GREAT LEGS
WOC 2004 – Sweden
The Golden Route
there, I use mostly hilltops for navigation, in order to be able to apply my good speed without technical risk. I punch the first control, I am feeling good, and my legs are light. Leg 2: When I am punching the first control, everything has already been prepared for the second control. I let myself be guided by the big hill in the middle of the leg. I do not slow down while approaching the post, using the small hills which securely lead to the second control. Leg 2
1. Novikov (RUS)
Overall
1. Gueorgiou (FRA)
.49 2. Gueorgiou (FRA) 4.03 2. Näsman (SWE)
+.02 2. Haldin (FIN) +.01 3. Wingstedt (SWE)
Medalists 1. Gueorgiou (FRA) 1st 0.00 2. Novikov (RUS) 4th +.13 3. Nordberg (NOR) Gueorgiou Leg place 2 Time .51 Best time
Thierry Gueorgiou (France) shows us the route he took to defend his Middle-distance World Championship and win again in 2004
O
NLY a few hours are left before my start, but since my wake-up, I feel calm and relaxed. My slight nervousness from the previous days has changed into a great serenity. The day is finally here, the day which I have trained for all year. I know exactly what I must do. I also know that I do not have to invent anything. I feel ready, and my self-confidence is high. I start the warm-up 40 minutes before my departure. The rainy weather suits me perfectly. Even if there are just a few minutes remaining before the biggest challenge of my O-career – to defend last year’s title – I try to remain concentrated on just myself. In this stage of my preparations, nothing is more important than my technique. I try to forget the environment and the stakes. Only a few seconds left. I am standing in front of the desk before my map; once again I remember that I must make my map-reading simple.
Leg 3
1. Gueorgiou (FRA)
1.34 1. Sirmais (LAT)
+.00 3. Olsson (SWE)
Overall
1. Gueorgiou (FRA)
5.37 2. Näsman (SWE)
+.05 3. Wingstedt (SWE)
Medalists 1. Gueorgiou (FRA) 1st 0.00 2. Novikov (RUS) 4th +.23 3. Nordberg (NOR) Gueorgiou Leg place 1 Time 1.34 Best time
34 THE AUSTRALIAN ORIENTEER JUNE 2005
+.02 +.19 6th +.25 .00
Leg 4: No difficulty until I reach the large, open marsh. Meanwhile, I try to prepare the final part of this leg, which initially looks difficult and tricky. I hover between the idea of taking the time to read all the small details in the final part of the leg (with the risk of wasting a lot of time), or just passing the area (and maybe also the re-entrant where the control is located) with a light voluntary left error and at full speed. Even if the forest is rather dense here, I decide to choose the second option. First, I reach the highest point on the final hill and then try to cross directly to the reentrant. I find the control without any problems. Leg 4
1. Huovila (FIN)
Overall
1. Gueorgiou (FRA)
.51 2. Omeltchenko (UKN) +.02 3. Gueorgiou (FRA) 6.31 2. Näsman (SWE)
+.10 3. Wingstedt (SWE)
+.03 +.24 5th +.28 -.03
Leg 5: The way to the next control is difficult in this very broken terrain. In the first part of the leg, I keep a general direction with my compass. Then, in the second part, I try to use the rocky surface. The
Leg 1: For me, the first control is always very important. The key to a good race is hidden in its opening part. I try to start with very good speed and with a solid map-reading tempo, because I know that it will be almost impossible to change any kind of “wrong” attitude during the race. The visibility is very good in this part. The first big contours are really remarkable and easy to reach. Then I am waiting for the small, wet ditch which is very visible between the two hills. From 3.11 2. Gueorgiou (FRA) +.01 3. Omeltchenko (UKN) +.03 3.11 2. Gueorgiou (FRA) +.01 3. Omeltchenko (UKN) +.03 2/+0.01 2. Novikov (RUS) 9/+0.16 3. Nordberg (NOR) 9/+0.16 2 Time 3.12 Best time -0.01
+.09 6th +.16 -0.02
Leg 3: On this leg, I probably have the best feelings with the map and terrain. I immediately make a good selection, running on the highest part of the area, using hard-and-fast rocky surfaces instead of wet and soft marshes. I let myself be guided by the contour-line to the final slope where the control is located. After climbing up onto the slope, I try to look as far as possible and see the small hill in the circle, which is some 70 meters ahead of me, in order to avoid any extra map-reading.
Medalists 1. Gueorgiou (FRA) 1st 0.00 2. Novikov (RUS) 4th +.27 3. Nordberg (NOR) Gueorgiou Leg place 3 Time .54 Best time
LEG 1 1. Näsman (SWE) Overall 1. Näsman (SWE) Medalists 1. Gueorgiou (FRA) Gueorgiou Leg place
+.02
Leg 5
1. Novikov (RUS)
2.24 2. Gueorgiou (FRA)
+.01 3. Nordberg (NOR) +.02
Overall
1. Gueorgiou (FRA)
8.56 2. Näsman (SWE)
+.11 3. Novikov (RUS) +.26
Medalists 1. Gueorgiou (FRA) 1st 0.00 2. Novikov (RUS) 3rd +.26 3. Nordberg (NOR) Gueorgiou Leg place 2 Time 2.25 Best time
4th +.29 -.01
