World of O News
– I never felt that I really managed the challenges that day, so that is why I think it was the best course this year, Olav Lundanes says about the course he has chosen as the best course he ran this year. Three out of four top choices for the Norwegian World Champion in Long Distance orienteering were long distance courses – but on top of his personal favourite list we find the middle distance at day 3 of Portugal O-meeting.
– There have been a lot of nice courses this year again, so it was a hard choice so make. I think the POM day 3 middle (WRE), was maybe the best one, Lundanes explains.
Norway, Norway and Norway
A race I really missed to run was the Norwegian Championships in Long distance
– Two other great courses where our selection races for EOC long and our selection races for WOC long. Both course used two really nice terrains in a great way.
Two selection races – and two narrow victories for Lundanes. The EOC selection race with 29 seconds ahead of Audun Weltzien and the WOC selection race with 27 seconds ahead of Magne Dæhlie. The third long distance race Lundanes mentions is a race he didn’t run himself due to injuries – the Norwegian Championships long distance which has already be suggested to the Course of the Year 2012 by readers of World of O.
– A race I really missed to run was the Norwegian Championships in Long distance, Lundanes explains.
With a little bit of bitterness shining through, the strong Norwegian adds that it was not the will to run that was missing.
– If I had been able to run I think it would have been my choice.
More questions for Olav Ludanes
As part of the preparations for “Course of the Year 2012″, Olav Lundanes answered some more questions related to 2012 and the future.
Q: In which race or training did you have most fun in 2012 – and why?
I had a lot of fun during 2012, and one of the highlight was the Big 5 days in South Africa in January. A very small organizing team made some really nice races where the maps and courses were the main focus of the events.
Map day 1, Map day 3 – part 1, Map day 3 – part 2
But the greatest races were the two races at Euromeeting. In the Euromeeting Middle I did not know what to expect and it was a great challenge. The Euromeeting Long distance was just nice. Real Fjord-O terrain as somebody told me :)
Q: What is the race you look most forward to in 2013?
Of course the Long and the Middle distances at WOC are the races I am thinking most about, and also the races that I am looking most forward to. But almost all races have something interesting, so I am looking forward to the most of next season.
Q: What is the worst course you run in 2012?
Normally it is very easy to decide the worst course of the year, it is just to pick one of the WorldCup races in Norway. And even if we served our foreign visitors some real crap during the middle distance in Holmenkollen also this year, I don’t think it is enough to top the list.
The World Cup Middle in Switzerland was even worse! But in both these races the choice terrain was the biggest problem, and not just the course setting.
At EOC relay they managed to both find bad terrain and set a very bad course.
Until the end, the course was OK, but the fourth and third last controls are just disasters. When I was young I read the Norwegian book about course setting, and one thing that I will always remember is that the most important thing is to avoid injustice, in Norwegian called “Slump”. Around the spectator control (fourth last) the map does not show the truth about what the area around the ski-jumping hill really looks like, and this had a big influence on the 2nd leg of the relay. The control should never have been placed in this area!
The fence down to the third last control has already been discussed a lot, but I can not understand how it is possible to make a leg like that. It is just guessing how long time it takes to cross the impassable fence. But it is maybe a part of the modern orienteering…..
Q: What is your favourite map (from the top of your head)?
I have to say that for each year I live in Halden, l like the terrains more and more. This year we got a completely new area after “Norwegian Spring”, and that is absolutely one of the nicest terrains in the world!
Q: Did you set any courses in 2012? If so, is it possible to share the best (in your opinion) with World of O’s readers?
I didn’t set any courses for competitions this year, but of course a lot for trainings. Maybe my favorite is a night corridor from last winter, which we ran 100 days before TIOmila. And we got the result we wanted at TIOmila…
Q: What are your goals for next year – and how do you change your training and focus in order to reach your goals in 2013?
My biggest goal for 2013 is to win the World Championships. That is what I am dreaming about on every training.
I will not do any big changes in the training this year, just train a little bit more and try to do something a bit better.
Prizes from our Sponsors
Prizes from our Sponsors always makes it more fun! There will be a prize for the first one suggesting the course which ends up becoming “The course of the Year 2012″, and prizes drawn among the ones suggesting and voting. All prizes are transferable to other persons (you don’t have to travel yourself).
MOC 2013
- Prize offered: Hotel + entry package for 2 persons (4 nights accommodation in Hotel Formula B&B + entry fee for MOC 2013+PWT in Matera, value about 600 Euro).
- LET’S ROCK in MOC- Matera 2013! The Mediterranean Open Championship Orienteering 2013 is organized March 15th – March 17th. Great events with world class runners!Read more
Orievents Training Camps
- Prize offered: Training package with accommodation for 2 persons (6 trainings + 3 days of accommodation in half board at Castelo de Vide Hotel)
- Orievents / GD4C’s Training Camps – Alto Alentejo – are an excellent training opportunity for Orienteering of good quality during the winter. The TC will have the technical support of Eva Jurenikova. Start the new season in training camps in Alto Alentejo, Portugal! Read more
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Bubo Cup 2013
- Prize offered: “Family” entry package (Entry for 4 persons for complete Bubo cup, transferable to other people)
- Bubo cup is a new 5 Day orienteering event in Slovenia – with the same quality you are used to from OOCup. The 5 day event taking place from 19th to 23rd of July 2013 will take you through some great orienteering areas in the western part of Slovenia – from Karst terrain above the world famous Postojna cave to the Trnovski gozd plateau (which was the venue of unforgetably tough OOCup 2011). The venue of the mid stage will be Vipava, an old little town in Vipava valley. Read more
Fjord-o Arctic Midnattsolgaloppen 2013
- Prize offered: Entry package for 2 persons (Entry for 2 persons for complete Fjord-O Arctic week)
- Fjord-o Arctic Midnattsolgaloppen is the biggest and most popular event which is regularly organized north of the polar circle. Fjord-o is known for its mix of interesting orienteering with spectacular nature between fjords and mountains. Fjord-o 2013 is organized from June 29th until July 3st 2013. This year it will take place in the Harstad-region. Read more
Nice Holidays 2013
- Prize offered: 2 packages – each consisting of entry fee + accommodation for 2 persons (Entry fee + accommodation in campsite for 2 persons)
- Nice holidays are traditional 2-days, 3-stages orienteering competition organised by TJ Turnov orienteering club in beautiful sandstone terrains of Bohemian Paradise since 1992. Come to the Czech Republic and enjoy challenging middle distance, tricky sprint and tough long distance in hilly sandstone terrain. We are looking forward to seeing you from 23rd to 25th August 2013 in Turnov, Czech Republic. The competition has a limit of competitors set by natural park management usually to max 1000 runners. This year it was sold out in two months. Read more
For the record: All sponsor gifts/income related to “The Best Course of 2012″ goes directly to the WorldofO.com readers.
