Australian Champs Relays

Well the Australian Champs carnival has wound up now, some relief for those of us back at home just dying to be fit and fast and running through the Australian bush, but a fantastic trip I am sure, especially for those venturing to Australia for orienteering for the first time. The kiwis again had some fantastic results, and isn't it going to be great to see some of these performers on home turf over the next few months as head into the Super Series, then Sprint the Bay and of course Nationals 2014.

Firstly, Lizzie Ingham, after a disappointing middle distance Lizzie turned on the afterburners and dealt to Grace Crane and the rest of the first leg field to set up victory for her Australian state side. She also pysched out Thomas Reynolds on the start line.

Lizzie looks worringly good in gold.

Secondly Nick Hann, the anointed one has been there and thereabouts over the last week, but in the relays he showed some more of his real talent overtaking David Shepherd to have New Zealand leading after two legs. A lead Matt Ogden would only surrender to Matt Crane.

In the Junior grades, Tim Robertson, the flying freak, could not quite gain enough time back on Ian Lawford to take the victory for the Junior men - with Brodie Nankervis taking 3minutes out on both it looks like there was plenty of opportunity, but not this time for Tim after Shamus Morrison and Nick Smith set a solid platform. In the junior women the kiwis again took second, to a consistent Tasmanian team, Kayla Fairbairn again was the star performer. As of all these kiwi women have plenty of time left in the junior grades it is hugely exciting to see the depth in competition and bodes well for future JWOC's should they continue on the right track. Oh, and did I say that the kiwi teams finished 1st and 2nd in W16...

Sophie Harrison saved her best until last, and Katie Cory-Wright continued her fantastic week. There are pros and cons of having famous orienteering parents, but Katie is perhaps starting to step out of the shadow of her illustrious family. May she have Jeans technique, Al's speed and Ed's confidence. I am not exactly sure with this, but it looks suspiciously like our B team, may have beaten our A team in this event...one for the underdogs! Oh, and we won M16 as well; Tommy Hayes, in his best race for the week setting up Cameron d"Lisle and Ed Cory-Wright. Damn good effort allround. Congratulations to the whole team and special thanks to those over there in support, and especially Anna Robertson for her photographic and facebook skills.

Good day for the Aussies

The top Australian elite and junior orienteers defended their honour with plenty of skill and speed at the Australian Middle Distance Champs yesterday, the kiwis were close, but not quite close enough. The winsplits results are here.

There were 50 starters in the elite men's course, and the kiwi's three young gun: Matt Ogden, Tim Robertson and Nick Hann were placed 3,4,5. If only the course had ended at control 14 they would have been 1,2,3, but over the last part of the course it was experienced international competitors Matt Crane (GB) and Simon Upphill (Aus) that held their nerve. The decisive leg appears to have been the long leg 19, up until this point Robertson had dominated the lead but Crane and Uphill moved into first and second here,and once they settled in there, they proved impossible to dislodge. I will make sure to get some analysis of this part of the race when the guys are back in the country

Fantastic though to see these three young kiwis racing so hard and so well. They will be hard to compete with in the Super Series races they can make it to over the next couple of months.

The Maestro in ecstasy

In the women's elite race Lizzie Ingham was out of contention early, you can't give Grace Crane 5 1/2 minutes by control 6 and expect to win. Lizzie was the fastest over the second half of the course and clawed her way back to 3rd helped by a big mistake from the other favourite Hanny Allston. Greta Knarston also lost time early. I am not sure how Lizzie's steak sandwich would have tasted after this performance.

In the junior women's race Kayla Fairbairn was the standout kiwi with 2nd place, with Brianna Massie coming in 5th. Kayla also lost time early, but was consistent in the rest of the course. Looking at these results you see huge time gaps appearing quite quickly, the painful reality of difficult red course orienteering is firstly we don't get too much of it in New Zealand and secondly, sometimes you need to learn to walk before you run even if you have been successful in other terrain and competitions. Kayla's result shows solid technique, good mental application and bodes well for the future.

The Australian Juniors, and in particular Ian Lawford, reasserted their authority in the junior men's race. Lawford dominated from start to finish, winning by 2 1/2 minutes after a mistake free run. First kiwi home was Cameron Tier narrowly ahead of Shamus Morrison and Nick Smith who both blew potential podiums by making early mistakes. For Tier this is a great result, he just has to keep mixing it with these guys as much as he can, they are on the path to something great.

Conor Cleary wins M14A

Further down the grades there was a great performance by the kiwis in M14 (Conor Cleary and Stephen Harding producing a one, two) Katie Cory-Wright produced a 2nd place in W14 while Alice Tilley cemented her growing reputation with a 2nd in W16 (great also to see kiwis outnumbering Aussies in the top ten in this grade).

Australian Middle Champs - The introduction of the Maestro

We are now on the last weekend of the Australian Nationals carnival, and my favourite race, the middle distance. This is the race I have been waiting for, firstly it is Lizzie Inghams best distance, and the one I think she cares most about. Secondly, today sees the introduction of New Zealands orienteering maestro into the play, Matt Ogden.

Lizzie with two of her biggest rivals: Grace Crane and Hanny Allston

While Tim Robertson is the efficient, and brutal, speed machine and Nick Hann the intuitive smooth and assured athlete, Matt Ogden is the maestro. He has the rhythm, the attention to detail, the ability to build his race into a crescendo of well pitched decisions. He is the conductor of his own performance and a leader to his peers. That said it is going to be a huge challenge to come into the middle of this carnival and win. Today my money is on Hann. I'm not sure about Matt Crane in this terrain, so perhaps Simon Upphill is the Aussie to watch, though if any of the old timers like Dave Shepherd or Grant Bluett are running they have the ability to win.

The Maestro

Lizzie's race is in her own hands, she can win it if she wants it enough, and keeps on wanting it right to the end, and by that I don't mean wanting it so much she runs hard. I mean she wants it so much that she makes disciplined decisions and manages the risk that this technical terrain will create.

In the juniors, it will be interesting to see if Sonia Hollands can replicate her classic form. Those who raced the school races are possibly at a disadvantage as they will find it harder to pull their speed back a few notches for this race. They would be wise to orienteer before they run. I would love to see a close tussle between Nick Smith and Shamus Morrison, two outstanding orienteers, and if either of them can get up on top of that podium it would be a huge achievement.

(If you have been doing your recommended reading you will know that Lizzie was looking forward to the catering today - unfortunately that catering has fallen through and she will have to make do with a steak sandwich provided by the "Blue Lightning" the ACT juniors...I'm never a huge fan of franchise names, but the "Blue Lightning" surely wins the prize for the one that sounds the most like a toothpaste).

Victory for NZ in Southern Cross Challenge

For the umpteenth time in a row New Zealand has cleaned up in the Southern Cross Junior Challenge. Exact results have not yet been published but the New Zealand manager Anna Robertson has confirmed that with three victories and one mispunch the title has been retained.

The senior grades were a walk over with both kiwi teams leading from go to whoa. Great starts were rammed home by the final leg runners Tim Robertson and Alice Tilley. They probably could have walked to make things interesting.

The Senior Girls relay team celebrate

The junior grades were more interesting. Lara Molloy had a great run to be right up there, then Katie Cory-Wright sadly mis-punched, a harsh lesson for a young orienteer who has been flying in this competition. In the boys the start was slow, but Stephen Harding running 2nd pulled one out of the bag. His run was matched by Cameron d"Isle, result: see you later Aussies.

Stephen Harding - no sweat

A fantastic, consistent performance by the Schools team, orienteering within their ability and doing us proud. The coaching/management team of Derek Morrison and Anna Robertson remain undefeated.

Proof of victory - hands on the trophy

Simone Niggli Retires

The big news in World Orienteering is that the dominant woman orienteer of her generation, quite possibly the best of all time, Simone Niggli has announced her retirement. The World of O reports here. Simone Niggli, is not only known for winning 23 gold medals at World Championship level, but for being a true sporting champion. At times her speed and consistency drove her opponents to distraction and verbal outbursts, but she kept her aggression for the terrain and was a humble winner.

Niggli developed a taste for gold

Unbelievably, Niggli twice won all 4 gold medals on offer at the World Orienteering Championship. Firstly in 2003 (Switzerland then 2005 (Japan), while this year, 8 years after her last such success, she came so close with victories in all the individual events and a bronze in the relay. The orienteering world salutes our champion.

Tim Robertson wins again

Tim Robertson today became the first New Zealander to twice win the Australian Secondary Schools senior boys title near Canberra today. The JWOC bronze medallist beat fellow Wellingtonian Shamus Morrison by several minutes in a comfortable victory.

Robertson was the only New Zealander to win on the day, but others came close, particularly Alice Tilley in the Senior Girls class who finished second, and Katie Cory-Wright, who finished 3rd in the Junior girls. It looks good for the relay tomorrow, with the Kiwi's having considerable depth in most of the grades.

Alice Tilley on her way to 2nd in the Senior Girls

The senior girls course, a good mix of short and long legs

Video from 2013 Australian Long Distance Champs

So how will this lot go....

Coverage starting at 10am AEST o-lynxlive.com