WOC 2009 Long Final

Graham Gristwood pushes to ninth place in the Long Distance (photo Richard Baxter)

The weather has finally broken. I'm told (reliably?) that the last time it rained at a WOC Long Distance/Classic final was in the USA in 1993. We've travelled around 65 km North of Miskolc and are very close to the Slovakian border. It is very muddy.

Having run the Hungaria Cup race early in the morning the terrain seems very nice - hilly but very fast open forest, with large karst sink-holes. It requires constant attention to ensure you stay on line and don't go down when you should be going up, and vice versa. The relatively cool conditions and open forest should suit our runners.

The women's race is 11.79 km with 490m climb (4.1%) and the men's is 17.55km with 750m climb (4.2%). Leg 1 - 2 on the mens is 3.5km. The last short loop for the Women is 1.5km and 2.5km for the men and has been described by the commentator as "very very tough ... short but really hilly."

The British Women are starting fairly early. At the first radio control Helen Bridle is catching her two minute woman, Mingyue Zue of China although she has been caught two minutes by Capucine Vercelloti of France who in turn has pulled away from Sarah Rollins starting another two minutes behind. The strong Czech Rada Brozkova, sister of middle distance Champion Dana, has caught and passed Sarah Rollins so it looks like Sarah may have made a mistake.

Sarah Rollins leads Angela Wild of Switzerland to the finish (photo Richard Baxter)

16th starter Annika Bilstam of Sweden has now posted a fast time of 17.10 compared to Helen's 19.52 so unless they pick up the pace then they won't be getting top twenty results today.

Meanwhile the men have started with Finnish runner Mats Haldin entering the forest first. Scott Fraser goes at 12.47 whilst Graham Gristwood is 3rd last starter at 13.25.

Radka Brozkova has punched the second radio and is with three others including Helen Bridle who is 6 minutes down and 2 minutes down on Vercelloti. Also in the group is Zhu of China.

First starter Inga Kazlauskaite of Lithuania passes through the arena after around 80 minutes running.

Sarah Rollins is catching time now, having posted a faster split than Helen Bridle at the second radio - nearly 50 seconds quicker so she has caught a minute. Brozkova is through the spectator control with Helen Bridle just behind posting the second best time so far. "They are looking really tired out there."

Helen Bridle at the spectator control (photo Soren Andersson)

"The last loop is really tough, oy oy oy"

Helen has lost touch with Brozkova in the tough final loop and comes in around ten minutes down on her in 95.33. Sarah has continued to pull back time and leads the Swiss runner Angela Wild and American Samantha Saeger down the hill and to the finish - her time is 93.23.

Helen Bridle pushes to the last control (photo Richard Baxter)

A smiling Helen says "I lost some time early on in a patch of green, then on the last loop which was really steep and difficult."

"I'm pretty pleased with my race. The course was really good although I expected more long legs. I needed to be more confident on that last loop. You've got to be spot on with your compass in this type of terrain. Still, I'm happy with a good run. Bring on Trondheim next year"

Meanwhile orienteering legend Simone Niggli of Switzerland, the second last starter, has posted the leading time at the first spectator control of 16.26, forty seconds ahead of last starter Norway's Marianne Andersen.

Sarah Rollins punches the last control (photo Richard Baxter)

A happy Sarah tells us "I'm very satisfied with this race - I lost 60 seconds on a silly mistake at a road crossing, otherwise I was clean. The forest is beautiful and the course was excellent - the last loop was really tricky."

"I'd really like to thank Physio Jules Wickham for all her help this week. I had an achilles problem coming into the championships and it has been bothering me all week but today I was pain free. I couldn't have done it without her."

Meanwhile Scott Fraser is out in the forest, probably somewhere on the 3.5km between 1 and 2!

Reigning Women's World Champion in both Long (2008) and middle (2009) has posted the fastest time at the second radio control. She was less than 30 seconds behind Niggli at the first radio.

It's not looking good for Scott Fraser at the first radio - he's second last, four minutes down on Sweden's Emil Wingstedt who started 2 minutes behind him. I'd have to guess at a bad mistake or an unfortunate route choice. Or both. Even worse, his two minute man is even slower. It will be hard to catch that time back but Fraser is a classy runner. Go Scott.

Meanwhile Simone Niggli is nearly two minutes clear of Brozkova at the second radio. She's running with Minna Kaupi of Finland. Unless she blows the last loop she's won.

If I were to guess Gold, Silver and Bronze now it would be Niggli, Kaupi and Brozkova.

But the nice chap living in the room opposite us, last year's Silver Medallist Anders Norberg has posted the 3rd best time at the first men's radio. Clearly our five month old baby Ella should have been crying louder last night.

Eva Jurenikova of Czech has lost time on the last loop - she was lying third before then. Norway's Marianne Anderson is catching the Niggli/Kaupi duo and has overtaken Kauppi on running time - it's all down to that last loop now.

Dana Brozkova has just come in with a really fast last loop - the commentator blasts us with his favourite - "This is good enough for a medal but what colour. This is clearly a new best time - 79.47." Then he recants slightly. "Will this be good enough for a medal?."

Brozkova - "My race wasn't so good, I made some mistakes, but I tried to refocus and ran the last part well."

The anticipation builds as we wait for Niggli, Kaupi and Andersen.

Niggli is seen at the pre-warning with Minna Kaupi - it should be Gold and Silver unless Andersen can do it.

It's Niggli's 13th individual Gold Medal and her 5th in the Long Distance. She also won 2 golds in the relay.

Where's Marianne Andersen - can she get a medal? She's at the pre-warning now. It looks like silver - her fifth silver - she's still hunting that elusive individual Gold.

Simone Niggle - "I enjoyed every control today."

In the men's Finland's Tero Fohr has posted the second fastest at the first radio. Britain's Graham Gristwood started 2 minutes behind and 2 minutes ahead of Switzerland's Baptiste Rollier. Current Champion, Switzerland's Daniel Hubmann, has posted the third best time. As best I can tell they are still running on their own, with Fohr a minute behind France's Gonon in the forest, and Hubmann having overtaken Oberg of Sweden.

Graham Gristwood is through in 15th, 2 minutes down. Not great but not a disaster. Thierry Gueorgiou, running for his first Long Distance title, is in 6th but in touch. Gristwood is faster than Rollier so he's on his own in the forest. Gueorgiou should catch Rollier soon if he hasn't already.

It looks as if Sarah Rollins will get 28th and Helen Bridle 33rd but I'm not 100% on that - there are still two runners to come.

Hubmann's posted the fastest time at 45 minutes - it's not a listed radio control so there must be some advantages to being the commentator.

Bit of a lull. The reason I'm here typing this is that I twisted my ankle earlier today. Quite badly. So Soren Andersson is at the plum position in the forest and I have to hobble over to the last control when the Brits come in. At least there are cocktail biscuits here.

Matthias Merz is 3 minutes down on team-mate Hubmann at the secretive 45 minute checkpoint.

Provisional ...

Hubmann looks to be motoring - Tero Fohr is reported to be 3 minutes behind him now.

Scott Fraser is ten minutes down at the second (proletariat) radio and looks to be running with Estonian Markus Puusepp.

Scott Fraser at the spectator control (photo Soren Andersson)

Gueorgiou is 1.42 down on Hubmann after 9km. Has he caught Gristwood? Gristwood is 26th at this control, 5 minutes down so he could be with Guergiou.

Australia 171 for 2 in the Ashes decider, chasing 546. Ponting still in.

Anders Nordberg is 2 seconds behind leader Dmitry Tsetkov of Russia at the second radio after 75 minutes.

I reckon that last 2.5km is going to test both stamina and focus - and Nordberg has shown he can do it.

Lewis Hamilton is leading the European Grand Prix ten laps in.

Scott Fraser is through the final radio in 94.13, 11 minutes down. I better go and take a photo.

So... Anders Nordberg has blown the last loop, Gueorgiou is 2 minutes down on Hubmann in second ... maybe today we can say Hubmann is really the King of Switzerland and the long distance.

Scott Fraser punches the last control (photo Richard Baxter)

Scott comes in with Puusepp and Admaski of France in 114.22.

Gueorgiou is seen with Graham Gristwood lying in 13th at radio 2.

Hubmann is on his way. He's destroyed everyone.

Hubmann - "I had a perfect race. I really enjoyed it."

Gueorgiou has dropped Gristwood on the last loop as he comes in to take second. Where is Graham? Where is he? Come on.

He's here and the commentator says it will be a top ten position - it looks like 10th at the moment.

"I worked for it." (photo Richard Baxter)

We'll get some comments from the lad in a bit.

It's 9th, provisionally. Gonon has mispunched and so disappears from 5th

According to the World-Of-O that's Britain's equal second placing in the Long Distance ever. Jaimie Stevenson has an 8th, 9th and 10th. Next is Geoff Peck with 11th in 1972. Gristwood has also pipped current Coach Steven Hale whose best at long distance was 12th in Scotland in 1999. I hope they are in separate cars on the drive home.

So, Gristwood claims to be happy with his race. I'll get the Pulitzer for this.

"I was conscious of starting with Thierry and Baptiste behind me and Tero Fohr and Francois Gonon ahead. However it was really lonely for the first forty to fifty minutes - I didn't see anyone."

"The forest was spot on for me  - everything I was expecting and hoping for - great visibility and fast runability - not too rocky and not too steep - except for the end."

"I was reasonably happy with the long leg 1-2. I didn't want to go too far from the red line and didn't want to do too much climb. I aimed for the hilltops and cols for better runnability and tried to avoid running on the slopes." 

"I made a one minute mistake running the wrong side of a mid-sized Karst hole - I lost concentration whilst taking an energy gel."

"Thierry and Baptiste caught me but we lost Baptiste on the butterflies. I feel I earned the right to race head to head with the likes of Thierry by winning the qualifier, but I have to admit I went quicker when he caught me."

"He got away on the final steep section between 29 and 30. I had to walk and he just slowly pulled away. I missed the control slightly. He's got a few years stamina on me so I reckon I can get to that level soon."

"At the top of the climb I summed up everything for the last five minutes - then I heard Per Forsberg saying I was on for a top ten and really pushed to the line."

"Almost every WOC I've been to I've taken away something positive. So far this time I haven't felt like I've got the result I was capable of, but today has made up for that."

And what about Hubmann and Switzerland. Double gold today, with the Swiss men taking the last three long distance titles. The days of Norwegian domination of this race - they have 14 of the 26 titles - may be over. Until next year maybe?

Now, if only someone would get Ponting out ...

238 for 5 ... it's looking good for the Ashes. I'm sure Per Forsberg would be calling the result by now, but Ponting is still in there.

Bye for now. Some more pictures and a summary when I get back to the accomodation but with several hundred cars trying to get out of an appalling parking field that could be a while.

Item Posted by Richard Baxter

23rd August 2009