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So the Sprint final is over and Ali and Sam have done real good, 27th in the world for Ali and 38th in the world for Sam. I’m pretty sure that 27th is the best we’ve ever done at WOC.
The sprint was in the middle of the small city of Chambery, a maze of streets and small twisty alleys, plus a nice castle, with the start and finish right in front of the castle and all the streets blocked off to traffic. Just an amazing scene. Lots and lots of people, enthusiastic cheering and flag waving, a huge video screen, great announcing. Orienteering with the feel of a big-time sport, in other words. The eventual winners were a Swedish woman (with Swedes also second and third) and a Swiss man.
Today was the Middle qualifier. Once again we had one qualifier, Ali Crocker, again with another brilliant run, finishing 7th in her heat and beating among others, the women from Switzerland, Denmark, Russia, and Norway (with the Norwegian ending up 16th and not qualifying for the final). Ross Smith and Ken Walker both had really good runs, 34 minutes and 35 minutes. Don’t have their places yet, but something about 31-32 minutes was needed to qualify. Very close. And a good bit better run today for Alex Jospe which was nice to see.
Today was the Long qualifier, and might as well get right too it, bravo for Alison Crocker who finished 10th in her heat and advances to the final on Wednesday. Ali was reasonably pleased with her run (this was before she know she had qualified, when that was clear she was delighted), maybe two or three minutes of mistakes, but never anything real bad or total panic. Good for her!
Some, maybe a lot, already know that the 2011 World Orienteering Champs and World Trail-O’ Champs start tomorrow. But just in case, here’s a bit of a heads up about what’s on tap.
The WOC is being held in Chambery, France, a small city in eastern France about an hour’s drive southwest of Geneva. The sprint will be urban, as has become the tradition, whereas the other events will take place in the hills to the east. Maybe I should say mountains, or at least very serious hills, elevation around 4,000-4,500 feet. And from all appearances, it will be rough and tough orienteering.
21 players.
The most spectacular shot was by Nadezhda Popova who was playing a threesome with Joanne and Sam. She teed off for hole #2. It bounced over onto the green for #3, went through the tunnel under the windmill, missing the arms of the windmill which would block the tunnel and was just inches from a hole-in-one! Not bad for a first time mini-golfer. :-)