MTBO: Ups and downs in the IOF World Rankings

The World MTB Orienteering Championships 2015 are over and it’s time now to look at the IOF World Rankings, trying to understand its ups and downs. Sensational performer at Liberec, Martina Tichovska jumped to the first place in the women's ranking. In the men's ranking, Anton Foliforov reinforced the leadership, position that he retains since the distant 16th May 2014.

Liberec, in the Czech Republic, hosted the 13th edition of the World MTB Orienteering Championships WMTBOC 2015. In the aftermath of a week full of emotions, with a couple of nice surprises, we can now look to the International Orienteering Federation World Rankings duly updated and realize the consequences of the results achieved by the athletes in the most important competition of the international MTB Orienteering calendar.

Starting with the male sector, the Russian Anton Foliforov strengthened his leading position on the ranking, after the gold medals achieved in Middle Distance and Long Distance. Immediately behind him, is the Italian Luca Dallavalle, World Champion of Sprint and Vice World Champion of Middle Distance, which achieved a fantastic rise of seven positions. Rising one place, the Finnish Jussi Laurila, vice-world champion of Long Distance, now ranks fourth. Other significant increases were enthralled by the Czech Marek Pospisek, rising nine places and being the current fifth placed, by the Austrian Kevin Haselsberger, coming from the 16th position to the 9th place and by the Czech Frantisek Bogar which rose sixteen (!) positions and is now the 19th ranked. Also in the top 20, the Finnish Samuli Saarela went up six positions, being now ranked 13th, while the Czech Vojtech Stransky is currently the 14th placed, after rising three positions.

On the side of the falls, is significant the position lost by the Czech Jiri Hradil that is now the 3rd placed. The Russian Ruslan Gritsan colapsed from 4th to the 8th place while the French Baptiste Fuchs fell to the 6th place, when prior to the Championships occupied a brilliant 3rd place. Another important fall was starred by the Norwegian Hans Jorgen Kvale, loosing three positions and being now the 10th placed. The French Yoann Garde also fell significantly in the table, occupying currently the 17th place while he was 11th before, as the Lithuanian Jonas Maiselis, losing six places to settle in the 18th position. From the Portuguese side, Davide Machado lost one place and is now the 30th ranked, while Daniel Marques kept the 50th position. João Ferreira is in the 56th position, and came down four steps, while Carlos Simões ascended three places and is now ranked 63rd. Portugal has another two athletes in the top 100, both suffering losses in the table. Mário Guterres is the 71st ranked when previously occupied the 64th position and Luis Barreiro, ranked 87th, lost five positions.

Tichovska jump to the leadership

In the women's sector, a major achievement was led by the Czech Martina Tichovska by leaving the 4th position in the ranking to take the lead. For this climb have decisively contributed the world titles of Sprint and Long Distance and also the silver medal in the Middle Distance. The Swedish Cecilia Thomasson and the French Gaëlle Barlet rose one place each and are now in the 4th and 5th positions, respectively, while the Danish Camilla Soegaard moved up three positions, occupying now the 6th place of the ranking. The Finnish Susanna Laurila, Long Distance’s vice-world champion, starred the most dazzling ascent, by climbing ten positions to settle in the 9th place. Other important increase was those of the Swiss Maja Rothweiler, from 17th to the 12th position.

Looking to the falls, the former leader of the ranking, the British Emily Benham, is now ranked 2nd as the Russian Svetlana Poverina also down one place in the table and is now ranked 3rd. The Finnish Marika Hara went down sharply four places, occupying now the 7th position. Another of the big losers was the Russian Tatiana Repina, sinking three positions and being now the 13th in the ranking. The French Hana Garde lost two places and now occupies the 10th position, the Danish Nina Hoffmann came from the 15th to the 18th position and the Finnish Antonia Haga is now ranked 15th after losing four places in the table. The Czech Marie Brezinova now occupies the 15th place after falling one position, as many as the Austrian Michaela Gigon, which is the current 17th ranked. The three Portuguese athletes present in Liberec had gains on the table, except for Susana Pontes who kept her 45th position. Ana Filipa Silva won one place, occupying now the 64th position in the ranking, while Tânia Covas Costa recovered nine places, being now the 73rd ranked.

See the full rankings at http://ranking.orienteering.org/.

Joaquim Margarido