Lundanes and Alexandersson: Orienteering Achievement of 2016!

Olav Lundanes (Norway) and Tove Alexandersson (Sweden) have been awarded with “The Orienteering Achievement of 2016″ titles in the women’s and men’s class, respectively! The vote has been decided by the big international readership of WorldofO.com – nearly 4500 unique votes from around 60 different countries have been delivered. Read interviews with the winners below the results.

Winning both individual forest gold medals at both WOC and EOC after never winning a gold medal at the big championships before

Alexandersson won the award for finally showing that she is the best orienteer in the world on the day when it really counts: Winning both individual forest gold medals at both WOC and EOC after never winning a gold medal at the big championships before.  Alexandersson won the award ahead of Emily Kemp (Canada) and Anastasia Denisova (Belarus) – the very best orienteer in the world ahead of two new stars who both wrote history for their nations at this years’ World Orienteering Championships with best-ever results.

In the men’s class it was even tighter, with less than 40 votes separating Olav Lundanes and Matthias Kyburz (Switzerland). Lundanes’ achievement which gave him the award for the best orienteering achievement of 2016 was being the dominant forest orienteer at the World Orienteering Championships with two gold and one silver medal – only some meters in dark green forest from sweeping the table and taking all three forest gold medals. Behind Lundanes and Kyburz – two of the big names in international orienteering the last years, a new star from a young orienteering nation came in third; Roman Ciobanu from Moldova.

Being the dominant forest orienteer at the World Orienteering Championships with two gold and one silver medal

Big thanks go to all voters and to the event sponsors Five + Five days of Sicily, Scottish 6 Days, Durmitor Orienteering Challenge, Aguiar da Beira “O” Meeting, Antalya Orienteering Festival, OOCup, Wawel Cup, Lipica Open and Danish Spring.

Results

In the Men’s class Olav Lundanes won with 18.8% of the votes ahead of Matthias Kyburz with 18.1%, Roman Ciobanu with 17.1% and Jerker Lysell with 14.6%. In the Womens’ class Tove Alexandersson won with 19.4% ahead of Emily Kemp with 17.6% and Anastasia Denisova with 16.0%. The fascinating stories behind each nomination can be read at the poll page for men and women, respectively.

Interview Tove Alexandersson – Achievement of the Year 2016

Q: Congratulations on being awarded “The Orienteering Achievement of 2016″. What an incredible season for you to be on the very top of the podium in the most important races of the season! What were your expectations and goals ahead of the season?

Thank you! What I wanted most was to be able to run all important races and feel prepared and ready at the start line. The second thing I wanted was to win, I wanted to win in both EOC and WOC and the World Cup in both orienteering and ski-orienteering. At least it was my dream to do that.

  I wanted to win in both EOC and WOC and the World Cup in both orienteering and ski-orienteering

Q: You skipped the sprint discipline completely(?) this season – and it could look like that is part of the reason for your success. What is your thought about that?

I wanted to be as good as possible in the forest races and felt that it was a risk to also run the sprint. It was safer to just focus on the forest but I hope I will be able to do top races in both sprint and forest disciplines.

Q: What are your main improvements compared to the 2015 season? Is it all about being free from injuries, or have you also taken some steps on the mental side?

I have taken some steps on the mental side but I think it’s the o-technique I have improved most during the season.

I have taken some steps on the mental side but I think it’s the o-technique I have improved most during the season

Q: Can you name three key persons who were important for your achievements in 2016?

The whole team around me is very important. The national teams and my clubs in both orienteering and ski-orienteering, Anneli Östberg who has coached me since I was junior and of course my family.

Q: The Swedish success is also a 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?

The atmosphere in the team is fantastic and makes me always looking forward to the training camps and competitions. We always help each other to get better and to do good performances.

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?

This season I was very focused on the orienteering technique and running in relevant terrain for WOC. For next season I will focus a bit more on running on harder surfaces and hopefully improve my physical capacity in both the forest and sprint.

For next season I will focus a bit more on running on harder surfaces and hopefully improve my physical capacity in both the forest and sprint.

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?

I have had so much fun during the year. Of course the championships have been great but if I have to choose something other, it will be my first orienteering competition of the year. For me it’s always a bit special with the first competition, especially if I come directly from the snow and winter. The competition was the first day of NAOM in portugal. It was fantastic terrain, a really good middle distance course and I just had the o-technical flow I wish for. A perfect orienteering day and a good start of the season.

Q: What do your days look like now in the winter time? Have you still got full focus on ski-orienteering?

I focus on both ski-orienteering and orienteering during the winter, so the training at home is a mix between skiing and running. I really like the winter training because I can train much more compared to if I’m just running. I also have quite many training camps and not so much time to do other things than training.
Q: Any final words to your fans out there?

I want to thank everyone who have supported me and cheered on all races.

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

Interview Olav Lundanes – Achievement of the Year 2016

Q: Congratulations on being awarded “The Orienteering Achievement of 2016″. What an incredible season for you to be at your best at the most important races of the season! What were your expectations and goals ahead of the season?

Thanks a lot! It is a great honor to win “The Orienteering Achievement of 2016″, since there were so many other nominated runners to fight against. And it is nice that so many people think I deserved it! Before the season I had two main goals: WOC, and to show a high level during the whole season. WOC was of course the most important, and a long time goal for me. I am very happy to have succeeded there, but there are some decisions from the Middle distance I am think a lot about. The last years I have not managed to do many good races or races at all, except from WOC, so although I lost EOC I am happy to have run fast during the whole 2016 season.

I have, as everybody else, been sick and injured also this year, and I think I have made big progress in the way I handle it

Q: What are your main improvements compared to the 2015 season? Is it all about being free from injuries, or have you also taken steps in other areas?

Of course it is a lot about that I have been more healthy than last season. But I have, as everybody else, been sick and injured also this year, and I think I have made big progress in the way I handle it. I know more about which trainings are most important to prioritize, when I can’t do everything I want. And I manage to stay calm and get the best out of the situation even when the situation is not optimal. Since I have managed to do more and better training, I therefore have managed to lift my physical level. The technical trainings [the last year] have been a lot WOC specific, and of course I have made progress in that terrain, but that will not help me so much next year.

My girlfriend Ida is the most important person for my achievements, because she is always supporting me both practical things and with mental support when that is needed

Q: Can you name three key persons who were important for your achievements in 2016?

My girlfriend Ida is the most important person for my achievements, because she is always supporting me both practical things and with mental support when that is needed. It is hard to name anybody else, because there are so many that have a part in my medals. But of course the support from the rest of my family is important, and I have to thank both Halden SK and the other runners on the national team.

Q: The WOC relay victory was very much a team effort. How did you work and train as a team in order to prepare for that race?

It has been a long and very bumpy road to that victory, and I think all three of us where very happy with the gold medal. We have discussed a lot how we want to run the relay, and we have had some good trainings on the camps. We managed to do good races on a day where the terrain suited us, there was some real forkings for once and where the other teams made some mistakes. That was enough this time, but we have to improve to win in Estonia.

I have started with some more strength trainings and I will do some faster intervals. But I will keep most of it as I have done it before, because I know it is working well.

Q: You have moved from Norway to Finland ahead of the next season. How is life in Finland so far? Do you plan do to anything differently in your training for the upcoming season? 

So far I am very happy with my life in Finland! It is a very nice training environment and good trainings, and it is also nice to try something new and different. There are a lot of training possibilities to choose from, and it is impossible and not so smart to join everything. And everybody who ran Jukola 2015 know that the terrain is nice, so I try to enjoy all the new maps. The language is the only problem, it is a bit difficult since I don’t speak fluent Finnish yet:) I think the home advantage was an important part of the success at WOC this year, and I have to improve if I want to be on the top also next year. I will of course change part of my training to be as good as possible in Estonia. I have started with some more strength trainings and I will do some faster intervals. But I will keep most of it as I have done it before, because I know it is working well. I have also done some measures to avoid some of the illness periods I have had the last years.

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

No days are like the other, but in many cases I wake up at 7.30, and then we have some common training in the morning. When I come home I eat, sleep, relax and eat again before the second training. In the evening I eat, and then do some training analyze/planning/organizing etc. And then I eat again and sleep. There is not so much special happening, but I think it is a good life to improve as an orienteer.

Q: Any final words to your fans out there?

Thanks a lot to everybody that has voted for me! And I wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Orienteeringyear! We are doing an amazing sport that we should be very prod of, so enjoy your trainings and races also next year!

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

Event sponsor: Five + Five days of Sicily, October 1st – 13th 2017

• Prize offered: Package for 2 people consisting in accommodation half board and entry fee for the second week of Five + Five days of Sicily – October 2017. Value 1510 euro. Transferable to other persons.
• 10 stages to discover all Sicily! First week from 1st to 6th October on the east coast, second week from 8th to 13th October on the west coast of this beautiful sunny Italian island! Read more at www.orienteering.it and facebook.com/pwtorienteering.

Event sponsor: Scottish 6 Days. July 30th – August 5th 2017

• Prize offered: Package for 2 people consisting of Package for 2 people consisting of free entry for the complete Scottish 6 Days 2017, including accommodation in a multi person room (4 or 8 beds) at the hostel in Ballatar (which Scottish 6 Days has booked completely; the accommodation is 300 m from event centre and main shops in Ballater, 400m to bus pick-up to events which is free if booked online at time of entry).  Value about 670 Euro. Transferable to other persons.
• More information:  The 21st Scottish 6-day event is being held in Royal Deeside between the 30th July and 5thAugust 2017. This will be the 4th time the 6-Days has come to Deeside (1983, 1993, 2005) and the event will use some of our best areas with a variety of terrain, superb arenas and car parking and stunning views to the hills and mountains around Deeside. Read more at www.scottish6days.com

 

Event sponsor: Durmitor Orienteering Challenge. August 24th – 27th 2017

• Prize offered: 2 packages, each for 2 people. Each package consists of: Entry for 4 competitions (3 of them WRE competitions), accommodation for 4 nights in bungalows, one training map, plus special Event T-shirt. Value about 620 Euro, transferable to other persons.
• More information. Orienteering in Montenegro will be an unforgettable experience. The Durmitor Orienteering Challenge is co-organized with the South East European Orienteering Championships, and three of the four races are World Ranking events. Read more at www.dochallenge.me.

Event sponsor: Aguiar da Beira “O” Meeting 2017. March 3rd – 5th 2017

• Prize offered: Aguiar da Beira “O” Meeting 2017 Competition Package for 2 persons – including entry to 3 events (Middle WRE, Sprint WRE, Long Distance and Model Event), 5 nights accommodation and a 4-map package for each person to train around the event area. Value about 535 Euro. Transferable to other persons.
• ABOM 2017 will be held from 3 to 5 March on one of the best Portuguese terrains. High quality mapmaking and amazing terrains are waiting for you! More info at: abom2017.ori-estarreja.pt

Event sponsor: Antalya Orienteering Festival 2017. October 29th October – November 5th 2017

• Prize offered: One big Antalya Orienteering Festival package for one person: Accommodation + Entry for all 5 races + All Transfers. Value about 500 Euro. Transferable to other person.
• Antalya Orienteering Festival will be held for the 3rd time in Antalya, Turkey. We provide 5 different terrains and challenging courses, good maps and good weather for orienteering holiday.  See more at www.antalyaofest.com

Event sponsor: OOCup 2017. July 24th – July 28th 2017

• Prize offered: 2 packages – each for 2 people – consisting of: Entry for the complete 5 days OOCup competition plus OOCup 2017 T-shirt for each competitor. Value 325 euro. Transferable to other persons.
• OOCup is a 5 Day orienteering event organized annually in Slovenia. OOCup 2017 will offer new maps in great, technical forests close to Ljubljana – city, seaside, caves and mountains all within driving distance. The event is famous for its Karst orienteering and excellent combination of orienteering and holidays. More at oocup.com.

Event sponsor: Wawel Cup 2017. July 5th – 9th 2017

• Prize offered: Package for 2 people consisting of free entry to complete 5 Day Wawel Cup competition, the popular Wawel Cup T-shirt, and accommodation. Value about 325 Euro. Transferable to other persons.
• More information: Two stages will be held in Olkusz were running through medieval post-mine pits might be quite an exam for orienteering skills. Other stages are in the exceptional Bledowska Desert and in rocky Jaroszowiec. Read more at wawelcup.pl.

Event sponsor: Lipica Open 2017. March 11th – 15th 2017

• Prize offered: 2 packages – each for 2 people – consisting of: Entry to complete 5 Day Lipica Open competition + hard floor accommodation in Postojna. Value about 320 euro. Transferable to other persons.
• In 2017 Lipica open will again be organized as a 5 day event – and again some great terrains! Training conditions in this part of Europe are now better than ever – both on forest maps and on sprint maps of nice little towns on the Adriatic coast! More at www.lipicaopen.com

Event sponsor: Danish Spring. March 24th – 26th 2017

• Prize offered: Package for 2 people consisting in free start in all three competitions and 2 nights in Hostel. Value about 280 Euro. Transferable to other persons.
• More information. Feel the flow in the early spring forest of North Sealand in Denmark and get part of the cool competition in a great atmosphere! Three World Ranking Events, with classes for all ages and levels. Highly relevant terrain for WMOC 2018 in the same area and also for WOC 2017 in Estonia. Easy access to and nice accommodations in “Denmark’s Royal Retreat”. Ideal for your club camp. Get it all at www.danishspring.dk