MORE BIG MISTAKES AT WOC

BIG MISTAKES at WOC

It happens to all of us – that big-180, the 90, or the complete mind explosion. We wonder: “What a simple error - how could we possibly have done that?” Well, rest easy, we are not alone. In October we showed you examples of the simple errors made by some of the world’s elite orienteers at the World Orienteering Championships in Denmark. Here are some more …

Women’s Relay – Minna Kauppi (FIN)

She was leading the Women’s Relay by a comfortable 41/2 minutes when Minna Kauppi left control #16, just three controls to go and she could already hear the Swedish commentator, Per Forsberg, predicting that “Finland will win – that’s for sure.” On the Big Screen we spectators could see her bounding down the hill to an easy track run towards #17. Then it would be in off a track bend to the control on a prominent spur. But that’s where it all went wrong and Kauppi lost nearly 31/2 minutes exploring spurs and gullies way off to the NE. Eventually she returned to her original attack point and found #17, still ahead of Swiss super-star Simone Niggli-Luder. But there were Finnish hearts in mouths for some long minutes before Kauppi eventually reached the last control, bowed to the crowd and ran down to the Finish line to win by just over one minute.

Women’s Relay

#16 #17 #18 #19 Finish M. Kauppi FIN 3:19 7:30 2:14 0:53 1:00 S. Niggli-Luder SUI 3:17 4:21 2:10 0:56 0:56 H. Allston AUS 2:54 3:47 2:00 0:48 0:44

Men’s Long-distance – Anders Nordberg (NOR)

Anders Nordberg is often referred to as the King of the long legs, but it didn’t happen that way in Denmark. From #15 to #16 there were many route choice options. Finn Jani Lakanen went south and had by far the fastest time for that leg (and won the event). Swiss Marc Lauenstein took a more direct route but with more climb and was slower by 27sec. Anders Nordberg took a similar route to Lauenstein but was 2 minutes slower and 21/2 minutes slower than Lakanen. Somewhere along the way Nordberg slowed down. He finished the race 5min behind Lakanen, half of that time being lost on the long leg.

Men’s Long-distance

#16 Finish Place Jani Lakanen FIN 15:27 1:45:01.0 1 Marc Lauenstein SUI 15:54 1:46:10.5 2 Anders Nordberg NOR 17:55 1:50:05.2 11

Women’s Sprint – Hilary Saeger (US)

Hilary Saeger made the Sprint Final but that’s where her day all but ended. From the Start she headed off far too left and apparently didn’t recognise the major intersection of paths near #2. She saw #2 then wandered around almost back to the Start before heading off in something like the right direction. She found #1 by taking the grand tour around it then, thoroughly demoralised, she roamed around back to #2. After that it got better for Hilary until her big mistake at the spectator control (see AO, October edition).