got a 19 second lead on Simona Aebersold (SUI) before sending Emil Svensk out on the second stage. He added another 12 seconds on the gap to Swiss runner Joey Hadorn. Further back there was an intense fight for the third spot with teams like Great Britain, Norway, Denmark Czech Republic, Finland, and Ukraine.

Gustav Bergman (SWE) added more seconds to the gap at his stage, but at the same time Kasper Harlem Fosser (NOR) brought Norway back into the competition almost closing in the gap to Martin Hubmann (SUI).

For Sara Hagström the last leg was a formality running in to her first gold medal together with the rest of the Swedish team. “I have longed for this and am really happy to get a place in this really strong team”, she said to Orienteringsmagasinet. Further back it was a great fight for the silver medal between Andrine Benjaminsen (NOR) and Elena Roos (SUI). Benjaminsen was behind until the 16th control and won the fight with a three second gap at the end.

SPRINT RELAY Place 1

Sprint Relay - Start field.

2

3

14 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

Leg time

Leg place

1. Tove Alexandersson

15:03

1

15:03

2. Emil Svensk

15:46

2

30:49

3. Gustav Bergman

15:46

4

46:35

4. Sara Hagstrom

15:44

5

1:02:19

1. Victoria Haestad Bjornstad

16:04

6

16:04

2. Audun Heimdal

16:43

9

32:47

3. Kasper Harlem Fosser

15:02

1

47:49

4. Andrine Benjaminsen

14:56

1

1:02:45

1. Simona Aebersold

15:22

2

15:22

2. Joey Hadorn

15:58

4

31:20

3. Martin Hubmann

16:10

7

47:30

4. Elena Roos

15:18

3

1:02:48

Sweden

Time 1:02:19

Norway

1:02:45

Switzerland

1:02:48

Middle Distance Gold to Kyburz and Alexandersson The Middle Distance Final was contested in very challenging terrain from the arena in Smrzovka in the Liberec region of the Czech Republic. The courses offered very technical orienteering where it was necessary to navigate the best routes through the cliffs, boulder fields and broken ground while keeping direction through areas where visibility dropped due to thicker vegetation. It was obvious from the TV pictures and GPS tracking that maintaining focus while dealing with effectively moving through the terrain was a real challenge.

Sprint - Kasper Haarlem Fosser.

The Men’s race saw several position changes among the top competitors, but it was Matthias Kyburz (SUI) who had the best speed and navigation and won the 5th World Champion title of his career.

This was also the second title at Middle Distance, adding to his gold from Sweden in 2016.

He started the race very strongly and was obviously faster than his fellow competitors in the beginning of the course, building a lead of 26 seconds over then second placed Ruslan Glibov (UKR) at the first TV control. However, he made the competition exciting for a while when at the second TV control after 30 minutes he dropped into 2nd place, 3 seconds behind Gustav Bergman (SWE) who was fastest in the middle sections of the course. Kyburz set everything straight again over the last 10 minutes, constantly increasing his lead over Bergman who waited nervously at the Finish. In the end his very strong and fluent finish meant a winning margin of 40 seconds. Gustav Bergman held on to the silver medal and Ruslan Glibov the bronze, another 7 seconds behind.

Lucas Basset (FRA) and Kasper Harlem Fosser (NOR) looked like they might challenge for the medals in the early parts of the course, but lost time after the first TV control and finished in 4th and 5th respectively.

Sprint - Simona Aebersold (photo - Swiss O Magazine).

MIDDLE DISTANCE MEN 1

Matthias Kyburz

Switzerland

39:31

2

Gustav Bergman

Sweden

40:11

3

Ruslan Glibov

Ukraine

40:18

4

Lucas Basset

France

41:36

5

Kasper Harlem Fosser

Norway

41:38

6

Eskil Kinneberg

Norway

41:40

Among the women it was gold again for Tove Alexandersson (SWE).

Although she had a rough start with errors on the 2nd and 4th controls, losing a little more than a minute, and passing the first split time in 6th place. From there she started navigating smoothly and picked up the pace showing a speed which none of the other women have at the moment. This was the 13th gold of Tove’s career.

Sprint - Tim Robertson at Finish.

Behind Tove, the fight for the silver and bronze medals was exciting with Kamilla Steiwer and Andrine Benjaminsen (both NOR), Simona Aebersold (SUI) and Sara Hagström (SWE) changing positions several times. Kamilla Steiwer had the early lead, but made a small error at the second TV control allowing Andrine Benjaminsen to pass into 2nd place and win her second silver medal of the championships. Simona Aebersold was also able to close the gap over the last two controls and the Finish chute, taking the bronze 2 seconds ahead of Kamilla Steiwer.

MIDDLE DISTANCE WOMEN 1

Tove Alexandersson

Sweden

38:12

2

Andrine Benjaminsen

Norway

40:33

3

Simona Aebersold

Switzerland

41:33

4

Kamilla Steiwer

Norway

41:35

5

Sara Hagstrom

Sweden

41:46

6

Lisa Risby

Sweden

42:10

Sprint Relay - Emil Svensk (SEW) and Joey Hadorn (SUI).

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 15

WOC 2021

FINAL LONG DISTANCE MEN

Another Swedish double in the WOC Forest Relay In the forest Relays Sweden once again managed double gold medals winning both the women’s and men’s events. The Relay featured dramatic sandstones features with challenging route choices to find the best passages and minimize steep climbs. The weather turned out to add to the challenge with a couple of heavy rain showers during the women’s race and thunderstorms and constant rain over the men’s.

The dark clouds reduced the available light on the final leg of the men’s Relay with several teams using map-reading headlamps.

SCALE 1:15 000 CONTOURS 5M

Among the women it was the Swiss team with Elena Roos on the first leg that started best, and exchanged to the second leg runner Sabine Hauswirth with a 36 second lead in front of Lisa Risby of Sweden. At the first exchange the race for the medals was still tight with 10 teams within 2 minutes.

The second leg saw the time gaps expanding, mostly due to an incredible leg by Sara Hagström (SWE). She caught and passed Sabine Hauswirth in the first third of the course and increased her lead at each split time to finally send out triple gold medallist Tove Alexandersson with a lead of 3:39. Switzerland and Hauswirth in second had only an additional 11 seconds down to Denisa Kosova (CZE) and it looked like the home nation might be headed for its first medal of the championships. However, the team of neutral athletes from Russia, 5:40 back in 4th position, and teams from Finland, Norway, Poland, Estonia and Great Britain were all within 1 minute 20 seconds of each other and chasing hard for the medals.

Tove Alexandersson ran a controlled leg and the winning margin for Sweden was a comfortable 2:33. Simona Aebersold of Switzerland ran a solid final leg, closing the gap to Sweden slightly and winning the silver medal. Jana Knapova (CZE) started well but made an error costing about 2.5 minutes at the 5th control. The mistake allowed Svetlana Mironova, neutral athlete, to pass her into the bronze medal position at that point in the race. Just behind them, Andrine Benjaminsen of Norway was approaching quickly and was able to pass both in the final 6 minutes of the course and win the bronze medal for Norway. The neutral athletes from Russia came in 4th, the host nation Czech Republic in 5th, and a strong final leg

by Aleksandra Hornik brought Poland the final podium place 9:55 behind gold medallists Sweden.

The men’s Relay was not decided until mid-way through the final leg when Gustav Bergman (SWE), in a repeat performance from Norway in 2019, passed the Norwegian men’s team and cruised to victory and the gold medal. The key to victory seemed to be finding the best route choices as the routes chosen by Bergman and the Norwegian anchor-leg runner Eskil Kinneberg were quite different.

This was a very exciting Relay with several lead changes throughout the three legs. On the first leg it was Ruslan Glibov (UKR) and Mika Kirmula (FIN) that had the best speed finishing within 3 seconds of each other and about a minute ahead of Mattieu Perrin (FRA) and Wojciech Kowalski (POL). The eventual medallists were further back, Sweden in 5th 1:35 behind, Norway 9th exactly 2 minutes back, and Switzerland 6th and 1:41 behind. 10 teams were within 2:07 of the lead.

On leg 2 it was Kasper Harlem Fosser of Norway with as dominant a performance as Sara Hagström among the women. Starting 2 minutes back he charged through the field taking the lead at the 12th of the 19 controls on the course, and then constantly expanding the lead to send Eskil Kinneberg out with nearly a 1 minute lead ahead of Finland with Elias Kuuka handing off to Olli Ojanaho, Sweden’s William Lind handing off to Bergman and Ukraine’s Oleksandr Kratov handing over to Artem Panchenko. Florian Howald of Switzerland was another minute back in 5th position.

16 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

The 3rd leg battle turned quickly into a two man race with Kinneberg initially increasing the Norwegian lead, but then seeing Bergman pass and go on to win. Behind them Matthias Kyburz of Switzerland had the highest speed and half-way around the course moved into the bronze medal position then effectively defended it coming to the Finish exactly 2 minutes back and 22 seconds ahead of Ojanaho in 4th place. Vojtech Kral of the home nation Czech Republic ran a strong leg and advanced from 7th to 5th position, just over 4 minutes behind Sweden, and Artem Panchenko of the Ukraine was able to hold on to the final podium position 8:50 behind, and just 5 seconds ahead of Frederic Tranchand of France.

FOREST RELAY WOMEN 1

SWEDEN Lisa Risby / Sara Hagstrom / Tove Alexandersson

1:45:45

2

SWITZERLAND 1:48:18 Elena Roos / Sabine Hauswirth / Simona Aebersold

3

NORWAY 1:52:46 Marie Olaussen / Kamilla Steiwer / Andrine Benjaminsen

FOREST RELAY MEN 1

SWEDEN Albin Ridefelt / William Lind / Gustav Bergman

1:53:06

2

NORWAY 1:53:57 Gaute Steiwer / Kasper Harlem Fosser / Eskil Kinneberg

3

SWITZERLAND 1:55:06 Martin Hubmann / Florian Howald / Matthias Kyburz

Tove Alexandersson with the clean sweep The Long Distance competition capped a fantastic week for Tove Alexandersson as she won her 5th gold medal. This was her 9th consecutive World Championships gold dating back to the Long Distance race in Latvia in 2018.

Alexandersson had a lead of 35 seconds already at the first split time 20 minutes into the course. She increased her lead at each split and lead with 3:27 as she passed through the arena with 10 minutes running remaining. The final margin of victory was 2:58 and she was the only woman under 80 minutes with a winning time of 77:11 from Natalia Gemperle and Simona Aebersold.

The Women’s race was contested over a course which measured 9.5 km in a straight line, with 690 m of climb along the optimal route. However, the beautiful yet challenging sandstone terrain meant that the running was far from straightforward. The course featured numerous route choices where it was important to minimize climb in the steep hills and find the correct passages between the dramatic sandstone cliffs and rock pillars. The analysis of what the best route choices were will certainly go on for a while.

LONG DISTANCE WOMEN 1

Tove Alexandersson

Sweden

1:17:11

2

Natalia Gemperle

Neutral

1:20:09

3

Simona Aebersold

Switzerland

1:20:28

4

Andrine Benjaminsen

Norway

1:22:56

4

Lisa Risby

Sweden

1:22:56

6

Megan Carter Davies

United Kingdom

1:24:53

Middle Distance - Tove Alexandersson fights the undergrowth.

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 17

WOC 2021

FINAL MIDDLE DISTANCE WOMEN SCALE 1:10 000 CONTOURS 5M

Kasper Haarlem Fosser.

Kasper Harlem Fosser wins first World Championships Gold 22-year-old Norwegian Kasper Harlem Fosser took the first gold medal of his career when he won the Long Distance in dominant style. This was the 4th medal of the championships for Fosser after having 3 silver medal performances in the Sprint, Sprint Relay and Men’s Forest Relay competitions. Fosser can add his name to a long line of Norwegian men that have taken Long Distance gold.

It was clear from the start that he had a higher speed than his competitors and found the best route choices in the early parts of the course. Mid-way along the long leg from control 4 to 5 he caught Matthias Kyburz (SUI) and teammate Magne Dæhli who had started 3 and 6 minutes respectively prior to him in the start list. The trio were together for the remainder of the course with Kyburz taking the silver medal and Dæhli the bronze, 17 seconds ahead of Daniel Hubmann (SUI) in 4th. Emil Svensk (SWE) had a very strong finish after a weak start to his Long Distance challenge and advanced from 19th position at half-way to a 5th position. The final podium place (6th) went to Martin Hubmann (SUI), and with teammate Florian Howald in 7th the Swiss men’s team had overall a very strong performance with all their 4 runners in the top 7.

The Long Distance competition is a real test of athlete stamina and this year’s course was no exception. The men’s course measured 13.6 km straight-line with 1050 metres of climb along the optimal route among the steep sandstone valleys. The GPS tracking showed that the best routes could be up to a kilometre wide of the straight line to avoid multiple climbs and descents. Kasper Harlem Fosser completed the course in 95 minutes and 55 seconds, just 55 seconds over the expected winning time.

18 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

Middle Distance - Simona Aebersold.

LONG DISTANCE MEN 1

Kasper Harlem Fosser

Norway

1:35:55

2

Matthias Kyburz

Switzerland

1:39:00

3

Magne Daehli

Norway

1:41:53

4

Daniel Hubmann

Switzerland

1:42:10

5

Emil Svensk

Sweden

1:43:08

6

Martin Hubmann

Switzerland

1:43:54

AUS SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Here we show you the past ASOC winners and preview this year’s State Teams for you to follow during the events.

2021 AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLS ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW

NZ for NZ athletes, as having demonstrated the competencies necessary to complete in the class entered. Allowing independent students to compete alongside Schools team members allows more students further avenues to engage with Orienteering. Independent students have the same age restrictions as Schools team members.

F

ollowing a nearly two-year hiatus due to COVID the Australian Schools Orienteering Championships, perhaps better known as ASOC, are back. They form an integral part of the national Australian Championships carnival which will be hosted by Tasmania in just a few weeks time.

Schools competition will commence with the Sprint Championships on Tuesday 28th September at Bicheno, followed the next day by the Long Distance Championships at Mt Pearson, near St Helens, and the Relays at Mt Pearson on Thursday 30th.

In that two-year time period many of the names and faces have changed with some of the Seniors moving on to open competition classes and an influx of new schools orienteers into the State Teams, particularly amongst the Juniors. They will be joined by two Teams from New Zealand comprising many who we may not have seen before on this side of “the ditch”.

Good luck to all those competing. You will all enjoy the fantastic atmosphere that is ASOC and come away with the experience of a lifetime. And we’re sure that you will all remember your performances for a long time to come. Some may even come away with the trophies.

And the races are also open to “independent students” who have missed selection into representative Teams but are endorsed by their State/Territory Association, or Orienteering Winners

2016

2017

2018

2019

ACT

ACT

ACT

NSW

Senior Girls – Sprint – Long – Relay

Tara Melhuish (ACT) Caroline Pigerre (QLD) Queensland

Tara Melhuish (ACT) Tara Melhuish (ACT) ACT

Joanna George (SA) Joanna George (SA) SA

Zoe Melhuish (ACT) Ella Cuthbert (ACT) ACT

Senior Boys – Sprint – Long – Relay

Angus Haines (SA) Patrick Jaffe (VIC) Victoria

Aston Key (VIC) Aston Key (VIC) ACT

Aston Key (VIC) Aston Key (VIC) ACT

Grant Reinbott (QLD) Dante Afnan (SA) ACT

Junior Girls – Sprint – Long – Relay

Joanna George (SA) Zoe Melhuish (ACT) ACT

Zoe Melhuish (ACT) Joanna George (SA) ACT

Niamh Cassar (NSW) Iida Lehtonen (NSW) ACT

Nea Shingler (NSW) Iida Lehtonen (NSW) NSW

Junior Boys – Sprint – Long – Relay

Dante Afnan (SA) Tristan Miller (ACT) NSW

Alvin Craig (NSW) Alvin Craig (NSW) Queensland

David Stocks (ACT) Samuel Garbellini (QLD) ACT

Alvin Craig (NSW) Alvin Craig (NSW) NSW

State

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 19

TAS Schools Team Junior Girls: Katie Clauson, Ilanna McDougal, Liana Stubbs Junior Boys: Euan Best, Marcus Deganaar, Alejandro Fisher, Hugh Giblin, Hudson Hughes, Eddie Stoner Senior Girls: Sophie Best, Zali McComb, Tara Powell, Julia Powell-Davies Senior Boys: Thomas Garde, Riley Kerr, Jett McComb, Ben Poortenaar, Niko Stoner, Will Whittington, Jack Whickham

I

t is with tremendous excitement that the 2021 Tasmanian Schools Team gears up to welcome all the other States and NZ after the disappointment of last year. We are particularly looking forward to showcasing our skills in our own magnificent backyard. With a two year ‘break’ comes the

arrival of seven new team members. Thomas Garde joins our eager Senior Boys team alongside Riley Kerr, Ben Poortenaar, Niko Stoner, Jett McComb, Jack Wickham and co-captain Will Whittington. In the Junior Boys, Alejandro Fisher, Hugh Giblin and Hudson Hughes will be gaining their experience with our competitive returning juniors, Marcus Degenaar, Eddie Stoner and Euan Best.

Fewer in number, all new this year and very determined, our Junior Girls, Liana Stubbs, Ilanna McDougall and Katie Clauson are well supported by our enthusiastic Senior Girls, Sophie Best, Julia Powell-Davies, Tara Powell and co-captain Zali McComb who plan to make the most of their home soil advantage.

Congratulations to all the athletes selected.

Katie Clauson.

Ilanna McDougall.

Liana Stubbs.

Euan Best.

Marcus Degenaar.

Alejandro Fisher.

Hugh Giblin.

Hudson Hughes.

Eddie Stoner.

Sophie Best.

Zali McComb.

Tara Powell.

Julia Powell-Davies.

Thomas Garde.

Riley Kerr.

Jett McComb.

Ben Poortenaar.

Niko Stoner.

Will Whittington.

Jack Wickham.

20 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

WA Schools Team Junior Girls: Kate Braid, Amy Dufty and Ruby Phillips.

Eckart Bosman: ASOC Carnivals? Two. Favourite event? Long Distance. I am excited to add the Tassie terrian to my bush experience. Other sports? Rowing and cricket.

Junior Boys: Eckart Bosman, Liam Dufty, Isaac Madden, Joseph Coleman and Lachlan Braid.

Senior Girls: Zali Dale, Caitlin Madden and Sasha Eves.

Senior Boys: Aldo Bosman, Patrick Dufty, Mason Eves and Alastair Phillips.

Coaches: Rachel West and Craig Dufty.

Kate Braid: ASOC Carnivals? Two. Favourite event? The Relay because it’s the most team involved. Other sports? Hockey.

Amy Dufty: ASOC Carnivals? This is my first. Favourite event?

Sprint, I enjoy doing Sprints the most. Other sports? Hockey.

Ruby Phillips: ASOC Carnivals? My first. Favourite event?

The Relay – it will be fun and exciting being in a team. Other sports? Hockey, water polo, soccer, cross country, netball.

Manager: Graham Braid.

Congratulations to all of you!

Lachlan Braid: How many ASOC Carnivals? This is my first ASOC. Which event are you most looking forward to? The Sprint event because it looks like a unique map. What other sports do you do? Cricket and hockey.

Liam Dufty: ASOC Carnivals? Two. Favourite event? The Sprint – it’s the shortest. Other sports? Tennis.

Joseph Coleman: ASOC Carnivals? Three. Favourite event?

Sprint. Other sports? Hockey.

Isaac Madden: How many ASOC Carnivals? Two. Favourite event? Long Distance. I am excited to try some new terrain and see how I go. Other sports? Dancing.

Zali Dale: ASOC Carnivals? Four. Favourite event? The relay, an exciting team event and a great excuse to wear funky socks! Other sports? Hockey, soccer, volleyball, softball, athletics, cross-country.

Alastair Phillips: ASOC Carnivals? My first. Most looking forward to? Travelling to Tasmania, I’ve never been before.

Other sports? Tennis, Lacrosse, Hockey.

Aldo Bosman: ASOC Carnivals? Four. Favourite event? Relay.

Stripy socks. Other sports? Rowing.

Patrick Dufty: ASOC Carnivals? Two. Favourite event? I usually enjoy the Long Distance. Other sports? Motorkhana.

Mason Eves: ASOC Carnivals? Six or more. Favourite event?

Relay, best sense of team. Other sports? Mountain biking.

Caitlin Madden: ASOC Carnivals? Two. Favourite event? All of them. I’m just excited about going. Other sports? Netball, dancing.

Sasha Eves: ASOC Carnivals? Two. Favourite event? The sprint, due to missing last year – I enjoy the fast navigation – it’s my strongest event. Other sports? Cycling and dance.

Kate Braid.

Amy Dufty.

Ruby Phillips.

Eckart Bosman.

Liam Dufty.

Isaac Madden.

Joseph Coleman.

Lachlan Braid.

Zali Dale.

Caitlin Madden.

Sasha Eves.

Aldo Bosman.

Patrick Dufty.

Mason Eves.

Alastair Phillips.

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 21

VIC Schools Team Junior Girls: Hannah Adams, Sophie Arthur, Maya Bennette, Milla Key, Sammy Love Junior Boys: Aeon Greenhan, Lucas Kent, Matthew Layton, Ashley White Senior Girls: Claire Adams, Amber Louw, Sophie Taverna Senior Boys: Torren Arthur, Henri du Toit, Jensen Key, James Love, Callum White

O

rienteering Victoria is proud to announce the Victorian Team that will compete in the 2021 Australian Schools Orienteering Championships in Tasmania.

We are very excited to welcome eight new students to the team, along with nine experienced members. These students are champions of lockdowns, and are looking forward to translating that to successful performances in the forest.

Officials: Clare Brownridge and Patrick Jaffe Manager: Bruce Arthur

Sophie Arthur

Maya Bennette

Milla Key

Sammy Love

Aeon Greenhan

Lucas Kent

Matthew Layton

Ashley White

Claire Adams

Amber Louw

Sophie Taverna

Torren Arthur

Henri du Toit

Jensen Key

James Love

Callum White

Hannah Adams

22 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

NSW Schools Team

C

ongratulations to the members of the 2021 NSW Schools team (The Carbines) who will represent NSW at the Australian Championships in Tasmania in September. The team of 20 includes orienteers from seven different clubs and also three family groups.

Junior Girls: Rebecca Craig (NC), Maggie Mackay (UR), Lyra Simpson (BF), Savanna Sweeney (WH), Erika Enderby (NC), Lilja Lehtonen* (GO) Junior Boys: Lachlan Coady (WH), Alex Woolford (BB), Cooper Horley (GO), Will Kay (WH) Senior Girls: Mikayla Enderby (NC), Nea Shingler (BF), Julia Barbour (BF), Louise Barbour (BF) Senior Boys: Jamie Woolford (BB), Oliver Freeman (BF), Oskar Mella (NC), Oscar Woolford (BB), Sam Woolford (BB), Clyde McGhee (BN))

Rebecca Craig

Maggie Mackay

Lyra Simpson

Savanna Sweeney

Erika Enderby

Lilja Lehtonen

Lachlan Cody

Alex Woolford

Cooper Horley

Will Kay

Mikayla Enderby

Nea Shingler

Julia Barbour

Louise Barbour

Jamie Woolford

Oliver Freeman

Oskar Mella

Oscar Woolford

Sam Woolford

Clyde McGhee

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 23

SA Schools Team Junior Girls: Gemma Burley, Bella White, Sienna White, Jessica Jarvis Junior Boys: Austin Clem, Ben Marschall, Mitchell Morcom, Marcus Cazzolato, Duncan Still Senior Girls: Ana Penck, Lucy Burley, Zoe Carter, Abbie Faulkner, Jemima Lloyd Senior Boys: Toby Cazzolato, Max Grivell, Jack Marschall, Remi Afnan, Oscar Johnston, Leith Soden Junior Boys: First year at nationals for Ben Marschall, Marcus Cazzolato, Duncan Still and Austin Clem (one of our few athletes from Port Lincoln) who are joined by Mitchell Morcom. Each loves the challenge of competing with many other fantastic orienteers.

Junior Girls: For strong athletes Gemma Burley and Bella White this will be their first nationals, while Sienna White and Jessica Jarvis will be keen to showcase their improvement.

Senior Boys: Leith Soden brings entertainment and makes everyone laugh, is still working hard in his training towards nationals, as are experienced orienteers Toby Cazzolato, Max Grivell, Jack Marschall, Remi Afnan and Oscar Johnston.

Senior Girls: Jemima Lloyd is the most experienced senior girl (and competitive Milo drinker), heading into her fourth nationals. She will be joined by multi-sport athletes Abbie Faulkner, Lucy Burley, Zoe Carter, and Ana Penck who has been very dedicated to her training this year.

Text & photos - Evalin Brautigam.

Gemma Burley

Bella White

Sienna White

Jessica Jarvis

Austin Clem

Ben Marschall

Mitchell Morcom

Marcus Cazzolato

Duncan Still

Ana Penck

Lucy Burley

Zoe Carter

Abbie Faulkner

Jemima Lloyd

Toby Cazzolato

Max Grivell

Jack Marschall

Remi Afnan

Oscar Johnston

Leith Soden

24 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

ACT Schools Team Junior Girls: Sanda Halpin, Luca Hogg, Katherine Maundrell, Alice Radajewski, Aoife Rothery, Ingrid Shelton-Agar Junior Boys: Elye Dent, Makhaya Hogg, Josh Mansell, Owen Radajewski Senior Girls: Justine Hobson, Ellen Johnson, Natalie Miller, Zoe Terrill Senior Boys: Michael Guthrie, Toby Lang, Josh Robards, Patrick Shelton-Agar, David Stocks, Joseph Wilson

I

t’s great to be back and racing after missing last year’s nationals. Other than the Easter carnival, this will be the first true national event since Oceania. During nationals, we’re looking forward to meeting up with people from the other

States and having some good competition. As usual, the Relays will be the event to watch with every State presenting strong teams. Various new faces will be joining our ranks this year, particularly in the junior age groups. In our Team, we have a lot of experience, which will be fundamental in helping our younger and newer team members. Despite the result of 2019, we hope to refresh our winning streak with fresher legs.

As the Captains we would like to congratulate every student selected both in the ACT and across Australia! And we are looking forward to seeing you in Tassie for some fantastic terrain and even better the races!

Ellen Johnson & Toby Lang

Sanda Halpin

Luca Hogg

Katherine Maundrell

Alice Radajewski

Aoife Rothery

Ingrid Shelton-Agar

Elye Dent

Makhaya Hogg

Josh Mansell

Owen Radajewski

Justine Hobson

Ellen Johnson

Natalie Miller

Zoe Terrill

Michael Guthrie

Toby Lang

Josh Robards

Patrick Shelton-Agar

David Stocks

Joseph Wilson

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 25

QLD Schools Team are eager for the Australian Championships - and ready to brave the cold Tasmanian weather. Our Team has great depth in every age group and we have high hopes that QLD will come out on top at the end of the Carnival.

Junior Girls: Alexandra Edwards, Abbie Lane, Cassy Reinbott, Xanthe Schubert.

Junior Boys: William Barnes, Dylan Bryant, Miles Bryant, Paul Garbellini, Ben Murray, Henry Smyth Senior Girls: Laura de Jong, Sara Garbellini, Mikaela Gray, Maxine Lovell

We turned to our determined team members to see what they were most looking forward to at the upcoming carnival:

Senior Boys: Samuel Garbellini, Lochlann Hogan, Ewan McFarland, Joshua Newnes, Oliver Schubert, Rubin Smyth

Cassy: Staying with the team and bonding.

Dylan: The atmosphere at the Schools Relay.

Ollie: Having a cracker of a final year.

W

ith some returning veterans and a host of fresh faces, the 2021 Queensland Schools Orienteering Team is a strong and exciting one. After two years spent in training, we

Laura: Smashing the Schools Relay.

Manager Glyn: Youngsters running their hardest and being satisfied with their best.

Alexandra Edwards

Abbie Lane

Cassy Reinbott

Xanthe Schubert

William Barnes

Dylan Bryant

Miles Bryant

Paul Garbellini

Ben Murray

Henry Smyth

Laura de Jong

Sara Garbellini

Mikaela Gray

Maxine Lovell

Sam Garbellini

Lochlann Hogan

Ewan McFarland

Joshua Newnes

Oliver Schubert

Rubin Smyth

26 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

SPOT the DIFFERENCE

With the Australian Championships in Tasmania coming up it’s time to brush up on your map reading skills again. Here is a complex Forest map.

MAP 1 is essentially the original map.

MAP 2 contains 25 changes. Some of the changes will be easy to find and some will not.

CAN YOU FIND ALL 25 ???

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 27

SPOT the DIFFERENCE

In the June magazine we gave you a complex Sprint map to brush up on your map reading skills.

There were 25 differences between MAP 1 and MAP 2.

DID YOU FIND ALL 25 ???

The solutions to the puzzle are shown here on the opposite page.

28 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

In the June magazine we gave you a Sprint map to brush up on your map reading skills. There were 25 differences between the two versions of the map. Here are 20 of the differences.

CAN YOU FIND THE OTHER 5 ?

MAPPING & COURSE SETTING SOFTWARE NEW FEATURES: 1. On screen point feature preview 2. Legibility halo around point features 3. Sketch layer freehand drawing with tablet pen

Patrick Jaffe. Photo: Tom de Jongh - PhotosBy Tom.com.au

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AWARDS

Quiet Achievers in Australian Orienteering:

Basil and Jean Baldwin MARY JANE MAHONY (ONSW)

T

he story of Orienteering in Australia is full of quiet achievers.

Orienteering Australia does its best and so does ONSW, but those who should be recognised are often ‘under the radar’. On June 17th last, Sport NSW presented Basil and Jean Baldwin (Goldseekers Orienteering, Orange, NSW) with the Distinguished Long Service Award for Orienteering at its annual NSW Community Sport Awards. Their contributions to Orienteering – not only in NSW but over nearly 50 years in Tasmania, South Australia and finally New South Wales – were fittingly acknowledged.

Basil and Jean have organised, coached, course-set and provided club leadership in Orienteering since 1975. They have been key in establishing Orienteering as a community sport for all ages and provide pathways to elite competition. They have also ‘walked the talk’ winning numerous State and National Championships in their age classes and both have represented Australia at the Oceania Championships, not to mention participating in events in Slovenia (BUBO Cup), the French 5 Days, the Lakes and Welsh 5 Days, the Scottish 6 Days, the Fin 5 Days and Kainuu Week in Finland, and the World Masters in New Zealand, Latvia, Denmark and Lithuania, receiving awards in many of those events.

Their life in Orienteering commenced south of Hobart in Tasmania in June 1975 on a black and white map (Tinderbox). They started their first Orienteering club as part of the Runners club in Burnie in November 1975, the second in South Australia and the third in NSW. They are still going strong in 2021.

Basil and Jean have promoted Orienteering to newcomers and developed the orienteering skills of the inexperienced from their first days in Orienteering in Tasmania. Their methods have ranged from informal and formal club-based coaching sessions to structured programs for both senior and junior age groups within and beyond the Orienteering community.

Basil and Jean continue to make a sustained effort towards ensuring there are many Orienteering events suitable for all ages and abilities through Goldseekers Orienteers. This has required not only their direct involvement but also mentoring of other club members to extend the range and depth of skills associated with providing Orienteering events.

Basil and Jean have worked together not only in Orienteering but in their other major endeavour as farmers and horticulturists. They say that working together as a couple has been the most satisfying aspect of their lives.

Tinderbox event map 1975.

30 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

47 Years of Orienteering in Australia BASIL BALDWIN & JEAN BALDWIN (with Mary Jane Mahony to ensure they weren’t being too modest).

The earliest days in Tasmania We came from England to Australia in 1964 with a brief time in Victoria before Basil took up a position as an agronomist in Tasmania. There we discovered Orienteering.

1975: First event at Tinderbox, South of Hobart. Basil was hooked!

1975: Tasmanian Championships - I [Basil] ran off the map and finished the course as the organisers packed up. Jean did the Easy course with our four young children. When the organisers were worried about me, Jean told them I would turn up. I did eventually, when they had packed up and were ready to leave.

Starting again in South Australia 1976: Founding members of the Tintookies Orienteering Club, north of Adelaide. With a young family, Jean gave informal support to Orienteering but later was club secretary and treasurer (1977-1979).

1977: Basil made the first colour map of Para Wirra. He also became Secretary of the Orienteering Association of South Australia. (At that time, OASA did not belong to the national orienteering association.)

1978: Mt Gawler, SA Championships. Basil was the organiser with Bob Smith. Made the third colour map in SA. (NB. several colour maps had been made in Victoria, ACT and NSW by that time). Courses were drawn on maps by hand with a red pen, putting them in plastic bags with name, start time and course on the back of the map. One person drew

1975: Organising an event in the Oldina Forest on the NW Coast included Basil drawing the map.

Base map was probably 1 inch to a mile (1:63,360 scale) government map. Hand drawn at a scale of 4 inches to the mile (1:15,840). There were three colour layers, black, brown and blue. It was printed on a Roneo machine at Burnie High School on green paper going through the machine three times.

The registration was remarkably good for a machine of that type.

The event was held in November 1975, 40 people participated.

People drew their own courses from master maps. Buckets and pencils were used as control markers. It rained a lot during the event, the maps got very wet as we did not have plastic bags.

Basil and Jean moved to South Australia in 1976 for Basil to take up a position at Roseworthy Agricultural College.

Oldina State Forest.

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 31

AWARDS

the course, the other checked them, very time-consuming.

There were over 200 competitors, 40 from interstate. By that time SA was in the Orienteering Federation of Australia.

1981 First time SA organised the Easter 3 Day Carnival, at Wirrabara in the Southern Flinders Ranges. Basil was Coordinator, involved in organising, mapping and course setting. Mapmaking used photogrammetry produced by the Army mapping Corps and letraset symbols for features such as boulders and termite mounds.

Jean was Event Secretary and had all (600+) entries handwritten in an exercise book which she still has. In those days, a booklet was produced with details of the event and start lists. It was mailed out to all entrants before the event. (It was the forerunner of the current Bulletin that is produced for major events and now goes on the event website). After the event, a booklet with the results was also mailed out, a lot of work.

On Day 3 of the Easter Carnival, I [Basil] found a termite mound in the wrong place on an over-printed course. It was subsequently covered with branches and a new termite mound ‘made’ for the control site.

We ran the SA O Shop for several years and made and sold O gear as well as hot soup to cold wet orienteers at events in the Adelaide Hills. Our daughter Carolyn made gaiters and cooked cakes to sell. In those days there were tariffs on the importation of O equipment, especially shoes.

Contour Interval 5m

32 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

1985 World Orienteering Championships in Victoria - Staffed radio controls were used for split times and runner positions in the individual WOC event at Mt Kooyoora. The radios were made by Ron Larsson (Tintookies). Jean co-ordinated the information sent from the individual radio controls to give reports for the event commentator. (NB this was before SI timing. Radio controls were only at some selected sites). Basil was on the last radio control.

1986 J150 Carnival which included the National Championships. We catered for a mid-week event in the Flinders Ranges with 800 entries. We bought food and drinks from a bulk food store in Adelaide and hired a van to cart it all to the Flinders. After the event, Basil lost the van keys and had to hotwire the van to drive it back to Adelaide.

There was course setting for the Nationals at Kaiser Stuhl Conservation Park and helping fieldwork part of the event area. Two German orienteers were hosted to map the granite area.

1987 Wilpena Spurs in the Flinders Ranges near Wilpena Pound remains arguably the most complex spur/gully terrain of any Orienteering map made in South Australia according to the Tintookies history webpage 2021. We field-worked the area in four days, thanks to excellent Chris Wilmott photogrammetry and a good aerial photo of vegetation. The map was used for the SA State Championships later that year.

WILPENA SPURS

1990 Basil finished the Merridee map (for the 1990 Easter Three Days held near Burra) in an empty house, all belongings and furniture packed, handing over the drawings on the evening that we left SA and moved to NSW (where Basil took up a position at Orange Agricultural College).

After 13 years of orienteering in South Australia and helping to develop a progressive, supportive Orienteering family, it was a great honour to be made Life Members of Tintookies Club.

And so to NSW There was no local Orienteering club in the NSW Central Tablelands so we joined Mountain Devils, a Blue Mountains club (since defunct). We met and became friends with Nick Dent and Hilary Wood.

1994 Started Goldseekers, after Jean was invited to organise a 6-week course on Orienteering through the Orange Community College. Jean was founding president (and has continued as president or secretary ever since). Basil has been the technical backbone of the club, concerned with mapmaking, course setting and controlling.

Our first map, Lake Canobolas, made by Dave Lotty, was used for Goldseekers’ first event. Our first bush map was Rocky Falls in Mullion State Forest.

1996 Easter Carnival at Orange. Eric Andrews stayed with us for over 3 months while he made two of the maps for Easter.

Kahli’s Rocks was his first OCAD map and his first use of a computer! Eric asked endless computer-related questions every evening. Unfortunately, Eric’s mapping companion, his dog, Kahli, was bitten by a snake and died at the gate as Eric headed for the vet. Hence the map name, Kahli’s Rocks.

Kahli was ceremoniously buried on the farm near our house.

Macquarie Woods was the first OCAD map we drew. It was used for the Family Relays that year.

2021 Sport NSW awards Basil and Jean Baldwin.

And so it has continued - Map making, organising events, setting courses, coaching, controlling for many events including international (2006 Junior World Orienteering Championships in Dubbo, NSW), national (2021 Australian 3-Days in Orange, NSW) as well as State and local. Working to develop and extend Orienteering in the Central West (helping the Western Plains club, trying to establish Orienteering in Bathurst).

There has been a sustained effort with schools and young people. Goldseekers, under Basil and Jean’s leadership, first held a formal Orienteering Gala Day for school students in 2013. They have provided Orienteering programs to schools for many years, continuing to do so in 2021. Running O events in schools and having the thrill of seeing kids running enthusiastically on courses. When ONSW introduced the Orienteering Scholar scheme, bringing young overseas orienteers to NSW, they hosted all of these scholars for periods of 3-4 weeks.

2021 Sport NSW Distinguished Long Service Awards.

2017 Awarded the ONSW Encouragement Award.

2021 Awarded the NSW Sport Distinguished Long Service Award.

We’ve made lots of friends in Australia and across the world through Orienteering. We never expected any award for these things. They all had their own rewards, but we are honoured that we were recognised with a Sport NSW, Distinguished Long Service Award.

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 33

OACT 50 YEARS

ACT Orienteers Celebrate 50 Years of Orienteering History One Wednesday last May, about 80 past and present orienteers took part in the 50th Anniversary celebrations of regular orienteering in the ACT. Those attending included ten past or current ACTOA/OACT Presidents, and several others who were prominent in the early history of ACT orienteering.

56 participants went on one of the “Flashback” courses on Black Mountain Reserve, where the inaugural event was conducted on 16 May 1971. They enjoyed the experience of searching for red-and-white plastic bucket controls, using a black-and-white map oriented to true north (not magnetic north) and showing contours, vehicle tracks, some watercourses and not much else. Participants also spent time studying the historical display, catching up with past orienteering friends whom they may not have seen for many years, and sampling one of the 50th Anniversary biscuits (Covid-safe instead of a cake), baked by Carol Harding.

Bob Mouatt.

Bert Elson.

Bryant Allen.

David Jenkins.

Hugh Moore.

Grace Crane.

34 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

Map display.

Maurice Ongania & Anne Sawkins.

Maurice Ongania & David Hogg.

Replica early control.

John Scown in retro O-top.

John Sutton.

WOC 1985.

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 35

OACT 50 YEARS

David lives a full life loving the ‘sport for life’

By Nick Overall (Canberra City Times) June 15, 2021

O

RIENTEERING has often been coined as “a sport for life” and for David Hogg, the man who brought it to Canberra 50 years ago, that title couldn’t be more fitting.

He’s an Australian championships winner, the inaugural president of the Orienteering Federation Australia and still a competitor himself at 78, and on the 50th anniversary of the sport’s presence here in Canberra David says he’s proud to see how far it’s come. “At our first ever event in 1971 we had about 20 people.

Today we have over 400 people turn up,” he says.

Originally created in the late 1800’s for military training, Orienteering sees competitors navigating terrain as quickly as possible with only a map, compass and their intuition to guide them. Charting a course from Scandinavia, the sport arrived in Australia in 1969 and David, a Melbourne University student and keen outdoorsman, was excited to attend the country’s first Orienteering event.

“I enjoyed it straight away, so when I moved to Canberra in 1971, I wanted to bring it with me,” he says. “One of the geography lecturers at the Canberra College of Advanced Education [now University of Canberra], was quite interested. He found a map of Black Mountain which I redrew as an orienteering map.”

Canberra’s first Orienteering event would see about 20 participants traversing Black Mountain, which at the time did not feature the iconic tower atop its summit. “In those days Parkes Way wasn’t built, either, it was just a minor road going along the base of the mountain,” says David. “We went up the road, over near the top of the mountain and back down and around to where we started.”

1972 - The first Australian orienteering team to travel overseas (to NZ) including David Hogg (left), Alex Tarr (centre) and Tom Andrews (right).

From there David and his friends would continue to organise Orienteering events and by 1980 he says hundreds of people were regularly turning up to compete. It was certainly helped by Canberra’s “bush capital” status, with the mountains, forests, parks and nature reserves offering abundant space that David says were great for orienteering.

“We used Majura, the Stromlo forests and Kowen forests near Queanbeyan, Mount Ainslie, and the Namadgi National Park, too,” he says. “In ‘74 we hosted the Australian Championships in Pierces Creek Forest and in ‘77 it was hosted at Orroral Crossing. It went from an event every now and again to every month, and then to every fortnight as it grew in popularity.” Now, with a passionate and plentiful following, Canberra orienteering celebrated its 50th anniversary with a re-creation of the first event on Black Mountain.

In recent years Orienteering has also made its way from the bush to the streets, with an alternative variation that David says has allowed many beginners and less physically able people to get involved.

Despite all of his tireless efforts to promote the sport, they never slowed down David’s own competitive orienteering. He was a part of the first Australian team to travel overseas to NZ for a dual country challenge that the visiting team won with confidence.

In 1994 David took out the Australian championship, in 1996 he won the Asia-Pacific championships in Hong Kong, in 2008 he was inducted into the ACT Sports Hall of Fame and in 2021 he’s still competing. “These days if I get in the top 10 I’m generally happy,” he says. For David, the magic is in the mental challenge. “It’s amazing how fast elite runners can go through rough terrain, up and down steep hills, jumping gullies and logs and at the same time reading their map as they go,” he says.

David Hogg… “At our first ever event in 1971 we had about 20 people.

Today we have over 400 people turn up.” Photo: Nick Overall.

36 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

Today, the sport has spread throughout every State in Australia and David believes there’s a strong future for it yet. “When you think about a young person navigating bushland on their own they really learn to think independently and make decisions and that builds a lot of confidence,” he says. “But at the same time Orienteering has five-year age brackets that go all the way up to over 90.” “It really is a sport for life.”

ACT Orienteering celebrate 50th year golden jubilee

By Brent Worsley (Canberra Times)

W

hen David Hogg started orienteering in Canberra 50 years ago, he was sent into the bush with a hefty compass and a hand-drawn map. As the sport readies to celebrate its 50th year golden jubilee in the capital, Hogg is shocked at how much orienteering has changed. Oversized compasses have been replaced with a light-weight thumb attachment, while maps are digitised by computers and include everything from contour lines to termite mounds. “It has been very satisfying to see Orienteering grow, I have certainly enjoyed watching how it has developed and particularly how people have joined in,” Hogg said.

Orienteering veterans David Hogg and Bob Mouatt watch on as Matt and Grace Crane run past. Photo: Nick Overall.

Hogg was president of the Orienteering Federation Australia based in Melbourne in 1970 and when he moved to Canberra in 1971, introduced the capital to the sport. He tracked down a map of Black Mountain from a geography lecturer and re-drew it to use it for orienteering purposes. With the help of some donated compasses and word of mouth, 21 competitors competed in the first Orienteering event in Canberra on May 16, 1971. Half a century later, 430 orienteers contested a golden jubilee event at Broulee. As the popularity of Orienteering has grown year to year the sport has had to evolve to keep up with the demand, and develop with the newly available technology.

“The new technology has made it certainly a lot easier to organise in many ways,” Hogg said. “It has made it a more exact sport in terms of the navigation required and for most people made it more enjoyable.”

Orienteering ACT board member Bob Mouatt is equally amazed at the sport’s growth during his 44-year involvement in Canberra. “It was all manual originally, I organised my first event in 1978, everything was manual - we had to type things up in typewriters and now everything is electronic,” Mouatt said. One thing that hasn’t changed is Mouatt’s love and passion for Orienteering, and he played a large role in organising the Broulee event.

“We were only expecting we would get 200 to 250. When we started to see the entries climb over 300 and go up to 430, we were taken by surprise,” Mouatt said. “Even though I’m 82 and I’ve got osteoarthritis in my ankle, I’ve had a total knee replacement, and a hip replacement, I still manage to get out there. I love the challenge.”

Grace Crane, a Canberra Cockatoo and Australia representative, fell in love with the sport at a young age. “I got into Orienteering in late primary school when there was a twilight series on a Wednesday after school, I went along to those and got hooked really quickly,” Crane said. Crane represented Tasmania before moving to Canberra, and has represented Australia for almost 20 years winning multiple titles. She also holds the accolade for achieving the best result by an Australian relay team at the Orienteering World Championships, when they finished fourth in 2006.

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 37

INTERVIEW

Kay Haarsma retires Kay Haarsma is retiring from MTBO coaching and administration positions with Orienteering Australia.

Marina Iskhakova interviews Kay. 1. How have you started with MTBO in Australia?

What was the main attraction? What convinced you that it had a future in Australia?

I had heard about MTBO happening in the Czech Republic and got some copies of maps from there. The organisation looked quite easy, with controls only on tracks, and thus could utilise South Australian pine forest areas. I had been increasingly into the various disciplines of cycling and thought this would be another option. I also believed it would be attractive to mountain bike riders and thus open up a whole new market for Orienteering.

Soon after I ran the first events in SA Blake Gordon initiated MTBO in Victoria, running both State & Australian Championships successfully and it grew from there. He also master minded the 2004 World Championships in Ballarat and has been a long-time driver of the sport.

2. You devoted a couple of decades to MTBO. How would you define the MTBO? What do you believe are key features of MTBO as a sport?

I guess you can define MTBO as “nav on wheels.”

MTBO is both a type of Orienteering and a different modality of cycling. It is unique in that competitors can come into it from either sport, or even adventure racing. Also, its useful to still compete in foot O / cycle racing to enhance one’s skills but also for variation.

The importance of navigational expertise and mental coolness, rather than physical fitness specificity, can be seen by the fact that, for the moment, the best elite riders do well in Sprint, Middle & Long Distance and Mass Start.

Ebike and pair categories also need to be embraced by our sport as there is more than one avenue to the elite pathway.

3. You have been Australian MTBO Coach for many years? How did that come about? What were your WMTBOC countries/years?

As a PE & Outdoor Education teacher I had a strong affinity for coaching different sports from a young age. Initially being a runner, I started off as an athletics coach. My O coaching started after my elite foot O career got curtailed by injury. I

2004: Gold to Adrian Jackson, Silver to Belinda Allison in the Middle Distance race at Castlemaine.

38 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

Kay at the 2015 World Masters MTBO in Portugal. Photo: Joaquim Margarido

KAY’S AUSTRALIAN MTBO TEAM SERVICE 2002

WMTBOC

France

team member

2004

WMTBOC

Australia

Coach

2007

WMTBOC

Czech Rep

Coach

2008

WMTBOC

Poland

Coach

2009

WMTBOC

Israel

Coach

2010

WMTBOC & JWMTBOC

Portugal

Coach

2011

WMTBOC & JWMTBOC

Italy

Coach

2015

WMTBOC & JWMTBOC

Czech

Coach

2017

WMTBOC & JWMTBOC

Lithuania

Coach

2018

WMTBOC & JWMTBOC

Austria

Coach

was privileged to be co-WOC coach in 1985 and then JWOC coach/manager six times from 1991-2003.

I competed in the first MTBO WOC in 2002 in France and was inspired by the whole scene. Australia was awarded the 2nd Championships in 2004 and I saw a need to coach & co-ordinate a squad to maximise our chances of success.

I even spent that year in Canberra as that was where most team members were based.

2008: The full team in Poland.

2009: more Gold for Adrian in Israel. A very small team that year, with just Adrian and Carolyn Jackson.

4. What are the most critical qualities for Elite MTBO? How would you define a winning formula for MTBO rider?

A good supply of intricate maps of various terrains are critical for elite MTBO. I believe the navigational demands of MTBO are often under-rated, especially by foot orienteers.

Complex maps make route choices especially important, with climb, distance, your riding strengths, track rideability and direction of entering & leaving the control all important. SI AIR at 1.5m distance means you can race through controls, rather than having a slow approach & using that time to read the map. Unlike in foot O, you can’t just cut through the forest if you have made a mistake.

All elites can be physically capable. But the best are often quicker decision makers and also have a cool head on their shoulders to read and adapt to the nuances of the map, terrain and other uncontrollables. With fitness being equal then I rate in importance: Navigation as 45% and Mental Coolness 55%.

5. Please could you share some unforgettable success stories from your coaching experience?

In MTBO Adrian Jackson won 10 medals over six WOCs and was the dominant male rider of the era.

He started MTBO as an elite after having competed at JWOC in foot O. He always prepared thoroughly, had navigational smarts, and remained cool under pressure. I don’t think I taught him a lot but as an efficient coach I ensured he had good training exercises and knew exactly what was happening in Championship races. At the exceptionally hot WOC in Israel I had ice vests for him to put on before and after races. If nothing else, it made his rivals jealous!

We first took juniors away to MTBO JWOC in 2010 in Portugal.

Marc Gluskie (TAS), Luke Poland (ACT), Chris Firman (QLD) struggled initially but then put consistent rides together to snare the 5th podium place in the Relay much to everyone’s delight. Other well deserved JWOC highlights were Angus Robinson’s Sprint gold in 2015 and Lucy Mackie’s Middle Distance silver medal in 2017.

I believe that individual one-on-one coaching is crucial, but we don’t do enough of it in Australia in either foot O or MTBO. I’m very proud of coaching foot orienteers Vanessa Round & Amber Tomas from School O to JWOC & WOC teams. In 2007, before JWOC in Dubbo, Vanessa had a leg injury that curtailed her training. Thus, I got her to warm-up and cool down on an exercise bike to limit the time on her feet.

6. You have been an elite athlete for many years yourself! What is still your main thrilling win or result you remember through the years?

In 2002, after MTBO WOC, I competed in and won the elite female division of Bike Adventure, in the Czech Republic,

2011: Kay prepares one of our first juniors, Marc Gluskie, for a start in Italy.

Marina Iskhakova riding with Kay at the opening parade for the 2017 World Masters MTBO in Orleans, France.

despite being 48 years of age. This was a huge event and very prestigious as many of the top elites competed. It was a 2-day rogaine type event for pairs. I asked a Czech friend to find me “a decent rider, not some old slow veteran.” I was paired up with a Czech girl who had recently retired from the Czech MTB elite cross-country team! She was better technically on the bike and faster initially than me but hadn’t been training, so had to draft behind me for the last hour each day. She couldn’t read a map and didn’t speak English, so I learnt a few Czech words of “left; right, slow, faster.” We had fun.

7. What has been your favourite WOC and overseas experiences?

Israel 2009 is my favourite and most countries agree on this.

It was way above expectations. They didn’t have a strong background in MTBO or high-profile riders, so I was worried about what standard it would be. It really set the benchmark with outstanding terrains that were just so specific to the different disciplines. They even had the foresight to have most Finishes, given the hot temperatures, at local swimming pools. And all done with limited volunteers – the same people seemed to be at the breakfast, Starts, Finish and presentations. All this done with war occurring in the country.

One Bulletin stated: “do not be afraid to come to Israel – the range of the rocket fire will be at least 5 kilometres from any maps.” A good incentive not to ride off the map.

Czech 5 Days near Pilsen occurs every two years and attracts huge fields. Most people camp or stay near the event centre and all events are rideable to the Start, as there is lots of

2011: The full team in Italy.

2017: Just three riders in Lithuania with Lucy Mackie winning a Silver medal.

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 39

INTERVIEW

forest nearby. You can be riding to and from with families with small children or with a world champ, all equally friendly.

Lots of fun activities in the evenings too.

Pre-WOC training camps overseas are always fun and often we have had other nations join our group which often results in great friendships. Saki from Japan did so for several years and it was great to subsequently meet up with her for a ride in Japan. Since 2008 we have often trained with some of the Russian team, with their coach Natalia, being very generous in sharing her time.

8. How do you see the Development of MTBO in Australia and its future?

MTBO had a fantastic early development, both hosting the 2nd ever WOC and having really strong Australian teams in the 2000’s. These teams were mostly made up of elite foot orienteers who had transitioned into MTBO as were our JWOC medallists Angus and Lucy.

It was somewhat unfortunate that we had a very reduced team to Israel in 2009 because of the uncertain war activity happening there and our numbers of elites have dropped off since then. We have good mappers, technical officials and event organisers but are attracting fewer elites and juniors.

I once asked a Finnish rider why they always had big and successful teams. She said: “Well we get good support from our national federation, as they consider that all WOC medals are equal, whether they come from Foot, MTBO or Ski O. So, orienteers are encouraged to do any or even all the disciplines.” The Finns have been successful through the whole 20-year history of MTBO WOC and it is only recently that Norway & Sweden have joined in the medal fight.

This same equitable philosophy needs to be evident in Orienteering Australia and the State bodies rather than treating MTBO as a sideline activity. Foot & MTBO are the same but using different modes of travel. There needs to be more affirmative action to promote MTBO. Many juniors drop out of foot O whereas they could find enjoyment in MTBO. 9. How do you see / how could you define the future trends in World MTBO in 2020-2040?

b) I visualise gravel type bikes could be used for some terrains, especially for urban sprints. Riders might bring two bikes to a Championships, which will make logistics hard and favour the wealthier European type nations even more.

Presently there is no limitation on the type of bike to be used - so perhaps we might have to rule one bike only, or limit tyre widths. c) More and more people are riding bikes. Hopefully this will translate (with promotion) to more mountain bike orienteers.

10. If the resources are not limited, what would you see as the first 3 priorities for MTBO development in Australia?

1) Promotion, Promotion, more promotion. Get it done professionally, at least to show us how. Orienteers throughout Australia organise fantastic events but do little promotion to attract new blood.

2) More equitable financial support for MTBO including a) Part time paid coach / development officer; b) more training camp opportunities.

3) States should consider more rogaine type events, even using suburbia and have pair categories. This means no-one gets the dreaded DNF and having pairs is more sociable and makes it attractive to adventure racing types.

11. The news on your retirement from MTBO governance was very sudden and sad. Could you share what are your main dreams and aspirations?

I’m well along the way of my planned “wearing out rather than rusting out.”

A failed knee replacement & shoulder hassles limits my exercise to cycling.

I’m trying to ride most of the mountain bike parks in Australia, but they keep making new ones!

Also planning on doing more bike packing on dirt and making new routes for others to use.

Basically, just letting loose the inner explorer.

Kay Haarsma

a) I see MTBO rapidly moving ahead technologically. Riders will have ipad type electronic maps instead of paper on map boards. This will enable riders to change the scale as they go for better readability when needed.

Kay arranged for the Australian and New Zealand teams to combine training before the 2018 WMTBOC in Austria.

40 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

VALE

Vale Joan Bourne FROM ORIENTEERING QUEENSLAND E-NEWS

In very sad news for family and friends, Australia’s oldest orienteer, Joan Bourne, passed away peacefully in late June, just two months shy of her 101st birthday.

J

oan had been in an aged care facility in Stanthorpe after living independently at home until she was 99. Her involvement in orienteering and her healthy and active lifestyle no doubt contributed to her longevity.

She was competing in orienteering events well into her late eighties and won her age class at the Australian Championships from 1991 to 1996.

Joan and her late husband, John, were amongst the pioneers of orienteering in Queensland, were foundation members of the Toohey Forest Club and played a major role in establishing the Bullecourt Boulder Bounders Club. They were active helpers and supporters of BBB events for decades. Joan and John also competed in Scotland at the Scottish 6 days for several years with Joan placing 2nd in 1991.

Their five children all became hooked on orienteering from an early age and the family participated (and placed) in many state, interstate and national championships. Their descendants are still making a mark on the sport being involved in mapping, controlling and organizing many major events. Daughter Liz remains the stalwart of the BBB club, while younger daughter Jenny remains the Australian benchmark of orienteering prowess in her age group. Two of Joan’s grandchildren, Belinda and Ian Lawford, have been members of

Australia’s JWOC team while the children of grandson, Mark Bourne, are also now starting to participate at events. These generations of orienteers really demonstrate that the sport is truly one for life.

Joan and John retired to The Summit outside Stanthorpe from Brisbane in 1984 to a rural residential property where Joan continued an active lifestyle of gardening, birdwatching and involvement in local community and craft groups as well as helping out at BBB events. Daughter, Liz, also lives near Stanthorpe and fortunately was able to be with her mother in her final hours. Her passing leaves her family and friends with some wonderful memories of a life well lived. Because of Covid restrictions preventing family members from coming to Queensland, a memorial service has been delayed until more are able to travel but will probably be held towards the end of August.

We send our deepest condolences to the whole Bourne Family on their loss. Joan’s warmth and contribution to orienteering will be long remembered.

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 41

O-RINGEN

History of the O-Ringen

T

he O-Ringen is an orienteering competition that takes place annually in different areas of Sweden. Orienteers from all over the world come to the competition. For orienteers around the world a trip to the O-Ringen 5-days is their Mecca.

This race attracts significant media coverage in Sweden and winning O-Ringen is often considered second only to the World Championships in prestige.

The competition takes place over 5 days in July, where every active day is a competition stage. Competitors are assigned start Overhead view of Finish chutes. times for the first four stages of the race, but on the fifth and final stage a “chasing start” is used. In a chasing start the overall leader in each class starts first and the remaining competitors start according to the total time they trail. This means that the first runner over the Finish line on the final stage is the winner.

Known initially and for many years as the Fem Dagars, or 5-Days, the O-Ringen was started in 1965 in Denmark, Skåne and Blekinge by a group of orienteers including Peo Bengtsson and Sivar Nordstöm. 156 participants attended the first Fem Dagars and the participation levels have steadily increased since. Up until today the highest participant level was in 1985 in Dalarna/Falun where there were 25,021 participants.

The O-Ringen was included in the World Cup orienteering series in 1998, 2007 and 2008. In 2009 there was prize money in the Elite series, the main classes for both the men and the women, O-Ringen Finish. totalling half a million Swedish kronor. The final result in the junior elite classes counts Year Location(s) Entries towards the SILVA Junior Cup. 1965 Skåne, Blekinge, Denmark 156 The O-Ringen Academy is a training program which consists of three sections; International, Leadership and Sports. The International section focuses on training orienteers from all over the world who want to learn more about Orienteering in order to develop the sport in their home countries.

The Leadership section is a leadership training course in the form of seminars and speeches. The Sports section is more concerned with the physical side with training camps of different sorts, including a week for juniors before the O-Ringen.

Peo Bengtsson at O-Ringen 2014.

42 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

672

Ladies winner

Men’s winner

Inga-Britt Bengtsson

Nils Bohman

1966

Småland (4), Västergötland

Kerstin Granstedt

Juhani Salmenkylä

1967

Motala

1,910

Ulla Lindkvist

Kalle Johansson

1968

Borås

3,250

Ulla Lindkvist

Åge Hadler

1969

Rommehed

5,355

Ulla Lindkvist

Stefan Green

1970

Kristianstad

6,378

Ulla Lindkvist

Bernt Frilén

1971

Malmköping

8,627

Ulla Lindkvist

Hans Aurell

1972

Eksjö

8,253

Ulla Lindkvist

Hans Aurell

1973

Rättvik

10,449

Ulla Lindkvist

Bengt Gustafsson

1974

Kristianstad

10,196

Ulla Lindkvist

Ernst Jönsson

1975

Haninge

9,322

Anne Lundmark

Matti Mäkinen

1976

Ransäter

14,843

Sarolta Monspart

Gert Pettersson

1977

Visby

7,186

Liisa Veijalainen

Sigurd Dæhli

1978

Skara

15,148

Liisa Veijalainen

Kjell Lauri

1979

Örebro

15,842

Britt-Marie Karlsson

Lars-Henrik Undeland

1980

Uppsala

15,142

Liisa Veijalainen

Lars Lönnkvist

1981

Mohed

18,983

Annichen Kringstad

Jörgen Mårtensson

1982

Luleå

13,631

Annichen Kringstad

Lars Lönnkvist

1983

Anderstorp

22,498

Annichen Kringstad

Håkan Eriksson

1984

Bräkne-Hoby

16,123

Karin Gunnarsson

Kent Olsson

1985

Falun

25,021

Annichen Kringstad

Joakim Ingelsson

1986

Borås

17,353

Annichen Kringstad

Anders Erik Olsson

1987

Norrköping

16,216

Katarina Borg

Lars Lönnkvist

1988

Sundsvall

16,413

Barbro Lönnkvist

Lars Lönnkvist

1989

Östersund

17,818

Barbro Lönnkvist

Niklas Löwegren

1990

Gothenburg

20,172

Ragnhild Bente Andersen

Per Ek

1991

Arboga

16,581

Arja Hannus

Håkan Eriksson

1992

Södertälje

17,806

Gunilla Svärd

Allan Mogensen

1993

Falkenberg

15,006

Annika Zell

Petter Thoresen

1994

Örnsköldsvik

14,414

Katarina Borg

Petter Thoresen

1995

Hässleholm

14,304

Eija Koskivaara

Jörgen Olsson

1996

Karlstad

17,007

Annika Zell

Jörgen Mårtensson

1997

Umeå

11,179

Katarina Borg

Jörgen Mårtensson

1998

Gävle

13,249

Hanne Staff

Johan Ivarsson

1999

Borlänge

15,238

Jenny Johansson

Fredrik Löwegren

2000

Hallsberg

13,740

Hanne Staff

Jimmy Birklin

2001

Märsta

12,525

Marlena Jansson

Johan Ivarsson

2002

Skövde

14,651

Simone Niggli-Luder

Mats Haldin

2003

Uddevalla

14,998

Heather Monro

Mats Haldin

2004

Gothenburg

13,259

Jenny Johansson

Valentin Novikov

2005

Skillingaryd

12,657

Emma Engstrand

Emil Wingstedt

2006

Mohed

13,500

Simone Niggli-Luder

Simonas Krepsta

Records

2007

Mjölby

14,300

Simone Niggli-Luder

Anders Nordberg

2008

Sälen

24,375

Anne Margrethe Hausken

Tero Föhr

•T he first ever stage of the Swedish 5-Days was held in Denmark.

2009

Eksjö

15,589

Helena Jansson

Martin Johansson

2010

Örebro

16,069

Simone Niggli-Luder

David Andersson

2011

Mohed

12,939

Tove Alexandersson

Erik Rost

2012

Halmstad

21,172

Tatiana Ryabkina

Olav Lundanes

2013

Boden

12,907

Tove Alexandersson

Thierry Gueorgiou

2014

Kristianstad

23,088

Tove Alexandersson

Thierry Gueorgiou

2015

Borås

18,058

Anne Margrethe Hausken

William Lind

2016

Sälen

24,313

Tove Alexandersson

Thierry Gueorgiou

2017

Arvika

15,127

Tove Alexandersson

William Lind

2018

Örnsköldsvik

17,171

Simone Niggli-Luder

Magne Daehli

2019

Norrköping

Tove Alexandersson

Ruslan Glebov

2020

Postponed to 2021

2021

Postponed to 2022

2022

Uppsala

2023

Åre

2024

Smålandskusten

Jörgen Mårtensson - three times winner.

•U lla Lindkvist has the most titles in the women’s class with eight wins.

•L ars Lönnkvist has won the men’s class four times

Tove Alexandersson - six times winner (so far).

OA NEWS

OA welcomes Hanny Allston to the team

O

A has appointed Hanny Allston to the board as Director – Coaching. Hanny Allston is the founding director of Find Your Feet, an award-winning Tasmanian business specialising in international trail running experiences, peak performance coaching and outdoor retail. She holds tertiary degrees in medical research, education, coaching and business. Hanny is an Australian Institute of Company Directors councillor, the tourism & recreation advisor on the Tasmanian National Parks & Wildlife Advisory Council and a director of Orienteering Australia. In 2015 she was the Tasmanian Young Businesswoman of the Year and in 2018 Find Your Feet won the Telstra Small Business of the Year. Hanny has authored two books and is a podcaster and motivational speaker.

Further to this she is a World Champion orienteer, ultraendurance trail runner and now, a mother.

SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 43

O-SPY

Finish Shute

A

O-SPY

O-SPY

Thank you to Chris Spriggs

n innovative use was found for some farm equipment at a MelBushO event on Wellington Chase, south-east of Melbourne. With the route to the Finish leading up along a track through thick bush it was an ideal “climbing ramp” for young orienteers.

Finish shute – Photo Peter Yeates.

Wellington Chase - Easy course.

I

n Queensland Chris Spriggs has been coordinating Thursday events for about 18 years, and recently made the difficult decision to step back a bit. Mid Week Orienteering is very pleased to announce that James Mitchell has kindly agreed to take over as Mid Week Coordinator, as from now.

Mid Week origins started with the Army and was later taken over by local orienteers. It is still much the same format … a good professional run in the bush or park in and around Brisbane. They always have three Hard courses and an Easy in school holidays and for sponsored events. They now use MapRun for some park events as well. MWO intend to continue with the Thursday format from March to November if they can, assuming they get sufficient volunteers. Many people have started organising Thursdays before moving on to club and higher events.

Chris wishes to thank a lot of people who continue to play a big part in keeping MWO together: John Cooper and Matt Ross on the computer, Matt again running the Facebook page and helping to put events on the web, Nev for organizing the money side of things, Jim Bowling for always being there to help. There are many others, past and present, particularly all the people who volunteer during the year. The social side of Mid Week after a run is always enjoyable. Chris intends to continue attending events in this great sport as much as he can!

OQ gives a huge thank you to Chris for the many years of dedication to Mid Week Orienteering. Without him, many people would not have been able to enjoy the camaraderie and regular exercise on Thursday mornings, that is MWO.

44 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

Starpicker – Game Release

S

tarPicker, a video game inspired by Orienteering.

Created by a confirmed forest runner who is also a veteran in the video game field, StarPicker is a new Orienteering video game now available for PC, Mac and Linux.

Thanks to his experience the developer managed to create a dynamic game which will know how to seduce the largest number.

Indeed, the idea of this project, started in 2015, is to create an experience which can initiate young people to Orienteering while focusing on the different feelings of excitement so the regular runner can find a footing and challenge.

Unlike a simulation game, StarPicker takes some liberties to offer a more fun and accessible experience of Orienteering.

The game has its own legend of maps and original ways to play inspired from Rogaine races or training exercises, for example. The story leads the players in 5 different fantastic environments each with their own specificities, and through more than 60 maps with progressive difficulty.

New maps will be added regularly and for free afterward.

StarPicker is available on the Steam game platform at this address: http://bit.ly/starpickersteam

Orienteering in an IKEA store?

Jukola Relays map - 1949

B

T

etter orienteering indoors in southern China’s summer heat? IKEA stores are huge - so huge, that you can really hold Orienteering there! The indoor race took place on two days in August. Foshan is a city in the south of China, not far from Hong Kong. In August, the subtropical climate means it’s pretty hot at around 25-30 degrees Celsius. Indoor orienteering meant runners could avail of the air conditioning indoors. Prizes were sponsored by the Foshan IKEA store.

he first Jukola Relays, held in 1949, used a map with a scale of 1:30,000 !!

Not the first time with IKEA orienteering?

Apparently this is not the first time an indoor Orienteering race has been conducted inside an IKEA store. Klagenfurt, Austria has had an annual IKEA competition from 2013 to at least 2016, although it appears to be a mixed indoor-outdoor race.

An IKEA store in Shenzhen, China.

Nearby Foshan organised an indoor Orienteering race in August.

Ash Barty wins 2021 Wimbledon

W

hen Bega Cheese, makers of that much-loved breakfast spread Vegemite, first took on sponsorship of Ash Barty, they distributed a limited edition of the spread re-named “Bartymite”. And now she is not only World No 1 female tennis player but also Wimbledon Champion. Must be something good in the formula.

Bolts from the Blue

L

ast year we reported on the birth of a baby daughter to Usain Bolt and his partner Kasi Bennett. The infant’s name was Olympia Lightning Bolt. The couple have recently announced the birth of twin boys, named Thunder Bolt and Saint Leo Bolt (Saint Leo being Usain’s middle name).

OLYMPIC GAMES

H

aving just watched the Olympics and the new TV-friendly sports that have been introduced I can’t help thinking that there was never ever any chance of Orienteering being accepted into the Summer Olympics program. What was the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) thinking? And how much money did they waste over several decades on that futile exercise? Money which could have been far better spent on developing junior participation around the world.

Michael Hubbert SEPTEMBER 2021 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER 45

O-SPY

China ultramarathon: Severe weather kills 21 runners

T

wenty-one runners died after extreme weather struck a long-distance race in north-western China in late May. High winds and freezing rain hit participants in the 100km ultramarathon in the Yellow River Stone Forest, a tourist site in Gansu province. The race was halted when some of the 172 runners went missing, and a rescue operation was launched.

Many of the stranded runners reportedly suffered from hypothermia.

Liang Jing, an ultramarathon champion, and Huang Guanjun, who won the men’s hearing-impaired marathon at China’s 2019 National Paralympic Games, were among the victims, state-run media reported. Officials said 151 runners were now confirmed safe, and that eight of them were injured. The race began at 09:00 local time with some of the competitors setting off wearing just shorts and T-shirts.

Surviving participants said the forecast had shown some wind and rain was anticipated, but nothing as extreme as what they experienced. About three hours after the start, a mountainous section of the race was hit by hail, heavy rain and gales, which caused temperatures to plummet.

One runner, Mao Shuzhi, said she turned around when the weather changed. “The rain was getting heavier and heavier,” said Ms Mao, who was about 24km into the race at the time and had not yet reached the mountains.

She decided to head back to her hotel, having had previous bad experiences with hypothermia, but others carried on or were already in worst-hit areas. Many runners reportedly lost their way on the route as the weather affected visibility. More than 1,200 rescuers were deployed, assisted by thermalimaging drones and radar detectors, according to state media.

Xmas 5 Days

HANDYMAN For stockist call 1800 808 971 MAKERS OF THE ORIGINAL SWISS ARMY KNIFE | ESTABLISHED 1884

VICTORINOX AWARD This issue’s Victorinox Award goes to David Hogg in commemoration of his 50 years of Orienteering organization in ACT..

David will receive a Victorinox Handyman which includes 24 tools and features – retail value $139.

T

his great competition which is held over 5 days and on a variety of terrains, will be held in the NSW Southern Highlands.

The courses are set and maps ready so we look forward to seeing all our friends (from a COVID Distance).

Entries are open for you to view the Information sheet and maps. So start planning your break away. The Southern Highlands offers some lovely things to do after you have run.

This event was rescheduled from 2020 and while we are still having issues with LGA COVID lockdowns (at close of publication), we are hopeful to have the freedom to hold each of these events and that all of you are able to attend. We will be doing everything possible to hold the 5 events and we emphasise that you must abide by the rules of the day.

Important to all stay safe!

If you have any questions you can phone the events Co-ordinator, Colin Price 0415210339 or email: colinp53@yahoo.com.au 46 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER SEPTEMBER 2021

Advertise your event A colour 6 x 9 cm event ad for just $50 Send artwork to The Editor: mikehubbert@ozemail.com.au

Top Events 2021

2023 Sept 11-12 Sept 25Oct 3 Sept 28-30

Easter

QLD MTBO Championships Murgon & Wondai, QLD AUS Championships Launceston & St Helens,Tasmania www.aoc2021.tasorienteering.asn.au AUS Schools Championships Bicheno & St Helens,Tasmania

May 13-16 July 2-9 July 11-16

Sept 28-30

Turbo Chook 3 Days Bicheno & St Helens,Tasmania

July 23-29

Oct 8-10

World Masters MTBO Champs Abrantes, Portugal

August 11-18

Oct 15-17

ACT MTBO Championships

Oct 23-24

VIC Middle & Long Championships Kangaroo Crossing, NE Victoria Australian MTBO Champs Kuri Kuri, NSW, ausmtbochamps.com Xmas 5 Days NSW Southern Highlands

Nov 12-14

Dec 27-31

August 18-27 September

Jan 22-24 Mar 12-14 April 2-3 April 15-18

April 23-25 May 13-29

June 17-19 June 26-30

July 7-17

July 9-16

July 15-20

July 24-30 Sept 24 Oct 2 Sept 15-20

JWOC 2022 Aguiar da Beira, Portugal WMTBOC & JWMTBOC Falun/Säter Sweden https://wmtboc2022.se O-Ringen 2022 Uppsala, Sweden AUS Championships Daylesford - Kyneton, Victoria World Masters MTBO Champs Targovishte, Bulgaria

AUS 3 Days Carnival,

June 28-30

World Masters MTBO Champs Viborg, Denmark O-Ringen 2024 Smålandskusten, Sweden WMTBOC & JWMTBOC Bulgaria Oceania & AUS Champs Carnival Armidale, NSW

Sept 9-16 Dates TBA

The UK’s Orienteering Magazine Packed with maps, event reports, coaching tips and advice, MTBO, Mountain Marathons/Rogaining, Competitions and much much more.

Subscribe online using all major credit cards at www.CompassSport.co.uk 52 pages, full colour, 6 times a year £50 World Subscription Var. 05

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Oceania 2022 Sth Island, New Zealand (see pg 10) http://oceaniao.nz/ High-O – Sprint,V Long, Relay Dinner Plain, Victoria Melbourne Sprint Weekend + NOL Canberra NOL events (forest) AUS 3 Days Carnival + NOL, Queensland Gold Coast NOL Sprint Weekend Queensland WMOC & World Masters Games near Kobe, Kansai Prefecture, Japan www.wmg2021.jp/en/ 2022 Jukola Relays Mynämäki, SW Finland Sprint WOC 2022 Denmark (near Velje, Jutland) woc2022.dk 2022 World Games Birmingham, Alabama, USA www.theworldgames2021.com/ WMOC 2022 Vieste (Gargano, Puglia) Italy

JWOC 2023 Romania Forest WOC 2023 Flims, Switzerland O-Ringen 2023 Åre, Sweden WMOC 2023 Slovakia WMTBOC & JWMTBOC Czech Republic AUS Championships Western Australia

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