Ojanaho and Alm: Orienteering Achievement of 2015

Jan Kocbach December 22, 2015 Poll-15 Comments Off on Ojanaho and Alm: Orienteering Achievement of 2015

Maja Alm and Olli Ojanaho have been awarded with “The Orienteering Achievement of 2015″ titles in the women’s and men’s class, respectively! Alm won the award with a big margin ahead of her team mate in the Danish National Team Ida Bobach. Among the men, Finnish junior Ojanaho was awarded the “The Orienteering Achievement of 2015″ with Swiss Daniel Hubmann in second.

Last year’s winner in the men’s class was 96 year old Rune Haraldsson, this year an 18 year old junior wins the award.

The vote has been decided by the big international readership of WorldofO.com – more than 4000 unique votes from around 60 different countries have been delivered – making these results very representative for the worldwide orienteering community. Big thanks go to all voters and to the event sponsors PWT Five Days Toscana, Andalucia O-Meeting, Easter 4 , O-Ringen, Swiss O-week, Antalya Orienteering Festival, Sprint Scotland, Suunto Games and OOCup.

Results

In the Men’s class Olli Ojanaho won with 25.2% of the votes ahead of Daniel Hubmann with 21.8%, Lucas Basset with 19.1% and Thierry Gueorgiou with 14.2%. Last year’s winner in the men’s class was 96 year old Rune Haraldsson, this year an 18 year old junior wins the award. In the Womens’s class Maja Alm won with an impressive 39.7% of the votes ahead of Ida Bobach with 27.4%, Annika Billstam with 7.9% and Galina Vinogradova with 7.8%. The fascinating stories behind each nomination can be read at the poll page for men and women, respectively.

Interview Maja Alm – Achievement of 2015

Nominated for: The Queen of the World Championships in Scotland with three Gold medals: Sprint, Sprint Relay and Relay. Alm crushed the competition at every start at WOC – and was simply on a different physical level than the others.

Q: Congratulations on being awarded “The Orienteering Achievement of 2015?. What an incredible season for you and for Danish Orienteering! What were your expectations and goals ahead of the season?

In 2014 we won silver medals in both of the relays. We were extremely close to the gold medal and we learned that if we wanted to win, we had to focus more on becoming a team – and so we did.

Thank you very much. I won 3 medals in 2014 and knew it would be tough to reach the same level in 2015. I did a technically quite poor performance on the individual sprint distance in 2014, so I was eager to show – especially for myself – that I could do better. Therefore I was really motivated to improve my performance on the individual sprint.
In 2014 we won silver medals in both of the relays. We were extremely close to the gold medal and we learned that if we wanted to win, we had to focus more on becoming a team – and so we did.

Q: What are your main improvements compared to the 2014 season? It looks like that you at least have taken big steps on the physical level. Did you have special focus points in the training the past winter which you think helped you take this step up?

The biggest change for 2015 was our effort to stay motivated throughout the whole season. We did good training during the winter, but the strategy was to have a 110 percent focus in the last month before WOC. We were on a 3 week training camp in Scotland in June where our team took a big physical step together. It was fantastic that almost everyone improved their physical level, but of course it was a tough job as well.

We were on a 3 week training camp in Scotland in June where our team took a big physical step together.

Q: Can you name three key persons who were important for your achievements in 2015?

Lars Lindstrøm, Ida Bobach and Emma Klingenberg. Lars has been my coach for the last 9 years. He isn’t afraid to think in new ways, and of course that can be tough in a sport where there usually is a standard way to do things. But I trust his judgement and I am not afraid to try the new things he implements. Ida and Emma have been my training partners for many years now, and of course also my competitors. They make sure that there is always a high level on our training competitions, and I don’t think we would have as high a level as we have if we had to do it on an individual plane.

The Danish success is obviously also a big team effort. How do you work and train as a team? Can you give an example of how some of the others in the team have helped you get better?

I have mentioned how Ida and Emma have helped me getting better, but another key person is Cecilie Klysner. We were training a lot of sprint trainings together in Scotland. She is a first year senior, and it was nice to see all the positive energy she put into the team.

Another key person for my success is Tue Lassen. He is very good at his sprint preparations, and I am really not.

Another key person for my success is Tue Lassen. He is very good at his sprint preparations, and I am really not. He motivates me to do it anyway, and there is a treat in the end which is a cup of coffee. Another important part is that we are very good friends in the Danish team. We know each other very well, and now when there is low season I really miss my team mates.

Q: Do you plan do to anything differently in your training for the upcoming season? Will you still focus on the same disciplines where you achieved such fantastic results at the World Champs in Scotland?
I will still have focus on the same disciplines. I have tried for so many years to become a World Champion – now I am – and it will be a very difficult task to try to win it back next year. I already feel the pressure on my shoulders, and I am sure it won’t get better when the World Championships is getting closer. I am really impressed by Simone Niggli who has won for so many years in a row.

Q: To everybody who wants to try to beat you next year: What is your PB on 3000 meters / 5000 meters?

My PB on 5000m is 16.28 but unfortunately that time is from 2014. My plan was to run a 5000 meter right after WOC, but I was really done with competing at that time, so I didn’t. I think I might have been even faster this year, but we will never know.

Q: Big achievements is one thing – but to get as far as you have, I guess it is important to have fun with what you are doing as well. What is the most fun you have had during orienteering the past year?

The most fun was of course during the WOC week. It just went so well for the Danish team, and it was really crazy to be a part of that. The reason that it was so much fun was of course due to all the nice people that were in Scotland including our National Team, but also the Danish spectators over there. It was also very nice to feel the support from people outside of Denmark. Everyone was just so nice and it can still make me smile here half a year later.

Q: What do your days look like now in the winter time?

Our focused training starts in January 2016, so I am really looking forward to have my training as a higher priority again

At the moment I have some exams I am trying to pass. My winter training so far has not been that good, with a lot of illness and injuries. Our focused training starts in January 2016, so I am really looking forward to have my training as a higher priority again.

Q: Any final words to your fans out there?

Thank you so much for all the support. It really means the world to me, and it makes it worth all the effort. I know that we in the Danish National Team will fight to be back on an even higher level next year, and I hope that we again next year will be able to fight for the top positions.

Q: Congratulations again – and good luck with your season preparations!

Interview Olli Ojanaho – Achievement of 2015

Nominated for: 3 gold medals at the Junior World Championships at the age of 18 – one week after winning 2 individual gold medals at EYOC. Also: Debut in Finnish senior national team at the World Cup final.

Q: Congratulations on being awarded “The Orienteering Achievement of 2015?. What an incredible season for you – and especially the success at the Junior World Champs! World of O’s readers were obviously very impressed what you have achieved at your young age. What were your expectations and goals ahead of the season?

I managed to prepare very well for the most important races in the summer and was therefore able to get the maximal results with my shape and skills of the moment

Thank you very much, it feels incredible that so many people have been interested and voted for me! I didn’t have sky-high expectations before the past season as I thought my winter could have been better, and I had a bit difficult period during the spring season. However, I managed to prepare very well for the most important races in the summer and was therefore able to get the maximal results with my shape and skills of the moment.

Q: What are your main improvements compared to the 2014 season? Did you have special focus points in the training the past winter which you think helped you take this step up?

I had better self-confidence and mental preparation which obviously was a clear factor for success

I put some special attention to my muscle endurance last winter and I think it paid off in the end, I became stronger and more persistent in the forest. I also improved a lot my final preparations for the big races: In 2014 I managed to avoid the mistakes I made in 2013 with the physical preparation (ran hard trainings too much and too often), but I wasn’t mentally tough enough to do stable races at the most important moment. During the passed season in turn, I had better self-confidence and mental preparation which obviously was a clear factor for success.

Q: Can you name three key persons who were important for your achievements in 2015?

My mum and dad as well as the coach duo of our junior national team. I am extremely thankful for my parents that have been supporting my career in every possible way. Training and high school studies take the majority of the my time, so the importance of caring parents at home cannot be overemphasized. The support is just huge. When it comes to performing at the championships, it’s very important that everything is organized so well that athletes only need to focus on their job: Preparing for the races, recovering and relaxing the rest of the time. Thanks to our coaches Antti Örn and Markus Lindeqvist, everything was once again organized really well, making the Finnish success possible.

Q: Finland has a very strong junior generation coming up. Do you train and work much together, or is this more of an individual effort?

I’m also feeling that the whole Finland is becoming more open and we are putting more and more resources together, which is for sure a good thing for the Finnish orienteering

I live in Rovaniemi, Northern Finland, while most of the other team members live in the area of the big orienteering cities (Helsinki, Turku, Tampere) in south so I’m usually training alone. But during the training camps it is of course really fun that we can train together with a good group. It is nice to be part of the team and we have a really good team spirit, which can be seen outside training camps as well. That is to say that we are often in contact, discussing orienteering and offering each other chances to stay and train at our places when the others are passing by. I’m also feeling that the whole Finland is becoming more open and we are putting more and more resources together, which is for sure a good thing for the Finnish orienteering.

Q: What are your goals for the coming season? Do you plan do to anything differently in your training for the upcoming season?

Earlier I have spent the winter at home, having a break of at least 5 months from orienteering due to snow. This winter I will add two training camps abroad, the first in Alicante in just a few days and the second with the junior national team in Antalya in late February.

I want to improve my physical capacity in every way, but especially the speed. Technically I am aiming for having a higher routine level and gaining more experience in different kinds of terrains. The biggest difference compared to the former seasons will be my winter. Earlier I have spent the winter at home, having a break of at least 5 months from orienteering due to snow. This winter I will add two training camps abroad, the first in Alicante in just a few days and the second with the junior national team in Antalya in late February. So therewill be more high-quality o-trainings and running on snowless surface.

Q: There is always a lot of interesting discussion about different training models. Your model obviously worked very well this time around! How do you typically do your high intensity training?

My high intensity trainings are usually pretty varied. I do different kinds of interval sessions and tempo runs on different surfaces. In summer I like to run them in the forest right close to my home. The forest has many different parts to choose from; hills, flat areas, large marshes, rock areas and so on. The surface is varying from very fast to tough and slow, from stony and technical to surfaces with very easy runnability. During training camps all the high intensity trainings are orienteering, either intervals or full courses.

Q: To everybody who wants to try to beat you next year: What is your PB on 3000 meters / 5000 meters?

9.26 / 16.42. Both are quite old though, set in 2013.

It is of course extremely tough to put in the hardest effort and feel the pain, but still fun

I truly agree, it is very important to have fun while still training and competing seriously. I have spent really good time both in and outside forest! All the races, but especially the big ones, have been really fun. It is of course extremely tough to put in the hardest effort and feel the pain, but still fun. It feels really good at least after the races. Then there have been many amazing easy orienteering sessions in simply cool forests. It is a thing that I also like very much with orienteering: To have the opportunity to get into new forests and navigate my way through, seeing some spectacular places and views on the way! Outside the forests there has been, like in the past years, some really nice football games with other countries after the races at EYOC and JWOC were over, and also at O-Ringen (Sweden vs. the World). Then there have been countless and countless fun moments with team mates in training camps and championships! Well, the list is endless…

Q: What do your days look like now in the winter time?

During the school period, I have a morning training and at noon it’s time for some studying. I have decided to go high school for 4 years instead of the standard 3, to have a bit less school work to do and therefore able to focus better on it. I usually have two or three lessons of 75 minutes sometime between 10.30 and 15.15. If I have free time, I try to do some school work as it’s hard to find time for it anymore in the evening. In the afternoon I go back home to prepare for the second training. Training and all the evening routines practically take care of the rest of the day.

Q: Any final words to your fans out there?

Merry Christmas from Rovaniemi, the hometown of Santa Claus!

Q: Congratulations again – and good luck with your season preparations both at home with Santa Claus and in warmer regions!

Event sponsor: PWT Five Days Toscana 2016. July 9th – July 16th 2016

Prize offered: Package for 2 people consisting in entry fee and half board accommodation for Five days Tuscany in July 2016. Value about 1500 Euro. Transferable to other persons
Follow the Sun in Italy! Five days of orienteering in beautiful Tuscany – Elba Island, Mount Amiata (1738m above the sea level), Castagneto Carducci, Bolgheri and Montalcino the towns of wine, Cecina. Event centre Hotel La Buca del Gatto, on the beach. Read more at www.orienteering.it and www.facebook.com/pwtorienteering.

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Slovenia will be the place to be in Easter 2016. The new 4 Day race Easter4 is organized with the same high quality maps and courses as you are used to from OOCup, Lipica Open and Bubo Cup. Ahead of Easter4 there will be an international 4 Day training camp with high level trainings that will help you understand how to master the Slovenian orienteering challenges. More at Easter4.com – see also preliminary program for training camp here.

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Antalya Orienteering Festival will be held for the 2nd time in Side by the Mediterranean coast of Antalya, Turkey. We provide 5 different terrains and challenging courses, good maps and good weather for orienteering holiday. Swedish National Team Head Coach Håkan Carlsson will join us for analysis and lectures about Sports psychology & Mental training. See more at www.antalyaofest.com

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The Swiss Orienteering Week (SOW) 2016 is an orienteering event with races on six days with a rest day between the third and fourth days. The event centre is in St. Moritz in the Swiss Alps with lots of opportunities for holiday activities and fun. The organisers are expecting over 4000 orienteers from more than 30 countries. Most of the race areas in the Upper Engadin are being used for orienteering for the first time. As well as courses for the trained runners there will be easy courses for holidaymakers, walkers and beginners on offer on every race day. More info: www.swiss-o-week.ch. The Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC) 2016 with orienteering events for spectators will take place in the week before the SOW in the Lower Engadin with event centre in Scuol. More info: www.jwoc2016.ch

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Suunto Games in Estonia is the largest competition of the Estonian orienteering season with around 700 participants, organized over 2 days on the best terrains. WREs on both days and a high relevance to WOC 2017 terrains will attract the elite in 2016, whereas high quality organization and a good atmosphere will be the key factors for the others. Courses in the highest region of Estonia, in Haanja heights, will lead you through a colourful and hilly autumn terrain. Experience tourist attractions in the region, such as the highest hill of Estonia – Suur Munamägi, Rogosi manor, Nightingale Valley or try the smoke sauna (part of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage). See more at www.facebook.com/SuuntoGames

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Prize offered: 2 packages – each for 2 people – consisting of: Entry for the complete 5 days OOCup competition in Slovenia, Italy and Austria. Value 240 euro. Transferable to other persons.
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