WMOC

Map for WMOC final at Witzelsberg (near Wiener Neustadt) showing the M55A course.

Australians do well at WMOC

WIENER NEUSTADT in Austria hosted the World Masters Orienteering Championships (WMOC) last July. More than 80 Australians travelled to Austria to watch and compete with the top age-class competitors in the world. The town of Wiener Neustadt dates from the 1300s and the castle was built using money from the ransom of the English king Richard the Lionheart, which possibly means that Robin Hood paid for building the castle. The event centre was in the Military Academy, the oldest still operating in Europe, and the free jazz concert there one night (especially organised for orienteers) featured Eddie Cole, grandson of the great Nat King Cole. First and foremost in orienteers’ memories of the forests around Wiener Neustadt will be the chasmic erosion gullies with marked tracks up their middle, possibly last trodden by Neolithic man. Who else in their right mind would go that way? Only orienteers. Climbing up out of them was a major exercise in itself. But once out, the complex formations under the pines were a treat to navigate through. With more than 4000 entrants the forests were full of orienteers but the large numbers didn’t interfere with one’s concentration and navigation – apart from those who insisted on asking where particular controls were located. Those people really are a nuisance and a distraction. Best places by Australians in the Final were: M35 – Eddie Wymer (5th) M45 – Jim Russell (7th) M50 – Geoff Lawford (6th) M80 – Hermann Wehner (10th)

Park Race

With Start and Finish in the centre of the old town, the Park Race took over Wiener Neustadt for a day. TV cameras on the courses provided live feed to the Big Screen erected in the main city square and the hyped-up commentator from a local TV station captured the attention of the crowd. What a way to promote Orienteering to a city of 40,000 inhabitants! Locals and tourists alike were swept up in the action as racers ducked in and out of alley-ways and through arches in search of elusive controls. Much of the event covered the old town where fine navigation was an essential skill. Parts of the old city walls made navigation tricky. Major street crossings were manned by army cadets who gave right-of-way to all racers. Controls in the town park were a little easier to find but picnicking families added to the spectator throng, putting pressure on racers to not make an error in full view of hundreds (and possibly also on the Big Screen). The last control and final leg to the Finish, all in the main town square, made for great spectator involvement.

The Big Screen in Wiener Neustadt’s main square relayed action from many parts of the course in the Park Race.

Eddie Wymer takes 5th at WMOC

Eddie Wymer drove from his home in France to compete in the M35 class at WMOC. His result in the final was a very creditable 5th place, confirming that he is still competitive with the best even though he takes part in few major events these days. In WMOC2004 at Asiago, Italy, Eddie took the silver medal in M35 so he hasn’t lost much in the ensuing two years. Eddie lives near Besancon in eastern France with his wife Isobel and their children Alyssia and Kylian (pictured). Eddie grew up in Melbourne and learned his Orienteering with the Bayside club which he first joined in 1978. His first Australian Championships win was M12A in 1979, followed by M14A in 1981 and M18A in 1984. In the 1980s and 90s he ran for Australia in several representative teams and has had considerable success in Rogaining championships as well. Eddie was selected on Australian WOC teams in 1991, ’93, ’95 and ’99. His best World Championships result was 41st in the 1991 Classic Final held in Czechoslovakia.