EOC Middle: Gold for Valentin Novikov!

Jan Kocbach June 4, 2010 Orienteering News Comments Off on EOC Middle: Gold for Valentin Novikov!

After 3 times Thierry Gueorgiou it was now time for Valentin Novikov again! 10 years ago Valentin Novikov won the European Champs over the short and long distance in Ukraine, now the Russian was back with another EOC gold medal! Novikov’s winning strategy: A change in focus from running to orienteering.

Again a very good Swiss day – silver for Matthias Merz and bronze for Daniel Hubmann gives one medal of each kind when adding the gold medal of Simone Niggli from earlier today. The big favourite Thierry Gueorgiou did a mistake of around a minute – and evidently slowed down due to a loss of motivation. – In middle distance I am only happy with the gold – so it is either winning or loosing. This time it was loosing.

See also womens Middle distance results.

Comments from the runners

Vaneltin Novikov: – I remember I won one EOC Middle distance earlier, but it was so long ago (Editor: 2000 in Ukraine). This year I made some changes in my preparations. I now made more focus on my orienteering than on my running. The forest is so green sometimes.
Matthias Merz: – It was a good race. I took it a bit easy in the beginning to get a good map contact – and then pushed hard in the last part. I pushed a bit harder on the last loop after hearing that I had a good position.
Daniel Hubmann: – It feels really good except this mistake after control 15 in the last loop. Right now I really don’t know. It was quite a big timeloss there, so let us see what the others will do.
Emil Wingstedt: – I had a plan before the race to go straight everywhere. I did that everywhere – also on the last loop. On the last loop I should have gone a bit right at one leg – I lost some time there.
Thierry Gueorgiou: – On the way to the 10th control I did a big mistake. Then I could not relocate on the slope with the green. It was also a bit confusing with all the rocks. Then I also lost my motivation because I lost one minute, maybe one and a half minute. You know, then it is difficult to keep the motivation. In middle distance I am only happy with the gold – so it is either winning or loosing. This time it was loosing. I think I still have a very good chance in Trondheim, and I will prepare for this.

Results (unofficial)

1	Valentin Novikov	206:00	10:24	17:22	25:58	32:30	34:09
2	Matthias Merz	188:00	10:30	18:00	27:11	33:50	35:30
3	Daniel Hubmann	174:00	10:11	17:28	26:22	33:59	35:36
4	Emil Wingstedt	178:00	10:43	17:59	27:05	34:05	35:47
5	Alexey Bortnik	210:00	10:26	18:01	27:34	34:37	36:17
6	Tero FÑ†hr	154:00	10:47	18:56	27:55	34:40	36:21
7	Peter berg	204:00	10:43	19:09	27:56	34:34	36:22
8	Carl Waaler Kaas	186:00	10:36	18:41	28:08	34:41	36:27
9	Kiril Nikolov	168:00	11:00	18:19	27:44	34:52	36:28
10	Matthias Mueller	192:00	10:38	18:18	27:50	34:51	36:31
11	Thierry Gueorgiou	202:00	10:48	18:02	28:05	34:56	36:38