World of O News
Gueorgiou was the only one who managed to keep up both orienteering technique and speed all the way through the WOC middle distance. In this article I take a look at the GPS data of the top runners from the WOC Middle distance final.
In the GPS analysis, I use autOanalysis illustrations. This is a comparison of two runners – step by step. The fastest runners always has a blue line. The slower runner has a green line where he is faster, a red line where he is slower, and an orange line where he is equal. This is a good way to illustrate in which part of the race a runner gained/lost time.
Guergiou versus Öberg
- Gueorgiou versus Öberg autOanalysis – please open this while you read the text below
We start off by a step by step comparison between Gueorgiou and Öberg using autOanalysis on the GPS-data and the Winsplit graph.
- All the way up to control 10, Öberg is fighting on equal terms with Gueorgou – behind ahead until control number 5. Öberg is less than 30 seconds behind on control 10. This actually includes most of the tricky orienteering in the race. Note that both Gueorgiou and Öberg loose time to “Superman” in the most tricky part between control 8 and 12.
- At control 10, it looks like Öberg gets tired (either mentally and/or physically), and after that he can no longer keep up the speed of Gueorgiou. This is partly due to small mistakes and partly due to slower running speed as it looks.
- At control 11, Öberg does the mistake which makes Gueorgiou’s lead get up to a minute. On the autOanalysis it may look like it is on the way to control 12 (and that Öberg is faster to 11), but Öberg has actually not been on the control yet.
- On the long leg to 13 Öberg looses another 30 seconds by choosing the “safe route” on the path the last part to the control.
- In the rest of the course, Öberg has slower speed than Gueorgiou, and looses some seconds all the way. The only other mistake of Öberg is to number 18.
See also:
At the bottom of this article I also included some specific legs from the mens race.
Jansson versus Bobach
- Jansson versus Bobach – please open this while you read the text below
We now make a similar step by step comparison between Helena Jansson and Ida Bobach for the womens course.
- Helena Jansson is faster than Ida Bobach from the start – and has gained an advantage of more than a minute at control 4. As you can see from the autOanalysis, neither Jansson nor Bobach have a perfect race in this part of the course. Bobach looses time to the first control and out of the second control – and then even more time to control 4. Jansson looses time on the second part of the second leg. Actually another Danish woman – Signe Søes – is in the lead at the 4th control – another 30 seconds ahead of Jansson. Judith Wyder looses her gold medal chances to the third control.
- From control number 4 to the finish, Bobach is actually faster than Jansson – but none of them have a perfect race. Bobach does not have the optimal route on the long leg to number 8 – but still beats Jansson on the leg as Jansson does around a minute mistake just into the control.
- Bobach is also slower out of the 9th control – loosing time down the steep hill – nearly 20 seconds are lost before coming down to the path.
- Then Bobach is very fast in the open area around the spectator control, but again looses some time when getting into the forest. To 14 Bobach is again faster. It looks like Bobach was fresher in the end of the course – this is also were she secured her silver medal. Comparing Bobach versys Wyder you see how Bobach gains a lot of time in the last loop.
- Comparing Wyder versus Kauppi you see how Kauppi looses time to Wyder in the last loop – effetively loosing the bronze medal.
See also:
Men’s middle distance: 6-7a
Men’s middle distance: 7-8
Men’s middle distance: 12-13
