IOF will not implement a neutral team following member feedback

Sondre Gullord –Secretary General International Orienteering Federation

During its meeting on March 10 the IOF Council decided to not move forward with a proposal of creating an IOF Team for athletes that have emigrated from countries where the membership of the national orienteering federation in IOF is suspended. The discussion was actualized by the fact that the war in Ukraine and consequent suspensions of the IOF members in Russia and Belarus might last for a long time and the current suspensions exclude many athletes from participating in IOF events. The IOF has also followed the discussions and consultations taking place within the Olympic movement related to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international sports. Based upon this, the IOF decided to initiate an open process to investigate the position of its member federations and athlete representatives on the topic.The IOF Council drafted a proposal containing potential conditions for a neutral IOF Team which was sent out for consultation in January. The proposal contained strict conditions with athletes having to have emigrated from a suspended member country and providing a formal statement that they would fully respect the

IOF Statutes and any sanctions in place. In addition, the athletes would only be able to participate in individual competitions and neutrally on the “IOF Team”.

The responses received during the consultation process from member federations and athlete representatives showed very clear majority in advising to not change the current sanctions against Russian and Belarusian sport and athletes. The IOF Council agrees with the advice provided by its members and has therefore decided not to move forward with the proposal. The IOF approach regarding the war in Ukraine and the suspension of the members in Russia and Belarus is strengthened by the very clear message from its members. The Council asks all member federations to respect the suspension of the Russian and Belarus members including restricting the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus.

The IOF Council would like to emphasize the continued solidarity with Ukrainian orienteering and the Ukrainian Orienteering Federation and support the demand for ceasing aggression and a lasting peace.

Noxious weeds

There is a worldwide movement encouraging people to spend more time in nature to appreciate it and be inspired to preserve it. Many, if not all, orienteers seem to care about the environment and the native species inhabiting it. Australian ecosystems have been smashed by many stressors including destructive land and water use, climate change and invasive species. Environmental weeds, such as blackberry and gorse, outcompete indigenous plants, degrade native habitats, provide shelter for feral animals, and reduce productivity of farmland.They are also a nuisance for orienteers. Have you ever got entangled in a gorse thicket or donated your body tissue to a blackberry shrub?

Blackberry, Rubus fruiticosus species aggregate, was introduced to Australia, mainly for fruit production (Weeds Australia, 2023) and to control bank erosion (Victorian Blackberry Taskforce, 2023). Blackberry is listed among the ten worst invasive species in Australia based on the criterion of the number of threatened species it negatively impacts (Kearney et al., 2019). Lantana, Lantana camara, is the only other plant in the invasive top ten. Gorse, Ulex europaeus, belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae, and comes from Europe (CRC for Australian Weed Management, 2003). It was imported to Australia as an ornamental and hedge plant. Blackberry, gorse and lantana are classified as weeds of national significance (Parliament of Australia, 2023), and land managers, conservation practitioners, farmers and orienteers all have good reasons to support weeding efforts.

Orienteering is affected by thorny weeds, both before and during events. Occasionally event organisers need to slash paths through blackberry or gorse thickets to make passages for competitors. Dark green areas have to be added or enlarged on maps when the thorny shrubs proliferate between events. Sometimes these weeds overwhelm previously runnable areas. Forests and woodlands are bush orienteers’ sporting facilities that do not require maintenance jobs such as fixing lighting or resurfacing playing fields. We don’t leave rubbish behind, and we take precautions to not spread Phytophtora cinnamomi, a plant pathogen, the second worst invasive species in Australia. Should orienteers go further and attempt to improve the environment they compete in, not just strive to avoid damaging it? There are a number of reports on the Orienteering Australia website (2023) showing that orienteering has a relatively low environmental impact but I am unaware of any conservation projects cosponsored by orienteering organisations in Australia. Orienteering would be diminished without our natural environment, so maybe as a sport we could endeavour to help with the conservation efforts in our forests, woodlands, shrublands and heathlands?

However, it is not as simple as deciding that weeding is a good idea. Many issues need to be considered such as obtaining permission from land managers, safety, feasibility, and effectiveness of actions. Is there an appetite to organise a weed-removal group as part of an event or would it be too challenging logistically? Should event organisers ask land managers about weeding, and if they obtain permission, include “weeding is encouraged” in the event information? Would this be viewed as a sign to bring gardening gloves to events? By the way, do you have a pillow case and gloves in your car in case you come across an injured or orphaned animal, for example a joey in a dead marsupial mother’s pouch? Even if it is impractical to organise a working bee, perhaps some of us could just pull out (with land managers’ blessings) some plants that we are sure are weeds, especially where solitary noxious weeds begin to colonise new areas. Another way orienteering could aid nature conservation is by sharing maps showing new infestations, in particular where they are away from roads and less likely to be noticed by land managers.

If you would like to offer suggestions or provide answers to some of the questions posed here, you may use the link https://forms.gle/37ixhvcmKzaKJat36

PS. Australia’s ten worst invasive species are: European rabbit (affecting 321 threatened-with-extinction species), Phytophtora plant disease (236), feral pig (149), feral cat (123), feral goat (116), European red fox (95), lantana (95), blackberry (47), black rat (42) and feral cattle (39) (Kearney et al., 2019).

References

CRC for Australian Weed Management (2003). Weeds of National Significance. Weed Management Guide. Gorse – Ulex europaeus. https://nre.tas.gov.au/Documents/Gorse_CRC_bpmg.pdf

Kearney SG, Carwardine J, Reside AE, et al. (2019). The threats to Australia’s imperilled species and implications for a national conservation response. Pacific Conservation Biology 25, 231–244. Orienteering Australia (accessed 2023). Environment. https:// orienteering.asn.au/index.php/environment/

Parliament of Australia (accessed 2023). Appendix 9 - The list of weeds of national significance. https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_ Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/ Completed_inquiries/2004-07/nationalparks/report/e09

Victorian Blackberry Taskforce (accessed 2023). Blackberry: the problem. https://vicblackberrytaskforce.com.au/blackberry-theproblem/

Weeds Australia (accessed 2023). Rubus fruticosus aggregate. https:// profiles.ala.org.au/opus/weeds-australia/profile/ Rubus%20fruticosus%20aggregate

ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA BOARD

Chair & Director – International (IOF)

Director – Finance

Director – Technical www.orienteering.asn.au

PO Box 3379, North Strathfield, NSW 2137

MikeDowling

RichardMountstephens

AnnaSheldon

Director BrettWeihart

Director Coaching & High Performance ClareHawthorne

Director Media & Communications TroydeHaas

Director – Ex Officio BlairTrewin

Director AndreaHarris

Secretary RobertSpry

ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA STAFF AND OFFICERS

Head Coach

Manager of High Performance Administration

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NatashaKey

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BrodieNankervis

JimMackay

National Sporting Schools Coordinator JimMackay

Chief Medical Officer MarkFreeman

Editor OA Enews

LindaBurridge

Badge Scheme Secretary JohnOliver

Contact details are available on the Orienteering Australia website.

State Associations

Can you match some of the orienteers mentioned on this page with their results at the Australian 3 Days 2023?

2nd in M21E, 7th in W21E, 1st in M50A, 3rd in M50A, 7th in Sledge, 10th in Sledge, 11th in Sledge, 4th in W45A, 5th in W45A, 13th in M60A, 3rd in M80A, 7th in M70A, 3rd in W21E on Day 3 and 1st in W50A on Day 2 and 11th in W21E on Day 1, 8th in M60A on Day 1, 5th in M50A on Day 3, 5th in M65AS on Day 1, 2nd in W21E on Day 1.

Orienteering Queensland: POBox275,FernyHillsDC,QLD4055.Secretary:SueCampbell secretary@oq.asn.au

Orienteering NSW: POBox3379NorthStrathfieldNSW2137.AdminOfficer:GayleQuantock admin@onsw.asn.au

Orienteering ACT: POBox402JamisonCentreACT2614.Secretary:StephenGoggs office@act.orienteering.asn.au

Orienteering Victoria: POBox1010TemplestoweVIC3106.Secretary:AislinnPrendergast secretary@vicorienteering.asn.au

Orienteering SA: 1 Windsor Rd, Glenside SA 5065. Secretary: Fi Pahor secretary@sa.orienteering.asn.au

Orienteering Western Australia: POBox234SubiacoWA6904.Secretary:CeriPass oawa.secretary@gmail.com

Orienteering Tasmania: Secretary:KlaasHartmann secretary@tasorienteering.asn.au

Top End Orienteers (Northern Territory): POBox39152WinnellieNT0821.Secretary:SusanneCasanova topendorienteersNT@gmail.com

NEXT ISSUE DEADLINE July 14. Time-sensitive: July 21

ISSN 0818-6510 Issue 2/23 (no. 209) JUNE 2023

The national magazine of Orienteering Australia Inc. ABN 77 406 995 497

Published four times a year: 1 March, June, September, December. Copies are dispatched in bulk to state associations in the week prior to that date. Print Post Approved PP 236080/00011, (100023602 for NSW).

Editor: Hania Lada, P.O. Box 165, Warrandyte, Victoria 3113 magazine@orienteering.asn.au Phone 0493 615 203

Magazine Design & Assembly: Peter Cusworth, Phone 0409 797 023 pcusworth53@gmail.com

Printer: Razer Graphix, Factory 6/15 Stud Road, Bayswater.

Contributions welcome! Prior consultation is suggested before preparing major contributions. Guidelines available from the editor.

Regular Contributors: Competition – Blair Trewin; History & Awards –David Hogg; Spot the Difference – Michael Hubbert

Subscriptions: State Association members via State Associations. Contact relevant Association Secretary for details. Other subscribers: Write to The Australian Orienteer. Within Australia: $40 pa. Overseas: Asia/Pacific (inc. NZ) $A49; Rest of World $A58 pa, delivery only via airmail. Please make payment directly into the account of The Australian Orienteer. Details are provided on the subscription form available from the magazine webpage on the Orienteering Australia website https://orienteering.asn.au/index. php/magazine/

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

Afantastic weekend of sprint orienteering began with 370 punters fronting the starter’s gun at Sydney Uni, and continued across three other campuses in fine and warm weather. Sydney finally muscled into the sprinting weekend action, so ably pre-ordained by Ted and Margi’s fantastic biannual Melbourne Sprint Weekends (MSWs) – and before them, the inspirational Sprint the Bay (STB) series in NZ put on by the Morrison family.

The four MSWs, and indeed the STBs, were all “six packs” that utilised the holiday Monday, whereas we made do with four events – adding a military tickle at Middle Head for those that stayed on. Despite the four-pack squeeze, the event organiser Mark Shingler and his many lieutenants managed an outstanding series of races across 21 classes. Individual, relay and knockout events were all on show, as were Australia’s elite talent at both senior and junior levels.

And given that all races were NOL rounds, and race 1 a world ranking race, this was the place to be to watch our best and brightest. No Aston, sadly (injured), but the full fields didn’t disappoint. They were flying, roaring, racing – none more so than at the very exciting semifinal and final of the knockout at Western Sydney University (WSU). Here, runners at warp speed meant “stand back spectators” as the racing reached its apogee.

Competitor numbers, being well above expectations, had the event crew in very active mode – and I think a shout-out for them all is worth including in this report: Paul directing technical (and Rosscoe); Andy, Ron and Hamish inside the results tent; The Kennedys inside another tent; Miles behind the wheel; Árpád behind the microphone; Peter printing; Jo and Airdrie corralling starters; Paula and team working the knockout choices without the booths! And our brilliant designer, Stuart, creating another visual feast. “Wow” and “wonderful” are the words. There were a couple of course planners and controllers with hands in the SSW mix but we can give them a rattle later.

Not quite sure how Mark settled on the four venues, but visitors would have hoped for a bit of sandstone and slope, with the two big unis happily fitting that bill on Saturday. WSU’s reputation as one of Sydney’s best sprint venues, made it another “must”, with St Gregory’s College providing the Sunday padding – and more slope (something Ted liked as a contrast to the many flat campuses down south). A great venue lock then, a world ranker, a great competitor list that included many interstaters (and not just in the NOL ranks), and fine weather. Whoo hoo, this looks hot stuff. Let’s have a closer look.

Race 1. University of Sydney

Planner: Ross Barr

Controller: Paul Prudhoe

Organiser: Amanda Mackie / Paula Shingler

The larger Camperdown side of the Sydney Uni campus was the focus, with a remote start, and a finish in front of the Great Hall adding to the sense of occasion. The seemingly never-ending schedule of demolition, rebuilding, maintenance works, out-of-bounds, etc. meant that plans evolved and changed more times than anyone wanted or needed – as MSW’s Ted and Margi have said “welcome to our world”. One of the many casualties was the arena passage plan that is such a feature of overseas sprinting. It was in our early thinking, the out the door via the purple. In the end, we all had fingers crossed that we would not encounter any more fences or “lolly pop” signs on Saturday morning, and thankfully that was the case.

As noted in the course notes, and expounded in my March 2023 article in The Australian Orienteer, European practice of longer legs, fewer controls, travel legs, barriers, map flips, etc. saw some interesting running routes on the long legs, with every leg permutation seemingly being run. The barriers helped to balance those familiar with the campus to those new, and many reported that they did add to the puzzle equality. The tickle at St Paul’s College also added a touch of new to courses 1, 2 and 3. Sadly, there was a bit of strife with security that compromised one road block, although our best talent ran the barrier as they saw it on the map, not as they saw it on the road. Bless them all.

Pretty fast stuff on the SSW opener, with all courses, except course 3, recording winners under 15 min – courses 1 and 2 with 15 timely flyers the best of them. W20E’s Nea Shingler’s blistering 12:59, and Callum White’s M20E win were the standout of these standouts, with nearly everyone in the 12–15 min window [apart from Nea] recording fourteens. Nearly, because also on course 2 was senior boy Liming Zheng – home in 13:45! The Garingal youngster seemingly arriving on the scene fully formed. A brilliant run.

Many others seemed to enjoy their morning, Fred in M50, Warren in M60, Layla in W12 among them, although too many course 5 champions misread the barrier wall on the 1–2 leg and lost their races before they had hardly begun. Should have sanctioned 1:3000!

Race 2. University of New South Wales

Planner: Shane Doyle

Controller: Nick Dent

Organiser: Airdrie Long

This great campus has the right scale for international sprinting and comes with a serious slope mid map. The assembly area in the main quadrangle was at the foot of this major elevation change, and you got the sense early on that an ability to run fast up or down the stairs might determine a result or two. The quad lawn was perfect for the assembly, relay race changeovers and spectator viewing, with Shane’s race planning including a very Euro arena passage for the elites there. To watch them roar into the quad mid race (to the roar of the crowd), and then to watch on as they blasted up the rainbow stairs. Phew, so good, so exciting – although the older contestants might have hoped for a less public encounter on their own courses. Which they did get. Mercifully. Because this was relay running for the elites, most courses followed a racing format. Some good left/rights and nothing too tricky was the order of the day – speed moving up the dial in place of hide and seek. Perhaps similar thinking to the morning at Sydney Uni.

Once again Árpád (Australia’s Per Forsberg), in the commentary tent, added to the fun and excitement, as we got to watch on the womanman-man-woman format that is such a feature of international orienteering at the elite level. Fast, furious, fantastic, with split forkings and that final downhill leg blasting out of the tunnel into the tag and ping.

New South Wales cornered the senior elite market here, with Team 1 (Bec, Ewan, Ali, Briohny) coming home to win, but not before a great contest with the dead-heating (+0.37 s) Canberra Cockatoos and SA Arrows in second place. Close. And not to be outdone, the NSW junior elites (Nea, Sam, Cooper and Erika) repeated the senior winning dose. Canberra “stung” twice!

The other courses all looked to have a bit of lower and a bit of higher, the former being more formal than the latter. Speedsters on the flat falling away on the stairs, and then, out of breath, finding themselves in the weird food hall of grey stripe and lozenge. A fast flog downhill and up the fat stairs led to the same tunnel burst of the elite, although not many were watching. Super O fun nonetheless, and a great second outing in the inaugural SSW.

Race 3. St Gregory’s College

Planner: Jock Davis

Controller: Robert Spry

Organiser: Ruth Shedden

The long trek on Sunday morning heralded the beginning of the completely captivating knockout sprint rounds. The Qual and the Quarters were held here, under the watchful gaze of St Greg and the cows, and the stories of the Big Foot President (boxing practice on Brother Patrick having intended consequences!). This is a small-built campus, with Jock compensating by going big on the Kikuyu for the opening legs. An almost micro sprint beginning (controls behind every tree) had the talent with “rackets on court” before working east to the tightly packed buildings and shade sails. Great spectating early on, and a finish on the basketball courts in full view and voice – particularly from Árpád in Mick Jagger mode. The elites were run, and eliminated, and regrouped for the next round –while the rest of us formed a start line, and too copped the tennis and lawn, before rather shortish dabbles in the two shades of grey. Perhaps too short, as winning times were well below the huff and puff expected (the splendid W60 Carolyn Matthews, having a great weekend, winning her class in 8:49 an example).

There was a bit of building work in evidence, and the purple hatch and bar might have led to the grassy planning, or maybe the knockout timings carried over to that of the “elites of yesteryear”. Course 6 went big time on the two yellows as departing athletes saw.

Following the non-elite racing, the non-eliminated elites raced again – this time from a different quarantine (in the buildings), and had the grassy segment mid-course. Again, this was fast stuff. A screamer really. Anything to avoid the O axe falling, with the chance to run at WSU (one of Sydney’s best sprint locations) seeing our finest working the elbow and nudge in the race for a place. Incredible stuff. Very exciting. But missed by those that took long coffee and bun amidst the sandstone and tramway at Camden.

Race 4. Western Sydney University, Macarthur

Planner: James McQuillan

Controller: Rod Parkin

Organiser: Selwyn Sweeney

Sunday afternoon then. The final round and the semifinal and final of the elite knockout. And a last chance to grab a bag of gold for the rest of us in this most exciting and challenging venue.

James had contrived an assembly venue to match the previous three, perhaps to exceed them, with the finish, a vista of lake, lawn, parapets and stairs – in a built environment of sacrificial symmetry. With a few more togas, trumpets and flags, it could have been a set in an ancient Roman movie! This was going to be something else.

First up were the semifinals, which had each a group of six choosing between A, B or C options in the 20 s count down. No privacy booths, but this looked to work, and soon they flew. West as it turned out, with arena passages mid race before frenetic (and scary) crash boom opera flying past the small final tree and the closed stairway to the lake and double circle steps. Spectators had to be careful to not get crushed in the rush, such was the speed and flying elbow. The best two in each heat went through to the A final, although our weekend W20 star, and fastest qualifier, Nea Shingler mispunched, and copped the C final as a result. Ahh, the luck of the draw, the turn of the dial, the hand of fate. It happens.

Following the elite semis, the other “groups of six” class leaders exploded into mass start action on the lower lawn, followed by queueing starts of the rest. There were controls aplenty, no flipping, and some confusion mid-course as controls abutted in friendly fashion. Where is #4? Who ran 6–1 instead of 6–7? Some discombobulation, but great fun with fast times, and positive outcomes – and feedback. A top map for Sprint O, and well exploited by Dr James.

Then back to the elite finals. Six races of six runners, alternation women, men in the C final, then the B final, then the A. Time stood still. But not the runners. This was the most exciting sprinting of the weekend, with all literally flying around the campus. Árpád worked the mike, but probably needed another call point following the arena passage as no sooner had they disappeared mid race, they were upon the lawn and lake, and that incredible final step scramble to the fanfare of ONSW trumpet. Well, the whoops of the crowd anyway! Incredibly exciting racing, and well worth the wait – and repeated viewing of the excellent videos from Richard Pattison and his running cam team.

Milla reproduced her 2 s semifinal victory to head Tara by the same margin in the women’s A final (8:27/8:29), while Ewan in the men’s A found the same 2 s to nudge Angus Haines (7:38/7:40). In fact, all three men’s finals were won by 2 s margins. The B being noteworthy with “youngster” Callum just shading “senior star” Martin Dent. A triumph for both runners, I think. A great finale. A great inaugural SSW. And then suddenly, it was over.

Top results for the Knockout Sprint:

WOMEN

1 Milla Key VI V 8:27

2 Tara Melhuish CC A 8:29

3 Natasha Key VI V 8:34

4 Eszter Kocsik ST N 8:35

5 Caitlin Young CC A 8:37

6 Serena Doyle ST N 8:38

MEN

1 Ewan Shingler ST N 7:38

2 Angus Haines SW S 7:40

3 Patrick Jaffe VI V 7:44

4 Brodie Nankervis TF T 7:46

5 Cooper Horley ST N 8:37

6 Sam Woolford ST N 8:38

Top results for Mixed Sprint Relays:

Senior Elite

1 NSW Stingers: Rebecca George, Ewan Shingler, Alastair George, Briohny Seaman 53:20

2 CBR Cockatoos: Grace Crane, Martin Dent, Paul de Jongh, Caitlin Young 53:57

3 SA Arrows: Zoe Carter, Angus Haines, Leith Soden, Emily Sorensen 53:57

Junior Elite

1 NSW Stingers: Nea Shingler, Sam Woolford, Cooper Horley, Erika Enderby 52:34

2 CBR Cockatoos: Natalie Miller, David Stocks, Toby Lang, Justine Hobson 55:09

3 VIC Vikings: Milla Key, Callum White, Lucas Kent, Sophie Taverna 1:01:14

M21E (3.6km)

1 Patrick Jaffe VI V 14:08

2 Alastair George ST N 14:16

3 Brodie Nankervis TF T 14:22

4 Ewan Shingler ST N 14:23

5 Angus Haines SW S 14:46

6 Julian Dent CC A 14:52

7 Martin Dent CC A 14:53

8 Paul deJongh CC A 15:45

9 Duncan Currie ST N 15:57

9 Ryan Gray QC Q 15:57

M20E (3.6km)

1 Callum White VI V 14:58

2 Sam Woolford ST N 15:21

3 Cooper Horley ST N 15:31

4 Leith Soden SW S 15:34

5 David Stocks CC A 16:02

6 Elye Dent CC A 16:16

7 Owen Radajewski CC A 16:32

8 Toby Lang CC A 16:47

9 Seth Sweeney ST N 16:52

10 Remi Afnan SW S 17:00

W21E (2.9km)

1 Tara Melhuish CC A 14:25

2 Caitlin Young BS A 14:26

3 Julia Gannon QC Q 15:08

4 Emily Sorensen SW S 15:13

5 Natasha Key VI V 15:19

6 Krystal Neumann QC Q 15:46

7 Shannon Jones CC A 15:47

8 Grace Crane CC A 16:07

9 Melissa Thomas ST N 16:51

10 Briohny Seaman WR N 16:54

W20E (2.9km)

1 Nea Shingler ST N 12:59

2 Milla Key VI V 14:52

3 Eszter Kocsik ST N 15:11

4 Mikaela Gray QC Q 15:14

5 Erika Enderby ST N 15:16

6 Zoe Carter SW S 15:23

7 Justine Hobson CC A 15:59

8 Katherine Maundrell BS A 16:22

9 Sophie Taverna VI V 16:30

10 Gemma Burley SW S 16:52