World of O News
Emil Wingstedt is at the moment Swedish best orienteer and thank to him the country won its only gold medal at the World Championships. For Wingstedt himself, this gold was 5th in the discipline from major Championships, which is something rarely seen in men’s orienteering these days. (Something only the amazing Frenchman Thierry Gueorgiou was able to achieve in Middle distance, in which he won three consecuite WOC title in a row and two straight EOC gold in addition.)
This race to the gold in Denmark and to fifth straight Sprint Championship gold earned this 31-year-old Swede nomination for the Achievement of the Year.
In the WOC Sprint final you won your fifth straight gold from major Championships.. How was this race from your point of view?
Compared to the previous Sprints at the Championships I won, this time I didn’t do a perfect race. But I managed the key moments on the course best, which I think was a reason, why I was at the top, even if this time, I have to admit I was very lucky too, as Daniel was so so close…
What was perhaps most spectacular was the way you handled the long route-choice to the 10th control. Can we get back to this leg and would you describe in detail how you orienteered there?
I think it all started on the leg to the 7th control. I was rather surprised about this leg. It was quite easy, only one route-choice and gave you time to prepare for the long leg to the 10th. It’s quite unusual in Sprint races nowadays. So once I was at the 9th control I could run straight away. I perhaps saved time in the start of the leg. I was running all the time without stopping at all. Once out on the horse track I saw opening on the other side and could run absolutely straight. I also had the feeling that this was the best route-choice, which also always helps you as it gives you self-confidence. While running, I had the time to check the other alternatives and saw them, but I still had the feeling that they were not so good. I didn’t see too many footprints in the ground at the start of the leg on the track, so I knew not many runners took the same option.
Even if got the second straight gold in Sprint, I think, you hoped for a medal also in other disciplines…
When I got the World Champion title in Sprint, I was naturally very glad and I hoped I would be able to keep my best shape for the Middle distance Final, but unfortunately it wasn’t so. Even if I did a very good race in the qualification, the final of the Middle distance was far from what I had hoped it would have been. My orienteering was too shaky and at few places I made really stupid mistakes. Perhaps it was impossible for me to get in 100% focus after the Sprint again. Which was perhaps a result of the long time I had to be out of training due to different injuries and illnesses this year.
I think generally you can be satisfied with this season. You won a title in two major Championships, you were a member of the bronze team in WOC Relay… On the other hand, with regards to the seasons ahead, what was perhaps quite disturbing were the many illnesses and small injuries which kept you out of training for relatively long time…
Yes. This was nothing nice and it was also a reason why I didn’t dare to try the Long distance at the World Championships, which is a discipline in which I would really like to achieve a good result one day. On the other hand, once I am sick, I simply do not want to take any risks and I don’t train until I am fully cured. This often is time consuming, but on the other hand, I really don’t want to gamble with my body. And as I told you earlier, I also believe that trainign while you are injured or sick, rather causes damage. I don’t think you should train when sick or not completely recovered after an injury.
WOC in Ukraine will be of the main focus for you next year I guess. Will you concentrate on Sprint again, or will you try to conquer the throne in other disciplines?
I am really looking forward to the programme of WOC in Ukraine next year, where Sprint is the last discipline of the programme. My main focus now will be on Middle and Long, both of which I want to be the main focus of my preparations. With good health I think I will be ready, but I have to be in good health, not like this year where I had to stop training for a couple of periods due to illnesses. What I also look forward to with regards to Ukraine is fast orienteering in terrain with good runnability. I like it when I’m able to run at full speed everywhere, which may be possible especially in the Middle distance.
Emil Wingstedt – Achievement of the Year 2006
Nominated for: Winning gold medals in Sprint at WOC and EOC at the World and European Championships. The gold in the World Championships was the fifth straight championship Sprint gold for this Swede.
Other achievements: Bronze medalist in WOC Relay. Sixth in the overall World Cup.
Story: The best Swedish orienteer of the recent past. The first time he won a major international event was at the European Championships in Hungary in 2002, where he dominated in the Sprint. Since then he has been always near the top in big international Championships. In 2004 he defended his European Champion title in Sprint and in 2005 in Japan he won his premiere World Championships gold in the discipline. This year, in 2006 the 31-year-old Swede living in Halden struggled with health problems, but managed to get in shape for both the European and World Championships, in which he claimed two more gold medals in Sprint. The gold medal from the Sprint in Mindenparken at the World Championships was his 5th straight Championships gold medal in the discipline.
» Runner profile Emil Wingstedt
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