JWOC 2006

from The Australian Orienteer – September 2006

A PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

Gold and Silver for Hanny Allston

at Junior World Championships 2. I had a couple of lows during Hilary Wood Murray Scown the training week as 1. My a result THE Australian Juniors Team this year experienced something no previous team has seen - one of their team-mates winning highs were making the of getting used to two medals at a World Championships. A final in the terrain They saw the dedication and self-discipline of Hanny Allston pay off in her excellent achievement of the Gold medal in the classic event of the championship with a stunning 4 and half minute win over second place, running the 8.6 km course in 53 minutes and some seconds. JWOC 2006 proved to be a very successful time for the Australian Team. Matt Parton getting a podium 6th place in the Sprint event shows the potential we have in the team. Simon Uppill had a creditable performance and looks good for a better one on his home turf, Dubbo in 2007. Vanessa Round too has added to her JWOC experiences and will also be a worthy contender for the the Middledistance Race. The Relay was really open and fast and I had a good run. 2. My performance in the final of the Middle-distance race. It was a tougher race and I was disappointed with my time. and not performing well personally and having to get back up after it. 3. What I’d do differently? I’d get used to having the map in my hand and get the navigation right. 4. My advice would be to get the navigation right before fitness. 5. In the future I’ll do it for fun and run for the ACT team and WOC in the future….maybe. JWOC competition in Dubbo. We had a very interesting training camp experiencing the local quirkiness and quaintness at the Storo Romo (or Fat Romos) 3. I think if I had my time again I would train a bit harder. 4. My advice is to prepare as best 6. Awesome fun!!! Hanny Allston guesthouse. This house was full of woodcarvings and the tables as you can between Easter and 1. The Longand chairs were also carved out of solid wood and iron with a JWOC. distance horse motif. One needed to be a weightlifter to move the chairs!! 5. I’m going to have a break now race was It made for interesting and at times challenging experiences for and in the future train for the definitely the the team management in negotiating our needs and doing our Middle-distance race for WOC. highlight for best to get what the Team needed. Rob Walter and Reuben Smith who made the trip down from Sweden to help out at the training 6. Fantastic!! me. Other highlights camp again assisted us this year. Simonas Krepsta, an elite Kellie Whitfield were getting orienteer from the Lithuanian team, also befriended our Team 1. The team on with and gave some invaluable advice. spirit…it’s the Team Hanny’s 2nd place and Matt Parton’s very impressive 6th place in the Sprint set the scene for the week for the Australian Team. It been pretty good to and they’ve become really good friends. raised the confidence of all Team members and made it easier for cheer on 2. Lows for me were feeling them to believe in themselves and their ability to be competitive the other exhausted and a bit flat from on the world stage. The results for Team harmony were excellent Team being in a different culture and my with all Team members being supportive of one another and members performance in the Middle final encouraging in each other’s efforts and performances. This year and see a was a bit of a low for me. we asked the Team members to give us some insights into their experiences of JWOC in an interview with each after the relay race. fellow Team member come first. 3. My preparation this year was perfect and the extra week in This day was a little disappointing for the girls’ team but still saw 2. My personal low has been Kaunas with Simonas really Hanny finish with the fastest time of all on her course for the day. running bad and making stupid helped my preparation. We thought it would be more informative to hear from the Team, mistakes and knowing I can do it. 4. Definitely got to have good their thoughts about JWOC and their orienteering. As a result 3. If I had my time again I would navigation but have to be as fit as the following questions were put to each member of the 2006 go out with more confidence and you can be too. Australian JWOC Team: pep myself up. 5. Pretty obvious! But I’m sure I 1. Describe the highs for you at JWOC2006 in Lithuania. 4. My advice to others would be can reach the top one day at the 2. What were some of the low times for you either in the to go out confidently and use the senior level. I’ve got the speed in training camp or competition week? upper hand. the field against other runners but 3. Would you do anything different with your preparation if you had your time again? 5. I want to develop my strength and speed and then try out for the I have to develop mentally and technically. 4. What advice would you give to up and coming juniors for WOC team. 6. Awesome!! the Australian JWOC Team? 6. Fun!!!! Evan Barr 5. What are your future orienteering aspirations? Sophie Barker 1. Definitely the first time 6. And in one word or phrase can you sum up your JWOC 1. The high for me has been overseas has been a big high for 2006 experience? getting to know the Team and my me. The Relay has been the most run in the Relay – it’s been my fun race and spending 2 weeks best one for the week.

with a great bunch of guys. 2. The Longdistance race was a low for me. I had it in my head as my favourite race but I got a bit sick before and was not fully prepared and I hit the wall and that was pretty disappointing. 3. I think my training at a crucial stage tailored at a crucial time with my uni exams. I think if I had my time again I wouldn’t let myself get so stressed by my uni exams, otherwise I think I prepared fairly well. 4. Not to get stressed 5. I stopped orienteering for a few years and I’m not so good at navigation as I was and I really noticed that this week, yeh and I would really like to get my head working again! I want to keep enjoying it and I want to come back to Europe again in a couple of years. 6. Dill!! (in reference to the fact that it got served with almost every meal in Lithuania).

Matt Parton

1. The sprint race has to be my high I think. It was the perfect race for me – no real mistakes and I ran really well and for the whole day I couldn’t stop smiling. 2. Really, really disappointed at the results of the Long-distance as I had done a pile of training and preparation and just to be that sick on the morning of the race was a real heart wrencher. 3. Not a whole lot I think – just not to be sick. I was pretty happy with my preparation. I trained perhaps a bit hard in the weeks leading up to coming overseas but otherwise it was fairly alright. 4. mmmm don’t know…yeh don’t take it too seriously and if you don’t do well it is not the end of the world. N: so enjoy the experience M: Yes enjoy the experience that’s the most important thing 5. I’m going up to the races in Queensland for the Stingers and over to WA I think so… That’s it for the next couple of years - just race for NSW and see where I go from there. 6. It was great to get on the top10 list!!

Jasmine Neve

1. I dunno the whole thing has been pretty disappointing - but the high was making the A final when I wasn’t expecting to. My high was my training earlier in the year with the hope of that I was going to do well – that was fun. 2. Getting injured eight weeks before the competition and not running at all, not being able to run the Classic. Just knowing I’m not fast enough for the Sprint. Letting the team down and running crap in the A final when it came to it. 3. As above getting injured completely interrupted my training program. 4. My advice is to get as much race experience as you can and always orienteer properly - make sure you are as fit as you can be so you can keep up. 5. I don’t know what my future is. I tried out for the senior team this year with great hopes I might make it but now I’ll just see how my fitness goes and rethink it. 6. Lot of fun!!

Vanessa Round

1. The best thing has been being with the Team and having Hanny and Matt on the podium and to cheer them and like all the other Scandinavian countries and its good to see we can do it too. 2. The worst thing is that it is all over really quickly! 3. I was pretty happy with my preparation. 4. In Australia next year I will be more confident and be able to run really well. I hope to train and do as well as I can in Australia and prepare for the Classic race. 5. To go to JWOC in the team in Dubbo. 6. Fun and exciting!

Chris Naunton

1. No idea! I’ve had fairly consistent runs and that’s about it. 2. My fitness …it’s pretty poor at the moment and its tougher than I expected. 3. Train a lot more. 4. Train a lot more and I’ll get onto a couple of them and have fun enjoy it out there and take your time. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t win. 5. I’ll have to decide that … whether I actually start to train more seriously or do what I’m doing now and enjoy my time. 6. Fun!

Ryan Smyth

1. Being part of a great team that got on really well together for the training camp and the JWOC week. We supported each other really well whether we ran badly or well we supported each other. 2. I came with fairly high expectations of myself this week and while I never ran a perfect race I’m still fairly satisfied but unfortunately a big low for me was mispunching in the Middle qualifier which just took a lot of my mental concentration out for the rest of the week. 3. Probably not a lot but probably start thinking about JWOC a lot further ahead than I did. Last years JWOC I took it easy a bit instead of really getting into it and training hard. 4. Start now and really talk to others who have been to JWOC and if you really have a desire to do it start now! 5. Interviewer omitted this question 6. Frustrating!

Ainsley Cavanagh

1. Today (relay) was my best run and probably just the team this year too - all got along really well and it’s a nice atmosphere. 2. The Classic and my dodgy compass and I’d trained for it – pretty disappointed. 3. Maybe I could have spent more time in the terrain and take a different approach. 4. My advice is you have to train really hard especially for the Classic it’s a lot tougher than anyone thinks. Also get onto granite maps and train on them for next year. 5. Interviewer omitted this question. 6. Fantastic!!

Simon Uppill

1. Probably the Middle Qualifier and the Classic; both of those races were clean – they were probably my best two. 2. Just not being able to keep the speed and fitness throughout it all – last two days I’ve really slowed down over the last few days. 3. You have to train hard and when you are here you have to know your limits; take it easy. My advice is to train hard because it is a long carnival and you need to be running at your best every day and it’s tough. 4. Next year hopefully train hard and go into that JWOC stronger and perform more consistently through the races and not feel flat at the end hopefully and do a lot better in the Middle would be my main aim. 5. JWOC2007. 6. Awesome!