In a first for New Zealand, Malcolm Ingham has announced that the Wellington Sprint Champs will include a knock out event in the elite grades this year.
Whereas these two events will have the normal format we plan something rather different for the Sprint - especially for the elites. The Sprint will be on the Sunday of the long weekend and will have the following format:
(1) M21E and W21E - in the morning a qualifying sprint at Ekatahuna, in the afternoon knock sprint semi-finals and final for the top runners from the morning at Rathkeale College.
(2) All other grades - a double sprint times to be added - race 1 in the morning at Ekatahuna, race 2 in the afternoon at Rathkeale.
What we envisage for the elites is taking, for both the men and the women, the top 12 or 16 finishers in the morning (depending on the number of entries) and dividing them into two semi-finals. These will be short (8-9 minute) mass start sprints and probably the first 2 in each semi-final plus the next say 2 or 4 fastest over both semis will proceed to the final, which will take the same format. Those in M and W21E who don't make the semi-finals will run a second normal sprint in the afternoon as for the other grades.
Qualifying sprints with knock-out semis and finals have been held as part of the Nordic O Tour for several years and add a new dimension to sprint racing. It is usual that there is some butterfly looping so that knock-out races don't simply become straight running races. To our knowledge this will be the first time it has been tried in New Zealand.
Knock out events are becoming a common feature of international orienteering, which it is important that our athletes get as much exposure to as possible. Check out some international action below
Whereas these two events will have the normal format we plan something rather different for the Sprint - especially for the elites. The Sprint will be on the Sunday of the long weekend and will have the following format:
(1) M21E and W21E - in the morning a qualifying sprint at Ekatahuna, in the afternoon knock sprint semi-finals and final for the top runners from the morning at Rathkeale College.
(2) All other grades - a double sprint times to be added - race 1 in the morning at Ekatahuna, race 2 in the afternoon at Rathkeale.
What we envisage for the elites is taking, for both the men and the women, the top 12 or 16 finishers in the morning (depending on the number of entries) and dividing them into two semi-finals. These will be short (8-9 minute) mass start sprints and probably the first 2 in each semi-final plus the next say 2 or 4 fastest over both semis will proceed to the final, which will take the same format. Those in M and W21E who don't make the semi-finals will run a second normal sprint in the afternoon as for the other grades.
Qualifying sprints with knock-out semis and finals have been held as part of the Nordic O Tour for several years and add a new dimension to sprint racing. It is usual that there is some butterfly looping so that knock-out races don't simply become straight running races. To our knowledge this will be the first time it has been tried in New Zealand.
Knock out events are becoming a common feature of international orienteering, which it is important that our athletes get as much exposure to as possible. Check out some international action below
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