Tobias Micko: "Austrian MTBO Days are going to be one of the greatest events of the upcoming season"

It's always stimulating to hear a young man talking enthusiastically about his passion. Tobias Micko couldn't be more committed to Orienteering, after a short but really promising career. And leaves a warning: “You won't get rid of me that easily!”

I would start by asking you who is Tobias Micko?

Tobias Micko (T. M.) - Well, I was born on 24th March 2000, which means I will turn 17 very soon. I live in Bad Vöslau, a small town south of Vienna. My main ambition lies with MTBO, but currently I am also a student at the Multimedia Department of “Die Graphische”, a kind of college for media-related careers, where I'm getting my education in photography, film, animation, web-design, etc. Obviously, I play around with cameras a lot, but I also like mountain sports like ski touring and backcountry skiing, hiking and other outdoor activities like o-mapping.

When did you find out that MTBO would be your orienteering discipline for life?

T. M. - I think, I'll have to explain that a bit: I grew up in an orienteering family, so I was into it from the beginning. I began to compete seriously aged 12, and when I became a member of the Austrian Youth team aged 13, I was already one of the best orienteers of my age group in Austria. But then I ran into troubles: I have always had knee problems, but by the end of 2014 they got so bad that I had to stop running for some months. At this time I met the Hnilica family, a big name in Austrian MTBO, and started to bike a little. The MTBO youth team didn't have enough members then to form a Relay team for the European Championships 2015 in Portugal – so, after a short time, I was introduced to the sport and became the missing member of the relay (laughs).

Having taken good care of my body, after a few months I was able to run again, so I started training and took part in the ISF School World Championship in Turkey, where my results weren't that bad (I finished 5th and 6th). This was my first experience with orienteering at an international level and I continued with the sport. At that time I didn't have much experience with MTBO, I just competed in some races, but in June I was ready for the European Championships 2015 in Portugal. My results were okay and I continued with biking. I competed in Plzen where I met the whole team for the first time and then took part in the World Championships in Liberec. That autumn we also organized an MTBO competition in my hometown, which was very successful.

For 2016 my main goals were the EYMTBOC in Portugal and the EYOC in Poland. Training went well, but I always felt my knee a little bit – it was never really okay. And there was also this decision I had to make for myself: Which discipline should I focus on. It was a very burdensome time for me, but the problems somehow disappeared. By coincidence, the qualification race for the EYOC I wanted to run was on the same weekend as the first round of the World Cup 2016 in France, and just 5 days before this weekend my knee felt so bad that I decided to compete in France instead of EYOC. The decision had been made! In the first race I won against Thomas Steinthal from Denmark, who had won a diploma at the EYMTBOC the year before. That was an enormous motivation for me! I focused on mountain biking, and six weeks later there was Portugal 2016 …

What do you see in this discipline that makes it so special?

T. M. - You know, every time I read this question in one of your interviews I think the answers are so trivial – but when I have to think about it myself, I have no better idea. It's really the most versatile and most fascinating sport I know. In another interview I once read, “Every sport has its own fascination in itself, without that there would be no sport in our culture”, and that's so true! MTBO is my sport and I am 100% into it!

How hard can MTBO be?

T. M. - If there were just MTBO, it would be completely different. But add to that the daily school routine and my other hobbies I can't give up (even though I should drop some of them), and life becomes really exhausting. Luckily, I have some freedom at my school so I'm able focus on the sport; without that, I wouldn’t go on with my stuff the way I'm doing it right now. When there’s no other possibility, I have to train at 10 pm, after that I get 6 hours sleep and then it's back to a full school day – but luckily that's not the rule.

Do you have an athlete that you see as model, an inspiration?

T. M. - Of course, there are various role models and motivations, everybody has them somehow. For me it’s especially traveling around the world, the trips with the team. You have the chance to reach areas where a “normal” person wouldn't spend their holidays, you are able to meet so many great people around the world – and that is very, very precious to me. As inspirations I want to single out Thomas Hnilica, Kevin Haselsberger and, of course, my family and lots of others … And then there is Jana Hnilica. She’s one of the big upcoming stars of Austrian MTBO and she has found a way of organising her life like nobody else I know. The way she's able to get to grips with a very exhausting school, sport, hobbies and so on is truly incredible!

Looking at the special moments you’ve been through in MTB orienteering until now, could you mention the most thrilling one?

T. M. - One of the most thrilling moments was definitely the relay race at the World MTB Orienteering Championships 2015 in Liberec! I had only just started MTBO and was able to be there at that important moment. There was this incredible feeling when Andreas Waldmann started in third position. We couldn't see the GPS track all the time but we had the live results and at the first live coverage it was like, “He’s only a few seconds behind the leading duo.” And at the second live coverage, “He’s in the lead, Waldi is in the lead!”. After the spectator control he realised his position and finished his race with a comfortable lead – I still have goose bumps when I remember that day.

Going back to July 25th, 2016, in Portugal, what did you feel by achieving the bronze medal in the Sprint race of the European Youth MTB Orienteering Championships?

T. M. - I was just happy! In the beginning it took some time to realise what had just happened.

What makes this result so special for me is that my dedicated training on the bike had only started six weeks earlier, before that I had just taken part in a few competitions, but mainly I had been running. Yes, of course I have some advantages in the navigational part because of my experience with mapping and orienteering, but the sprint distance wasn’t even technical, it was just biking as fast as you can. The only mistake I made was trying to drink a little from my bottle – that lost me a few seconds! But now I'm looking forward to the upcoming season even more, now my full focus is fully on the bike …

Can you remember other good moments in Portugal? And a bad one?

T. M. - I mostly remember all these good moments and stories, and it was a fantastic trip with the team again, but obviously there also were some bad moments, too, especially after the accident in the Middle Distance. The race started very well, I felt the flow and was just in the race – maybe a little bit too much – when, after the 5th control, my handlebar got caught by a tree and I had a bad crash. I managed to get back on track and reach the finish arena, but my leg hurt very much.

Luckily the next day was a rest day and, with the help of our Physio/Trainer Gaby, I could fully concentrate on recovering! Movement helped a lot. My time at the Long Distance wasn't the one I had been looking for, but under the circumstances it wasn't too bad and an 8th place actually isn't that bad – really.

What does it mean to be a MTB orienteer in Austria?

T. M. - I can answer that question with a simple return question: What does it mean to be a (fringe sport) athlete in Austria? – Almost nothing, unfortunately. 70% of sport subsidies go to Football, Alpine skiing and Tennis. Next are all Olympic disciplines and only then, much further down the line, there are all other kinds of sports. Yes, we fight for every Cent, but I think that is necessary. When you have all the money (and therefore facilities) you need, it's easy to be at the top. We get almost nothing and still we can compete with the best of our sport. And it is something very special to fight for your passion with a great team!

I can see you really committed to promoting the Austrian MTBO Days 2017, this July? Would you like to tell me something about it?

T. M. - I will! Spoiler alert: Austrian MTBO days are going to be one of the greatest events of the upcoming season and you all should be part of it (laughs). – Seriously: The idea grew after our MTBO event in Bad Vöslau in 2015. The event was well received by the community and the host city. The upcoming event has grown bigger and bigger over the last months, now it is going to be really big! Obviously our main goal is to make the trip to Austria a memorable one for all of you. Free entry to a famous public spa, top culinary local catering, a high quality evening program and, most importantly, thrilling courses and a very technical forest are waiting for you. We also want to use the event to make our sport more popular in Austria. For this, we have co-operations with some big media names in Austria, and we are very grateful that Portuguese Orienteering Blog is also part of the show – thanks for the co-operation!

Can it be compared to MTBO 5 Days Plzeň? What are your expectations?

T. M. - Well, that's a tough question! It's something completely different. Plzen has for many, many years been one of the most popular MTBO events, and personally I am very disappointed that I can't be part of it this year. But we are in contact with the organizers in Plzen to create a perfect summer program, especially for all of you from abroad! From Plzen directly to Bad Vöslau, then to Orleans (France) and from there to Lithuania – Doesn't that sound promising? I think this dense program might be an extra motivation for a few athletes from far away to take the long trip to Europe after all. The date isn't just a coincidence either: For the world elite it's the best time to prepare for the European Championships two weeks earlier. And there are also a few more arguments for coming to Austria, like WRE, WMS, cup events of different countries …

Just before the Austrian MTBO days, we'll have in Waldviertel, in the beginning of June, the kick off of the World Cup 2017. Do you plan to join the event?

T. M. - Yes, of course! We have many good senior riders, so I won't be able to qualify for the World Cup, but we have Austrian Cup races there, too. And it is the same area where the World Championships 2018 are going to be held. My first year as a junior in my home country.

What are your main goals for the season?

T. M. - My main goal is definitely the EYMTBOC in France. Unfortunately it's not possible for me to compete in Lithuania, that's very disappointing, but hopefully in the next decades I'll get other chances to compete in these very technical areas – they look enormous.

For those who don't know about MTBO, but are able to try something new, what do you have to say?

T. M. - I don't think that I have to explain how orienteering or MTBO works to the readers of this blog, but I think I can try to clear up a misunderstanding: The cliché is that MTBO is easy, because you don't have to orientate as you're just going on trails or roads, and yes, that's true (in most countries). The big difference is the much higher speed on the bike, compared to running. To read and capture the map while biking, and not crashing into a tree at the same time, is more difficult than most people think (Yep, that happened to me, too!) and when you haven't read the map carefully, you can end up two valleys off, even small mistakes cost much more time than in Foot orienteering. You also have to rely on gathering loads of information in your mind in a very short time. For untrained bikers, map reading while riding is only just possible on streets, and if you have to stop to read, the race will be over before you find your way.

Is there anything that you'd like to add?

T. M. - I want to thank all my past, present and future companions again for their contribution. I will give my best to fulfill all expectations, especially my own, and I'm looking forward to many, many more years with MTBO. You won't get rid of me that easily!

Joaquim Margarido

Richard Robinson: "In this modern age of gadgetry and GPS there is something wonderfully refreshing about being out in the bush with nothing to guide you but a map and a compass"

It's always a pleasure to “travel” to Australia, meeting those who, so far but so close, share the same passion about Orienteering. Richard Robinson, our guest today, welcomes us with open arms, introducing himself, confessing his fascination with maps and landforms and reasserting his commitment to Adventure Racing, Rogaining and MTB Orienteering.

I would start by asking you to introduce yourself. Who is Richard Robinson?

Richard Robinson (R. R.) - I am Richard Robinson M60 from Australia. I was born in rural Australia and grew up on a farm ~500km west of Sydney. I now live in Brisbane. I retired from the full-time workforce in 2013 and now work part time as a Company Director and Consultant. Together with my wife, W45 Tamsin Barnes, I enjoy most activities that involve being in the bush (forest) and particularly those that involve using a map. These include; Orienteering (particularly MTBO), Rogaining (see: www.rogaining.org), Adventure Racing and Bushwalking. We also do quite a bit of cycling and Tamsin also runs, something I cannot do at the moment due to knee problems. We have both done trail ultra-marathons in the past, particularly Tamsin, and enjoy a red wine or three!

Why Orienteering and why not Football or Cycling, for example?

R. R. - Ever since I can remember I have had a fascination with maps and landforms but I knew nothing of orienteering or any map & compass sport growing up. I played a lot of sports competitively growing up and as a young adult. These included: cricket, rugby league, football, tennis, squash, field hockey and volleyball. I also started running for fitness and pleasure as a young adult. When I discovered orienteering at age 32 I thought “wow, something that combines three of my great passions; running, maps and being in the bush, how long has this been going on and I haven’t been playing?”

I was hooked and about five years later a group of us introduced rogaining to my, by then, home State of Queensland. I had always struggled to get to the top of the field in orienteering because I simply was not a fast enough runner, but the 24-hour duration of a championship rogaine suited me much better due to the planning, endurance and night navigation aspects. Then MTBO started happening in Australia and I found that seemed to suit me also. And of course doing all these things also led me into adventure racing and trail ultras.

Tamsin on the other hand arrived at orienteering via a totally different route. Growing up in the UK “sport” involved a ball and she doesn’t get on with balls. Then she discovered rowing at university and started running for fitness and having big days out on the mountains. In her late 20s she moved to Singapore and got into triathlons but when she moved to Australia some years later found the triathlon scene here was not social like she was used to so started trail running. This progressed to trail ultra-marathons and thence to adventure racing and rogaining. Orienteering and MTBO became a natural adjunct. We both just love being in the bush with a map and being able to have that as a shared experience is a real bonus. We greatly prefer MTBO and rogaining over foot orienteering and not simply because we seem to be more competitive there. We find both MTBO and rogaining to be extremely friendly and social events, no matter where in the world you do them, whereas foot orienteering events seem far less so.

I ask you to complete the sentence: “Life without Orienteering would be …”

R. R. - I think I would change the sentence to “Life without navigation sports would be not the sort of life we would choose.” Our involvement in navigation sports has taken us to some of the most beautiful places on the planet, many of which are not accessible to the general public. It has given us reason to travel across the world and make many new friends in many different places. Navigation sports and the travel associated with them are a fundamental part of our life and the relationship we have with one another.

How committed are you with Orienteering?

R. R. - I come from a family of “serial volunteers”. My parents and grandparents were committed volunteers in sporting and civic organisations and so are my siblings and now one of my children. Thus, as I became involved in navigation sports it was simply “normal” for me to be involved the administration of these sports and organisation of events. I have been intermittently on the committee of Orienteering Queensland since the late 1980s. I have been on the committee of the Queensland Rogaine Association (QRA) since its inception in 1994 serving three 2-year terms as President and on the Council of the Australian Rogaining Association since 1998 including the roles of Technical Committee Chair (3 years), Treasurer (9 years) and President (7 years) and am currently Immediate Past President. I have also been a member of the International Rogaining Federation (IRF) Council since 2010 and IRF President since 2013. In addition I continue to organise and/or course set for one or two events every year and have done so for the past two decades. Most recently I was Event Director for the 2016 World Rogaining Championships (WRC) and am a course setter for the 2017 Queensland MTBO Champs and 2018 Australasian Rogaining Championships. Tamsin has also done her fair share of work in that space. She has been on the QRA Committee for nearly ten years including a stint as Treasurer and has been the checker for many of the rogaining and MTBO courses I have set in recent years including the 2016 WRC.

Along with Tamsin, you headed Kaunas, Lithuania, last September, for the World Masters MTB Orienteering Championships? Where did you found the motivation to travel from the opposite side of the globe and join the event?

R. R. - I first rogained in Europe in 2002 and our first MTBO in Europe was the WMMTBOC in Hungary in 2012. We had a fantastic time albeit well off the competitive pace. We then attended the WMMTBOC in Portugal in 2015, enjoyed it just as much and had greater competitive success. By then the World Masters MTBO Series had commenced and with the first two races of the 2016 series in Australia, although ironically Tamsin was in Mexico at the time and unable to compete, it seemed logical to try to get to a few more of the series events. Thus we went to Alsace in May and then Lithuania for the WMMTBOC. By that stage these events had become more than just great MTBO events, they were opportunities to catch up with old friends and renew old rivalries. But they did show us that it is really hard to competitive in complex European forests if all your training and racing is in simple Australian ones!

What memories do you keep from the Lithuanian journey?

R. R. - Lithuania was fantastic. We always have a great time in Europe, we love the old cities, town and villages and how close everything is. We love the forests, lakes and mountains. Lithuania had all of this apart from the mountains. And also, as an Australian, most of Europe is extremely affordable compared to Australia or New Zealand. We explored Vilnius and Kaunas and the areas around them. But the real standout for us was our two days in Labanoras, a tiny village in the middle of a magnificent forest staying at the quaintest hotel we have ever been to.

Do you always attend the events along with your wife? (Is she a better orienteer than you?)

R. R. - We attend almost all events as a couple and often compete as a team in adventure races and non-championship rogaines. Occasionally one of us will do an event in Australia or New Zealand without the other due to work or similar commitments, but all of our big trips and major championship events are done together. Is she a better orienteer than me? Interesting question. She has won an Australian foot orienteering championship and I haven’t and she has won more Australian or New Zealand MTBO championships than me. But I have won more Australian or New Zealand rogaining championships than her plus I’ve won two World rogaining championships, plus two 2nds to her three 2nds and a 3rd. And in 2016 she was 2nd in the World Masters MTBO series in W45 and I was 4th in M60. So you be the judge!

When we talk about Orienteering as a family-sport, what are we talking about, really?

R. R. - I think of orienteering and navigation sports in general as more sports for all ages and abilities than family sports. Families are diverse beasts and it is not universal that all family members like doing the same things. Neither of my daughters nor my previous wife became keen orienteers although all have been very keen participants in other sports. So navigation sports lend themselves to being great family sports because everyone in the family can compete at the same place at the same time but that does not make them enjoyable sports for all members of all families.

What means to be an orienteer in Australia?

R. R. - To many Australians it means you are part of the “lunatic fringe”! Orienteering is not a particularly popular sport in Australia albeit it does have a dedicated core. The traditional foot orienteering participant numbers have remained essentially static pretty much since I started orienteering in the 1980s. The largest foot orienteering event in Australia, the Australian 3-Days, can attract up to ~1,000 competitors dependent upon the location of the event. We are however continuing to see growth in the non-traditional forms such as street/park orienteering and MTBO. As an Australian developed sport, rogaining also has a dedicated following in Australia and despite over 50% of the world’s regular rogainers being Australian the sport here has seen an ~30% increase in participant levels in the past three years. A lot of this growth has come from younger people who try adventure racing, then start rogaining to improve their navigation and find the event and map quality, plus consistent high standard of event organisation in rogaining more appealing.

What are you goals for the season?

R. R. - As noted earlier it became quite apparent to us last year that MTBO racing in Australia was of limited value if you want to be competitive in Europe. Thus with 2017 seeing three major MTBO carnivals in Europe in four weeks, including the World Masters MTBO Championships plus four other World Masters MTBO series events this seemed irresistible, particularly with the World Rogaining Championships in Latvia two weeks later. With the first two events of this year’s World Masters MTBO series having been in New Zealand and both of us scoring very well there we had further incentive. Unfortunately the combination of; injury, travel and prolonged extreme heat at home over recent months has dropped our fitness quite a bit, but we still have time to recover it.

Would you like to leave some advice to those who always wanted to know everything about Orienteering but are afraid to ask?

R. R. - In this modern age of gadgetry and GPS there is something wonderfully refreshing about being out in the bush with nothing to guide you but a map and a compass, particularly in remote bush in the dark.

Is there something that you’d like to add?

R. R. - Thank you very much for the opportunity to give my thoughts.

[Photo courtesy of Richard Robinson]

Joaquim Margarido

MTBO: Garcia and Gonzalez were the best in Spain, Machado and Pontes won in Portugal

The Spanish and Portuguese MTB Orienteering 2017 leagues kicked off simultaneously last weekend. In Pontevedra, northwestern Spain, victories of Ángel García García and Maria Del Mar Delgado Gonzalez. On the Portuguese side of the border, Davide Machado and Susana Pontes were the fastest in Sintra's beautiful surroundings.

Ángel Garcia García (Brigantia) and Maria Del Mar Delgado Gonzalez (IES Sabón) were the winners of the Marco Antonio Blanco Trophy - PonteOriBike 2017, opening round of the Spanish MTBO season. Organised by AROMON club, the event called to the villages of Chans de Cela and Castrove, Pontevedra, over 150 participants for two demanding stages – Middle Distance and Long Distance – in detailed and steep terrains, with a good net of tracks. Winner of the Spanish MTB Orienteering League 2016, Ángel García García won both stages, getting a fifteen-minute lead over David Toll Clos (CEOBTT), second placed. Things were different in the women's race, and Luisa Felpeto González (Fluvial Lugo) managed to win the first stage but Maria Del Mar Delgado Gonzalez's fifteen-minute victory in the decisive stage earned her the first position in the overall standings.

In Portugal, nearly 150 MTB orienteers headed Janas, Sintra, for a two-day journey full of adrenaline and fun in a really detailed map with a good net of tracks and lots of route choices. Offering two stages – Long Distance and Middle Distance -, the 8th CPOC MTBO Trophy, was organized by CPOC, having in Davide Machado (.COM) and Susana Pontes (COC) the great winners. Machado's performance on the first day was truly impressive, translated in a seventeen-minute advantage over Luis Barreiro (NADA), second placed. Machado also won the second stage, this time with Daniel Marques (COC) being the second placed. Like Machado, Susana Pontes didn't feel any trouble to win both stages, reaching a 38-minute (!) victory in the first day to which she added a thirteen-minute win in the last day, in both cases over Noémia Magalhães (Amigos da Montanha), second placed.

Marco Antonio Blanco Trophy - PonteOriBike 2017
Pontevedra, Spain

Overall standings

Men Elite

1. Ángel García García (Brigantia) 2:40:48
2. David Toll Clos (CEOBTT) 2:55:51
3. Pablo Samper Sanz (GOCAN) 3:03:08
3. Juan José Sancosmed Vázquez (COCO) 3:03:08
5. Alberto Taboada Pintor (Adventure Addict) 3:05:40

Women Elite

1. Maria Del Mar Delgado Gonzalez (IES Sabón) 2:56:05
2. Susana Arroyo Schnell (Sotobosque) 3:11:20
3. Teresa Barreira Salgado (Montaña Ferrol) 3:16:30
4. Luisa Felpeto González (Fluvial Lugo) 3:25:39
5. Natalia Isaba Aramendía (Norte-Sur) 3:34:29

8th CPOC MTBO Trophy
Sintra, Portugal

Overall standings

Men Elite

1. Davide Machado (.COM) 2000.00 points
2. Daniel Marques (COC) 1796.94 points
3. Luis Barreiro (NADA) 1792.45 points
4. Duarte Lourenço (BTT Loulé/BPI) 1661.29 points
5. Paul Roothans (CN Alvito) 1640.42 points

Women Elite

1. Susana Pontes (COC) 2000.00 points
2. Noémia Magalhães (Amigos da Montanha) 1643.44 points
3. Diana Moreira (CAB) 1535.13 points
4. Maria Sá (ADFA) 602.23 points

Complete results and further information at https://aromon.es/eventos/ori/ponteoribike/ponteoribike-2017/ and http://8oribtt.cpoc.pt/.

Joaquim Margarido

Marisa Costa: "First the effort, then the reward"

She is one of the youngest personalities ever to step on the Portuguese Orienteering Blog's stage, but her quality as athlete, grounded in the results recently achieved, justifies her presence between us, today. Please, listen carefully to Marisa Costa, 15 years old, a great talent and with much to say.

“My club helped me interacting with the sport, but my father awakened in me the interest by MTB Orienteering, providing me with the necessary bases to get involved with this discipline”, started by saying Marisa Costa, today's guest of the Portuguese Orienteering Blog. “Having fun with friends, practising sports and spending time with the family” are three of the aspects that Marisa mostly values when it comes to spend some time rest, those who is left out of what is above everything, that is, her studies, in the city where she lives, Tomar.

Since she was a little girl, Marisa feels a huge attraction for maps and compasses. And why not to put into practise everything she have been learning, becoming an athlete, could be the question she asked herself and which she carried forward. MTB orienteering was the starting point, hand in hand with Foot Orienteering. “Both emerged simultaneously, although most of the training sessions are focused on FootO, trying to improve my technique”, says Marisa, for whom “MTB orienteering is a special discipline, a huge family where, despite the competition, there's a fantastic union among all.”

“It's important to have someone as a reference”

Demanding discipline, MTB Orienteering requires a good physical condition and a high ability on reading and interpreting maps, all in a two-wheel context and with the added factor of speed. To be able to manage all tasks, Marisa dedicates herself to improving her skills, which seems to be the ideal complement to the daily routine: “Training is what I love most”, she says.

- What is the best advice you have been given so far?

“The most important thing isn't to win but to know that you gave everything you had to give and never gave up, looking forward what brought you there, the passion for sport. This was, so far, the best advice I've been given, which was conveyed by the great Susana Pontes, an athlete that I respect, not only for the titles she won, for the time she dedicated to the sport and for the advices she has been given along my journey, but also for the humble and honest person she is. I think it's important to have someone as a reference, and Susana is for me a source of great inspiration and a model to follow.”

“Portugal is one of the best countries in the World for the practise of MTB Orienteering”

For Marisa Costa, being a MTB orienteering athlete is great, but being a MTB orienteering athlete in Portugal is even better. She explains why: “I feel that Portugal is one of the best countries in the World for the practise of MTB Orienteering because the terrains are very good, as is the temperate climate, which is a great help! Another great help comes from the Portuguese Orienteering Federation and the results of their work can be seen in the evolution of the Portuguese MTB Orienteering over the years”, says Marisa Costa.

Nevertheless, the number of athletes present in the events continues to decline in Portugal and there seems to be something missing in order to reverse this fact. Marisa Costa comments in an introspective way: “In my opinion, it's us, the athletes, that have to worry about the future of the sport and make an even greater effort to call the attention of new practitioners”, she says. From the young athlete's perspective, “the basis for attracting new athletes must be a commitment of the Federation and the Clubs, but especially of the athletes, who have the duty to introduce the sport on to others. It will be easier for someone to be attracted by MTB Orienteering if they have as reference an athlete, someone who knows this discipline and more easily explains all its beauty.”

“I still have a lot to learn”

Recently, Portugal hosted two major international MTB Orienteering events, hosting the European Youth MTB Orienteering Championships in 2015 and 2016. Marisa evaluates the importance of these events in her growth as an athlete: “My evolution was notorious. I know I still have a lot to learn, but maybe because I was better prepared, both physically and psychologically, I learned to deal with situations and to take the most of it. These were experiences that helped me to interact with athletes from abroad, which can be seen as an important part of my learning and growing as an athlete. On the other hand, I feel that they were very well organized events, leaving an excellent impression on those who visited us”, she says.

- If I asked you to choose a moment - just one (!) -, either in Idanha-a-Nova in 2015 or in the region of Bairrada last year, what would it be?

“Without taking any importance to all other moments, I would choose the EYMTBOC 2016 Middle Distance race in Bairrada because it was there that I achieved my first international goal, a hard-working 6th place.”

Fighting for goals

The new season is about to atart and the physical training and the reading and analysis of the maps are a constant of the day to day. The commitment is great and the goals for 2017 seem to be perfectly established: “In my opinion, an athlete who wants to reach good results should set real goals and make the best to fulfil them. This year, I wish to focus on the European Championships, which will take place in France, and in the qualification for the World Championships, in Lithuania. I don't set particular results, but goals. First the effort, then the reward. I'm sure that, with my work, I'll bear the fruits in the end”, she says ambitiously.

And it's with ambition, but especially with her feet firmly on the ground, that Marisa Costa looks to the future when faced with what she might be in five years from now: “Well, that's a question difficult to answer, because I'm not able to do such projects in the long term for my life. But I'll certainly be fighting for my goals, both in sports and at an academic level”, she concludes.

Joaquim Margarido

Angel Garcia Garcia: Spain on the map

Born in Salamanca 31 years ago, it's in La Coruña, in the northwestern Spain, that Angel Garcia Garcia currently lives. To the Tower of Hercules he goes to seek his enormous strength and the brilliance of the results achieved merges in the frontages of the City of Crystal.

Lover of both sports and music, Angel practiced Canoeing for eight years, but it was through Adventure Racing that he first made contact with Orienteering. MTB Orienteering has emerged as an extension of his growing interest for the sport; being able to combine mountain-biking with Orienteering challenges and the ceaseless quest for the best option has resulted in the perfect “two-in-one” solution for him, in a passionate story with just two years.

An unexpected result

Angel's first international experience took place at Bialystok, Poland, during the World MTBO Championships 2014. The athlete had just finished a mountain marathon and his physical conditions were everything but perfect. Unpreparedness and inexperience in events of such high demand resulted in weak performances, but Angel was able to make the most of this unique opportunity and learn from his failure. In 2015, in Liberec, Czech Republic, we cannot say that the results significantly improved, so it was with great surprise that we saw him reach the 5th place in the Sprint of the World MTB Orienteering Championships, held in Portugal this summer.

- Were you expecting the 5th position?

“I didn't expect it at all! During the race, I took the risky but wise decisions I had to, and it went well. When I found out, at the end, that I had achieved the 5th place, my joy couldn't have been greater, because this is the Spanish Orienteering Federation's best result ever in the World Championships.”

Growing and improving

MTB orienteering is a discipline that is both exciting and demanding, in which athlete and bike merge perfectly in the pursuit of excellence. Emphasizing the particularities of the MTB Orienteering, Angel remarks that “the most difficult part is to identify the thin line between pushing at full speed and slowing down, so as always to be able to navigate on the limits”.

Speaking of this discipline in his country, Angel highlights the good technical work in the Spanish team and also “the brilliant athletes who will present nice results in a short time.” With these riders, this coach and this Federation, the MTB Orienteering future in Spain seems promising and Angel sums it up in two words: “Growing” and “improving”!

Fighting for top positions

Awaited with impatience, the 2017 season is already Angel's main focus. He knows that all the races are special so, in France or in Austria, in the Lithuanian World Championships or in the Spanish League, we will see him making the most of each experience and, above all, enjoying maps, terrains and the company of the best in the world. “I'm very motivated and looking forward to the start of the season, in which I promise to do my best and fight for top positions”, he concludes.

Joaquim Margarido

2016 MTBO season: The Foliforov Year

Anton Foliforov won all three individual gold medals at the World MTB Orienteering Championships. This was the stand-out highlight of the 2016 MTBO season. And Foliforov also won the MTBO World Cup for the fourth year in a row.

Any assessment of the 2016 international MTB Orienteering season ends up with the Russian Anton Foliforov as an inescapable key figure. He made his debut in the most important event of the international calendar in 2005, and just five years later he won his first individual gold medal in the Long distance race at the World MTB Orienteering Championships in Portugal. Now he has nine individual titles and two with the Russian team, and Foliforov is being spoken of as the best MTBO athlete of all time by everyone involved in this exciting discipline, with the 2016 season being the highlight of his career.

But the season has also thrown other big names on the MTB orienteering scene into the limelight, in particular Emily Benham from Great Britain, the world champion in the Long Distance and Sprint, winner of the World Cup and leader in the IOF World Rankings along with Foliforov. In the final round of the World Cup held in Lithuania, attention was focussed on the Estonian Lauri Malsroos, thanks to two victories and a second place in the three stages. Six other athletes achieved wins in the MTB Orienteering World Cup season, namely the Swiss Simon Braendli, the French Gaëlle Barlet, the Russian Olga Shipilova Vinogradova, the Finn Marika Hara and the Czechs Krystof Bogar and Martina Tichovska.

Kick-off in France

With winter giving way to a changeable spring, the first races of the season in early March were held in Portugal and Turkey. Races in Denmark were another important attraction in April but it was in May at Guebwiller in France that a hundred or so athletes began to pedal really seriously, in the first round of the 2016 World Cup. Simon Braendli and Emily Benham achieved “the muddiest wins” of their careers in the Long distance stage that opened the round.

Second-placed on this first stage, Anton Foliforov managed to win the Middle distance race on the second day, while Benham was again the strongest in the women’s class although sharing the highest place on the podium with Gaëlle Barlet, both recording the same time. After an exciting duel with the Russian team, France achieved a tasty home victory in the Mixed Relay that ended the round.

Twenty-two nations at World Championships in Portugal

The most important event of the season, the World MTB Orienteering Championships, took place in central Portugal at the beginning of July, bringing together 78 male and 53 female athletes representing 22 countries. Still tasting the triumphs of the previous round, Anton Foliforov and Emily Benham were the fastest in the Sprint that opened the Championships, and repeated this result in the epic Long distance in temperatures near to 40 degrees Celsius.

Olga Shipilova Vinogradova’s victory in the Middle distance, another win for the ‘flying’ Foliforov and also the silver medal for the young Czech Vojtech Ludvik were the most significant moments of a third exciting day. The Czech Team ended its time in Portugal in the best possible way by winning the men’s relay, and they took top place on the podium along with Finland, winners of the women’s relay for the 8th time in 14 editions of the World MTB Orienteering Championships.

The battle in Lithuania

At the end of September, the forests of Lithuania with their impressive autumnal colours hosted the final round of the World Cup. The men’s title was already won by Foliforov, but the women’s was still open: would Emily Benham manage to hold her advantage over her most direct opponent, the French Gaëlle Barlet? The British rider settled that question on the first stage, winning the Long distance and putting Barlet out of reach. The Estonian Lauri Malsroos was the winner of the men’s race and repeated the feat in the next stage, a quite technical Middle distance. Here, the winner in the women’s class was the Finn Marika Hara. The last stage, a challenging Sprint held in the suburbs of the city of Kaunas, brought a double Czech victory with Krystof Bogar and Martina Tichovska being the fastest.

No change in World Cup

The 2016 World Cup ended up having the same winners as in 2015, with Anton Foliforov taking the title after four wins and a second place in the two opening rounds and Emily Benham securing her triumph in the first stage of the final round. Gaëlle Barlet never backed down and the good results achieved in Lithuania allowed her to keep second position, while Martina Tichovska’s victory in the last stage was decisive for achieving third place. Also decisive were the two victories and a second place achieved by Lauri Malsroos in the final round, which gave him second place in the final World Cup standings, and he was followed by Krystof Bogar, who in the best possible way finished a season that marked his return to top competition after a three-year break.

Text and photo: Joaquim Margarido

[See the original article at http://orienteering.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/orienteering-world-webb.pdf. Published with permission from the International Orienteering Federation]

Doris Kudre: "I started reading maps before reading books"

Today, the Portuguese Orienteering Blog heads to Estonia, meeting Doris Kudre, an athlete who can perfectly combine SkiO and MTBO. In a long Interview, she introduces herself and leaves her thoughts on both disciplines.

I would start by asking you to introduce yourself: Who is Doris Kudre?

Doris Kudre (D. K.) - I'm a 19 year old girl from Estonia. I was born in South-Estonia, in a small place called Värska, but I moved to Tartu this Autumn , where I'm studying Economics in Tartu University. If someone who wasn't an athlete asked me about my hobbies, I would say “sport“, but now I don't know what to say. I used to play piano and accordion, but I’m actually so busy with school and sport that I don’t have any other serious hobbies. I love traveling and new experiences and I think I've been able to have lots of them as an athlete.

What came first: Bikes or skis?

D. K. - I think every child from an athletic family is introduced to bike and skis from a very early age. It was the same with me. I believe I started to like skiing more because I practised it often and I became better at it. As a child, skiing was like a real sport, while biking was more of a mean of transport. I started to practise biking seriously in 2013, when I got myself a proper bike.

How did you meet Orienteering? Do you recall the first moment you said to yourself: “ - That's it, Orienteering is my sport!”

D. K. - My parents have done orienteering since they were in school and their passion for orienteering has carried over to their children, too. They took me and my two sisters and brother to orienteering competitions and trainings from an early age. I think there wasn’t such a moment when I decided Orienteering would be my sport for life. I've grown up with it and I can’t even imagine my life without it. I've seen myself as an orienteer from the beginning, but I think 2013 was my breakthrough into “professional“ orienteering, when I attended all three SkiO (European Youth), FootO (European Youth) and MTBO (Junior World) Championships. In EYSOC I managed to win the gold medal and, since then, there hasn’t been any way back.

Why Orienteering and why not Athletics, Ice Hockey or Football?

D. K. - I started reading maps before reading books. As my parents have also been orienteering coaches in our hometown school, I got the opportunity to learn orienteering with my friends. I was quite talented and did well in orienteering competitions from the time I ran the string course. In school I still sometimes participated in other sports competitions, but, as I didn’t practise other sports, my results didn't satisfy me and that’s why I've stuck with orienteering.

You are able to combine MTBO and SkiO, achieving great results in both disciplines. But, is there one that you prefer?

D. K. - In 2013 and 2014, I participated in all three orienteering disciplines’ Championships and as I got the best results in ski-orienteering (gold and silver medals twice), my biggest motivation was to train for winter. Since last year, I left FootO to focus more on MTBO and SkiO. My training plan is based on the vision that the main competition season is in the Winter, while in Spring and in Summer I combine roller skiing, running and strength exercises with biking. In my opinion, SkiO and MTBO fit together quite well, they make trainings more varied and keep my orienteering skills adjusted during the Summer, as well.

What do you see in these disciplines that make them so special?

D. K. - In the beginning, you mustn't think “just go and push as hard as you can“, because the results actually depend on keeping focused during the whole race and carrying your plans out on the course. Every race is unique and there is a lot to talk and analyse after every race.

With the third place in the Middle Distance in the last Junior World MTB Orienteering Championships, in Portugal, you achieved your best result so far. Did you expect it?

D. K. - After my results last year and this year’s 4th place in Sprint I must say that I was expecting it! I’d been close to the medal, but something was still missing. In the evening before the Middle Distance I started to think about the race. “It’s going to be The Day!”, I said to myself, keeping it in my mind in the next morning and also during the race. The target on that day was high speed riding and navigate smoothly. I kept full focused on the first half of the course, where I only made some minor mistakes. Two controls before the finish my bike’s chain came off on an uphill and, as I was already quite tired, it took me about 50 seconds to solve the problem. I knew I had lost lot of time, but I still thought I had a chance for the medals and pushed hard until the end. At first I was a little disappointed for losing the silver medal with that technical problem, but afterwards I realized that I really did what I was aiming for and I was extremely happy and satisfied.

Did you enjoy your week in Portugal?

D. K. - In the end of July the weather in Portugal was sunny and really warm – the temperature was of over 30 degrees every day. It was something new for me, because in Estonia there are usually only 2-3 days like this during the whole summer. I headed to Portugal with high expectations and I was really nervous before the first two races. After winning the bronze medal I felt really satisfied with the whole week, but still tried to focus for two more races. The beginning of the Long Distance was bad – I couldn’t concentrate at all and couldn’t find the best route choices. Halfway through the course it got even worse when I got a flat tyre. I started to walk towards the finish without thinking at all and made an extremely long and unnecessary distance that day, arriving more than three hours after my start. As I was the only female Junior from my country, I competed in Men Junior class in the Relay and it was more like an experience rather than going for the win.

You attended Lithuania for the World Cup in MTBO, along with the best Elite athletes in the World. How big is the clash between the Junior and the Elite categories?

D. K. - I was in a really bad shape in the beginning of October and I was also a bit sick during the competitions, so my results were below all my expectations and my races weren’t good and smooth at all. I lost too much time to the best Elite women in every distance. As I've seen earlier, the Elite women are real professional bikers with good navigational skills, they have more experience and they adjust faster to different situations – and these are the main differences between Junior and Elite categories. The clash between me and the Elite athletes is quite big, but not that big compared with the best Juniors.

And what about the Ski orienteering season of 2015-2016?

D. K. - In the last ski-orienteering season I was able to compete in the two first World Cup rounds, in Finland and in Germany, where I made some satisfactory races and got a chance to compete in a lot of good terrains. My main goal was to compete well at the Junior World Championships in Austria, but I was totally disappointed with my results. My best result was the 9th place in the Middle Distance and that wasn’t exactly what I was aiming for. It was nice that we had enough snow in Estonia last winter, that all four distances of the Estonian Championships were held. In the individual distances I competed in Elite category and I got a medal in every distance.

What's the meaning of being an orienteer in Estonia?

D. K. - As our country’s orienteering-family isn’t as big as our neighbouring countries' (Finland, Sweden, Russia), it isn’t that hard to get into the National Team. I'm still Junior, but I've got the opportunity to improve myself, attending Elite Championships. The Estonian MTBO Team is quite small - I'm the only female Junior in our team -, attending the Championships, mostly, with the men Elite. But we get along quite well and it’s always instructive and nice to hear advice from the World Champions. The SkiO Youth, Junior and Elite teams have the same coach and train together. It makes the team bigger and gives young athletes the opportunity to learn from the older ones. We have had camps and weekend trainings together in the summer and in autumn, including high-quality trainings and meetings in the evenings. The SkiO team’s preparation gets better every year – the training camps increase the team’s unity, active organizers are able to organize competitions within a week and the team is full of athletes who enjoy ski-orienteering and being part of the Estonian National team.

Tell me about your older sister, Daisy. Is she, in some way, an inspiration to you? What other person do you see as a reference?

D. K. - My sister Daisy has set a good pattern for me and she is my biggest inspiration. As we spend much time together, I can see how dedicated she is to everything she deals with. A younger sister’s goal is to be better than her older sister and, for me, it has been a really big motivation for years. My goal in the last few years has been to beat her and I can say that I did it several times, which was really satisfying. I have learned a lot from her in different fields and her success makes me work harder, because I want to be at least as good and steady as she is. My father, who is also my coach, is my biggest supporter and the most important person in my sport career and, therefore, also in my life. I am immensely thankful for his commitment to my sport career. He is the one who is the most critical of my acts and his opinions, most of the times, matter the most to me.

What are your main goals for 2017, both in SkiO and MTBO?

D. K. - As it is going to be my last year as a Junior, it's my last chance to perform well and get better results than ever before. In SkiO, my main goal is to get in shape for the Junior World Championships, in Finland, and put my skis on the line with the other Juniors. Probably I’m also going to Krasnoyarsk, to the Elite World Championships, and this will be the second important competition-week this Winter. The main goal for me in the Summer is going to be the MTBO Junior World Championships in Lithuania. The terrains there are similar to Estonia and, as shown in the World Cup, in Kaunas, the races are going to be very technical and I hope I can turn this into my strength. But currently I’m more focused on the Ski Orienteering season and the MTBO season still seems quite distant. I'm going to help, as a volunteer, to organize the WOC in Estonia next Summer and I am already waiting for it with excitement to see the world’s best orienteers in Estonia. I also believe that Estonians will perform well on homeland and we’ll have many reasons to be proud of them.

What advice would you leave to the young athletes who are starting out?

D. K. - Try different orienteering disciplines and find the one which is right for you.

Joaquim Margarido

Samson Deriaz: "I can't wait to race in the Elite"

With a gold medal and a silver one on his chest, Samson Deriaz was one of the stars of the last Junior World MTB Orienteering Championships. This is the main topic of the interview to the Portuguese Orienteering Blog, adding a set of important details that define him as an athlete and as a person.

The season is over and it's time for a well-deserved rest. How do you feel?

Samson Deriaz (S. D.) - I feel really happy about my season, it was the best in term of results so far. I managed to have good races during the French selections and mostly at the open races organized during the World Cup in Alsace. So I felt strong and self-confident when leaving to Portugal and I think it helped me to race the way I did. The results I got in Portugal have been the perfect ending of the season, and it was an amazing time!

Do you still feel the excitement of being on top of the podium listening “La marseillaise”? How was that day? Let me guess: You wake up and you said to yourself: “It's gold time!”

S. D. - No, I hadn't planned to win this gold medal, even if I wished so. But my state of mind before the race was good and I was motivated and really focused on what I had to do. We listened good music on the way to the course and I think it helped me to be focused. And it was a wonderful feeling to win this race and to be on the top of the podium. I was only 3 seconds faster than Sauli Pietikainen so I was very thankful about winning and I said to myself “At last I achieved this medal!” because it was my first individual one in an international Championships. And I have to say that the “Marseillaise” time, with all the French team singing with me, was really strong and emotional.

After the gold medal, you reached the silver in the Long Distance ...

S. D. - Before leaving to Portugal, I knew my shape was good, as well as my orienteering skills. So my goal was to bring back, at least, one individual medal and another in the relay because, in my opinion, our team was quite strong. But two individual medals, including a gold one, has been more than I could expect. I still have been disappointed about our fifth place in the relay because I think we could have been better.

How boring life can be without Orienteering?

S. D. - For me, Orienteering is a way to make each sport more interesting and more exciting. So, even if I also like to practice MTB or running without orienteering, it's always funnier with a map !

How did you meet MTBO and what do you see in this discipline that makes it so special?

S. D. - I started to practice Foot orienteering when I was a child, and I also used to practice MTB with my father and with friends, but not very often. I think I was ten when I took part in my first MTBO race and I did it because my club needed someone for a relay. After that, as I had enjoyed it, I continued and I finally practised more and more MTBO and less and less FootO. What I like in MTBO is that it makes us able to join MTB and orienteering in the same sport. I also love the speed, the excitement of the races and the total focus that we must keep. And of course, I also love the friendship between riders !

I would ask you about your training routine.

S. D. - I live in Lyon because of my studies, and I'm in the High Level Sport section of INSA, my Engineering School. This section allows us to have lots of time to train and to compete (we do the two first years of the school in three years) and offers us the opportunity to see a mental coach and an osteopath. So I train mostly around Lyon, and mostly on road bike. Baptiste Fuchs is my coach since the Summer of 2014, so he helps me to train cleverly on the physical part. I use to train between five and seven times a week, with intensity, sprint or long bike sessions, but also all body trainings.

What are your most valuable skills? What part do you work the most?

S. D. - With the help of Baptiste, I had a huge physical progression during the two past seasons, so I think I can say it is my greatest strength. The mental and technical parts are my weakness, but I saw the mental coach of my school section last year and it helped me a lot to avoid more mistakes and to be more focused. Yet, I still have a lot to improve and I will keep working this part of our sport, even if, for now, I almost only train physically during the week.

I'm sure that you’re following the big events and all the Elite athletes along the season. What moments / athletes impressed you the most? Is there an athlete which is an inspiration for you?

S. D. - Of course I follow their results ! And I can't wait to race in the Elite on the World Cups. I take inspiration from all the French athletes, but Cédric Beill is for me the most impressive and his four gold medals in 2014 show how strong he is. I'm always impressed about is ability to make the right choices during the race.

Did you already start to prepare the next season?

S. D. - We already had a training weekend with the French team with a meeting to explain how we will be selected for the Summer competitions. And I also restarted to train, but not just on bike. I run, swim and do all body trainings.

You still have one year in the Junior category. What are your goals for 2017?

S. D. - For my last year in Junior category, my goal is to get at least the same results as last year, both in the World Championships and in the European Championships.

Would you like to share with us your biggest wish?

S. D. - My goal is to join the French Elite team and to get a medal in this category. A gold one would be fine!

Joaquim Margarido

Sandor Talas: “I'm not leaving the sport, just my official role”

After four years as MTBO Commission's Chairman, Sandor Talas announced last 21st December his resignation. It was an irrevocable decision, based on a “serious gap between the Council's and my view on the role of the MTBO Commission, the optimal path to develop this discipline, and our responsibility regarding the use of the limited time and enthusiasm of our volunteers”. To the Portuguese Orienteering Blog, Sandor explained the reasons that led him to take such an unexpected position.

Four weeks ago, you resigned from your place as MTBO Commission's Chairman. Was such outcome inevitable?

Sandor Talas (S. T.) - This was the final stage of a long process. During my four years as Chairman of the MTBO Commission I considered resignation multiple times. Only the plea and support of my friends in the Commission kept me going. I kept making compromises in order to be able to push ahead the cause of MTBO, but it was getting more and more difficult with each compromise.

In many ways the last drop was both a typical and interesting experience that recalled feelings from my youth in Communist Hungary. The Council introduced new, Olympics related tasks in the remit of the Commission: do annual evaluation of MTBO against the Olympic evaluation criteria (when even FootO is light-years away from the Olympic Games) and seek inclusion in the Youth Olympic Games (an event only for Olympic sports).

I tried to discuss with the Vice President responsible for the commission remits that it would be a waste of resources for the MTBO Commission to spend scarce volunteer time on this, and we should rather focus on the numerous development challenges of MTBO. The Vice President decided that it was a waste of time and resources to have a discussion, because these tasks should be the same for all commissions. He also wrote me, and let me quote this verbatim, because I would hate to twist his words: “All IOF Commission should be committed to the vision of the IOF, hence those Olympic Games related tasks can not be deleted in remits. If, however, MTBO Commission is not committed to our vision to be included in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, I can raise this for discussion in our next Council meeting, and we'll see how to proceed.”

That reminded me of the style of low level Communist Party officials I met in the 80's in high school and at university. Maybe that is the reason why I am a bit more sensitive to this approach, especially in an amateur sports organization.

How hard was to take the decision of your resignation?

S. T. - As I mentioned, this wasn't a new idea. Passing the decision was a relief. Far less pressure when you don't have to bang your head against the wall or constantly thinking about how to get around artificial road blocks. Also, now I can speak my mind without the constraints of the position. In the meantime I have all the confidence that my friends in the MTBO Commission will continue the work without my formal membership. Of course, I will help them whenever it is required.

Did you have the support of all members in the Commission?

S. T. - Well, they didn't support my resignation. Some of them were quite disappointed when they heard that I did. I had long discussions to ensure them that I'm not leaving the sport, just my official role. But there was no disagreement between us that the approach of the Council made little sense. The only question was whether to stand up and debate it, or just nod quietly and forget about it. It's a viable alternative practiced by most commissions within the IOF structure. Say yes to the Council and forget about pointless tasks. After all, what can the Council do, if we don't do annual Olympic evaluation? Voice their demands louder? Fire all the volunteers? It was simply me, who just had enough of this comedy.

How do you evaluate your work in the Commission?

S. T. - I have always mixed feelings about my own work. We achieved a lot, but could have done more. The most important for me is that, now, we have a broad based international MTBO community. The MTBO elite was always closely knit with great friendships across teams. Now we have also a youth and junior community, not to talk about the vibrant masters group. Four years ago there were few in the MTBO Group on facebook whom I didn't know personally, while now I know probably less than half of the 1300 members. Numerous friendships formed across borders based on friendly rivalries and the shared joy of MTBO. For me that is the greatest achievement of an amateur sport like ours.

We have also achieved a lot in more tangible areas: the quality of major international events have improved; we have an official Youth and Junior European Championships; there is a new major event program with a full week competition for the World Championships. We also got the Masters World Series going, the unofficial Masters World Cup (the name the Council did not let us use). We also kept the rules evolving with the times. For example, we were the first orienteering discipline to allow the use of most GPS based devices. We have an accident an injury database for fact based analysis of athletes’ safety, and we were the first discipline to introduce regular event evaluation, four years ago.

Unfortunately, as an illustration of the weird situation within the IOF, the major achievement list would not be complete without the things where success came from stopping something happening. Escaping the threat of alternating World Championships or a World Championships every second year; avoiding mandatory 50% late fees on World Cups and World Championships; or fending off the “Olympic style” only top 3 on podium (instead of 6) prize givings have to be mentioned as achievements, no matter how sad it is.

There were major developments where we played little direct role, but I would like to believe that helped to catalyze events. MTBO has exploded in Sweden, we saw great activity in Latvia and Turkey, increasing interest in Spain and in the United States, just to name a few of the developments I was happy to see. Regrettably, activity in some countries has declined, Slovakia being the most painful loss, and some high potential countries like Norway could not get started. The list of my ideas that I could not get moving due to lack of energy or volunteers is too long to present here. Probably the idea of a handbook on organizing the first MTBO event in a new area is the one that comes back more often to my dreams.

How difficult can be the leading role in the MTBO Commission?

S. T. - There are many elements that come together in a role like that and all of them have their difficulty. Working with the commission members, organisers and event advisers is like herding cats: trying to get volunteers with limited time and many other professional and family priorities to accomplish tasks on time and deliver quality events. Trying to explain coaches and competitors that every solution is a compromise, no matter how strong they feel about their view, some others feel just as strong about different views.

I have to admit that the most tiring was just standing in the finish areas of major events, feeling responsibility for the outcome, hoping that everything works out fine, but having no way to influence it. On many occasions I had my entry to ride in the public competition, but by the time of my start I was so tired that could not complete my course.

The most frustrating was the lack of dialogue with the Council. Except for a single question of urgency (WMTBOC Long qualification rule in 2014) the MTBO Commission was never invited to discuss issues related to MTBO, or even asked questions to help the Council to make an informed decision.

How do you see the present moment of MTBO?

S. T. - I think that MTBO is riding to the right direction. That’s why I could afford to resign and stop making compromises. MTBO is a developing sport at a fairly early stage of development. The first World Championship was organized only 15 years ago. Compare that with 50 years for FootO. There are many development challenges and some growing pains. The elite sport is going through a transformation where there is a small but growing group of more professional riders, while the “tourists” disappeared from the World Championships and World Cups. The important thing is that the base is increasing. There are more youth and more masters involved. The latter is important also for the youth because of the logistical challenges of getting to events. I believe that the hearts and minds of masters is key to a faster development of this sport.

The biggest challenge is to break through the initial resistance of national federations dominated by FootO people who resist broadening the base of orienteering, often due to myopia or a concern that resources may need to be shared. There is a similar resistance that young orienteers experienced 50 years ago, when aging tourists resisted the idea that forests can be enjoyed while solving navigational problems running. Now aging orienteers resist the idea that forests can be enjoyed while solving navigational problems biking. Sweden is a great example that shows the latent demand for various forms of orienteering living side by side and broadening our community.

MTBO has the potential not only to attract bike oriented young people and keep masters in the sport who find running increasingly difficult. It can also spread orienteering into areas that are not suitable for traditional FootO for lack of forested areas or access issues. There is quite a bit of development potential in this area to be exploited.

Are the Olympics part of the problem or part of the solution for our sport?

S. T. - Olympics is a nice dream. The problem is that tremendous resources being spent on this dream, instead of development that would really benefit the sport. First, I am not sure whether the changes that would come with it would benefit our sport. The IOF leadership is fully focused on the money and fame that they expect from the Olympic Games, but it would bring substantial changes to our sport that I don't think most people would appreciate. Just have a look at the maps and courses of the World Games in Cali 2013 that was closest to a possible Olympic event. Is that type of low-quality park race what we want to call the pinnacle of orienteering?

The good thing is that we have practically zero chance to get into the Olympics. We could not even get on the shortlist of 8 candidate summer sports, neither in 2013, nor in 2015. In his in depth introductory interview, in September, Leho Haldna stated that “Foot Orienteering and Ski Orienteering both have a realistic chance of inclusion in the Olympic Games. […] Foot Orienteering was also evaluated by the IOC for inclusion in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Even though we didn’t make it this time, being considered is a really important step.” He forgot to mention that this time all the recognised International Federations were invited. 26 applied, including the IOF. It took the Programme Panel exactly 2 weeks from the application deadline to evaluate 26 sports and publish the list of the 8 they asked to make a presentation. One can imagine the depth of consideration orienteering received.

Was the invitation to apply an important step? Yes, but that was the result of 1977, when the International Olympic Committee recognised the IOF. Not much Olympic progress in the past 40 years since that achievement. Lets face it: we are in one group with billiard, bridge, korfball, sumo, and tug of war – to name a few sports that were also “considered” for Tokyo 2020, applied like the IOF, but did not make the shortlist. If you consider that billiard, sumo and many others are much more TV friendly (and thus Olympic) friendly sports, you can deduce our chances.

The bad thing is that the Council is not willing to face realities, and – as described above – just trying to intensify the Olympic effort. They claim that they have no choice, because the strategic direction and vision of the Olympics is set by the General Assembly. As usual, it is not mentioned that the strategic direction with the Olympic vision was proposed by the Council. Should they once honestly present how much effort and money was spent on the Olympic dream and associated activities with no meaningful result, and suggest a change of strategic direction, the General Assembly would approve the new direction just as well.

The fascinating thing is that when I talked to Council members individually, most of them gave the impression that they don't really believe that the Olympic dream would become a reality in their lifetime. Still, in public and especially as a Council, they support the official line. Did I mention that the situation reminded me of the Communist system I grew up in?

In what way are you going to stay close to MTBO?

S. T. - In what way am I going to stay away from MTBO would be a better question (laughs). I was already requested to keep presenting Event Adviser and Organizer clinics. Various organisers of upcoming major events asked for my help and advice “now that you are free”. I also got a call from an “MTBO missionary” to discuss development in a new country. All that in the past 10 days.

I plan to attend major events and meet people to discuss ideas. I will also advise the MTBO Commission whenever they ask for my views and insights. I would also like to work on some pet ideas like a guide on organizing the first MTBO event, and a guide on course setting. An interesting idea of doing online presentations for athletes on rules and jury cases just popped up. I hope that now, with less official obligations, I can find more time and channel more energies into meaningful tasks to help the MTBO community.

Is there anything else that you'd like to add?

S. T. - Not really, I think this is long and rich enough (laughs).

Joaquim Margarido