Published 25th February 2023

SYO member Nick Barrable was selected to represent GB at the European and World Trail Orienteering Championships. He reports on his experience......

European Trail Orienteering Championships 2022  

This was held on 26^th – 29^th May 2022 based at Espoo in Southern Finland. Originally scheduled for May 2020, then Covid-19 forced it initially to reschedule to July 2020, then to May 2021 and then again to May 2022. The GB team selected consisted of 10 members with 3 of these being in the ‘Physically challenged class’ (or P Class). The Olympics apparently have trademarked the term ‘Paralympic’ so the IOF had to change the name a few years ago or face being sued.  

The event centre was at Kisakallio – like a big residential sports centre with basic shared accommodation and somewhat institutionalised feeling meals. We had the Model Event there in sunshine. Then it rained for the rest of the week. 

We kicked off with the two PreO days. Long intensive days with some controls being so far away it really was a test of eyesight. Day 1 at Luukki was 25 controls around a 1.3 km course in 114 minutes – so 4 minutes a problem. I only got 5 wrong, but that put me near the bottom of the results – as 17 competitors had got them all right. It was similar on Day 2 with 28 controls over a 1.6 km course in 132 minutes for the Open class. Again I got 5 wrong but it was a harder course and more controls. At the top, the leading 6 had one wrong. So I was 54^th out of 83 on Day 2.   

TempO was up next in Veikkola with 6 different ‘stations’ being mostly in small areas of woodland amongst the buildings. Competitors were split into two different morning heats with the top 18 from each heat being entered into a final in the afternoon, with 50 in each heat. You needed to be on your toes and well-practiced and trained. Something the Brits simply are not currently. One Brit scrapped into the final by 9 seconds and promptly came second to last.  

Petteri Hakala FIN, who won WTOC TempO in 2018 as a 19-year-old, won here on home soil. He got all the TempO Final stations correct, taking 60-80 seconds at each, adjusting his technique to give more time to interpret the map when needed.  

World Trail Orienteering Championships 2022  

After my worst ETOC results I have ever had, I was surprised to get a selection for WTOC in the PreO. I had managed to beat all of those selected at both BTOC 2022 and JK22 and that, the selectors said, they could not ignore.  

The World Trail O Championships 2022, which also a postponed competition, took place at Jelenia Góra, Poland, near the Czech Border, from 19^th – 23^rd July. Weather was sunny and warm. As I was just doing the PreO, I got to do the Relay spectator race and look at some of the TempO problems as ‘warm-up’ as those events were up first.  

The 3 leg Relay was memorable as the P Class athletes got on the podium in 6^th – however there were only 8 nations competing. Nevertheless, it was a surprise to beat FIN. In the Open class, the selectors had stuck with the same Bronze medallist team from WTOC and ETOC a few years ago, and now all Honorary Life Members. They comfortably produced GBRs worst ever WTOC performance in 17^th of 21 nations, which perhaps says a lot about TrailO and its variability. Not to mention when looking at the TempO too… 

ETOC 22 Champion mentioned earlier Petteri Hakala finished 24^th of 36 in the final. TempO can be much more open as to who will actually win. GBR managed its usual ‘one person’ in the final (from 4) and it was the young GBR team rookie Ben Kyd MDOC/OUOC who nudged up the current GB best result to 21^st of 36. Much comment has been made of Ben being GBs best hope in TempO as he has had much success at online TrailO (TORUS). It will be interesting to see his progression. 

Onto PreO and as usual it was 2 long and tricky days, the first being more stressful than the second. Both were quite different and so Overall positions changed quite a lot for some after Day 2. Control numbering was a bit awkward with it being almost odds on one side and evens on the other. There was lots of to-ing and fro-ing as a result.   

For the GBR Team (4 Open and 2 Junior Open), Tom Dobra managed to have solid results 15^th & 16^th each day, and thanks to the variability of the days, pull himself to 8^th overall and the best result since Ian Ditchfield’s 5^th in 2012. Only 2 of the 4 Brits made the top half and personally, I wasn’t really gelling with the terrain, problems or map. It was a personal worst of 87^th out of 107 overall and last Brit (my 3^rd WTOC – previous bests of 25^th and 34^th.) Since COVID, TrailO has not been a focus so it was perhaps no surprise. It was a splendid trip however. 

Next year sees WTOC in Czechia from 1^st – 7^th July 2023. www.wtoc2023.cz There is no ETOC. Then WTOC will be back to every other year as the IOF are just not getting the organisers coming forward. For selection criteria on how to make the GBR Team, see the TrailO pages at the British Orienteering website. www.britishorienteering.org.uk/site/trailo 

Many thanks to SYO for support in helping me attend these two events. 

Published 22nd February 2023

The British Night Championships was hosted by Wimborne Orienteers on Saturday 18th February at Moor Valley. In contrast to the snow and gales of last year, conditions were perfect for this year's night championships. Only a tiny contingent of SYO members made the trip due to clashes with other events and training camps. Congratulations to Nick Barrable who was crowned champion on M45. Well done also to Martin Ward who collected a silver on M55 and Lucy Wiegand (W55) and Joe Taunton (M35) who took away bronze medals.

Published 27th January 2023

The 2022 Annual Club Champs were held in Graves Park on 3rd December. The long and medium competitors set off in a mass start. Both courses had 3 butterfly loops to split the competitors. Once the masses had departed the less experienced members set off on the orange and yellow courses.

Oli took the victory on the long course, while Freya was 1st female. On the medium Kris was first back and Jenny P was 1st female. The orange course was won by Jack W and Sophie was 1st female; while Zac won the yellow with Lucy H 1st female. However, once Peter G's fiendish handicapping system had been applied and the results from the long and medium courses amalgamated the club champs prizes went to John Doyle (first male junior), Ciara Keen (1st female junior), Rosie (1st senior woman), Todd (1^st senior man), Dave T (1st vet man) and ......... (1st vet woman - missing from the photo).

Post-race members adjourned to the Sheffield Transport Club for a delicious pie lunch. Lunch was followed by the very brief AGM before it was time for the annual awards ceremony. We began by presenting our younger juniors with their British Orienteering Racing Awards, before moving on to recognise the best achievements within the club.

Best junior performance at the CSC: Freya 
Best senior performance at the CSC: Brian
Best junior performance at the YBT final: Lucy W

Best Junior Relay Team: BOC & JK mini relay winners – Hannah, Freddie & Maxwell
Best Senior Relay Team: BOC & JK relay winners – Tim, Charlie & Martin
Best Individual Junior Relay Performance: Conrad
Best individual Senior Relay Performance: Dan

Best Senior International Performance: Peter G
Best Junior International Performance: Euan
Best Male Junior Performances: 1st Robbie, Runner up Maxwell

Best Female Junior Performances: 1st Ella, Runner up Imogen
Best Senior Male Performances: Chris W
Best Senior Female Performances: Jenny J
Best Vet Male Performances: Tim
Best Vet Female Performances: Jenny P

Oustanding Progress by a Junior: Louis
Most improved senior: Todd
Wooden Spoon Award: Chapman Family

The final part of the day concentrated on thanking the club's volunteers for the hundreds of hours they dedicate to orienteering. All the major officials, SI managers and coaches received a small prize and Oli and Ian were presented with a framed copy of their new maps. Ian also received a towel print of his composite map of Ecclesall through the decades.

 

The club's coaches were thanked for the huge commitment they put into club night and other coaching sessions. The Junior volunteer of the year award went to James, while Dom won 'Senior Volunteer of the year' for being our technical guru for maprun and the SYO entry systems and for masterminding the decorations at the 50^th anniversary do at Cutlers.

Martin was awarded the trophy for the 'outstanding contribution to orienteering’ for steering the club so successfully for the past 6 year in his position as chair.  Finally thanks were given to Dave H and Hannah for the fabulous job done planning and organising this year’s club champs.