Joaquim Margarido
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
POM 2015: Aaro Asikainen and Minna Kauppi the winners of 20th edition
Breaking a long sequence of
victories of Thierry Gueorgiou and Simone Niggli, the Finnish Aaro
Asikainen and Minna Kauppi were the big winners of the Portugal O'
Meeting 2015, the most participated ever. In the beautiful forests of
Mira and Vagos, over four days, more than 2000 athletes made of the
competition a huge party, leaving here with an eye already on next
year's edition, in the challenging terrains of Penamacor.
For the sixth time in twenty editions,
the highest place of the Portugal O' Meeting's podium in Elite
classes was shared by two athletes of the same nationality. But this
was the first time this happened with two Finnish athletes. In fact,
the Finns have never been particularly frequent presence in the POM
podiums and Laura Hokka was, until yesterday, the only Finnish
athlete to win a POM (in 2008, in the Algarve). And we said until
yesterday, because today everything was different and, at once, Aaro
Asikainen and Minna Kauppi turned the course of history.
Third Long Distance stage of the
Portugal O' Meeting 2015, the course of the last day took place again
in the Vagos dunes, this time in a more western part of the map - and
quite greener too - testing the qualities and the energy of 1626
participants. With the technical challenge complementing perfectly
the physical ability to a long distance, it was even more intensely
that the participants faced with energy and ambition this final stage
of Portugal O 'Meeting 2015, seeing fully awarded their efforts,
regardless of each other's position. A POM 2015 at the highest level,
it is imperative to say, and that had in the Clube de Orientação de
Estarreja an anchor at the level of POM's quality, opening the best
perspectives already for the next edition, to be staged in Penamacor,
in the Castelo Branco District, between the 6th and 9th February
2016.
Tiago Martins Aires wins stage in
MenElite
In the Men Super Elite class, Baptiste
Rollier (Swiss O-Team) was the first to start, having the
responsibility of preserving the advantage of 2:34 that separated him
from Aaro Asikainen. The advantage would prove to be thin, especially
after an error even in the initial part of the course that costs him
three minutes, allowing that the Finnish took the leadership. From
there, Rollier wasn't able to fix his orienteering and Asikainen was
gaining advantage over the Swiss, meter after meter. Further back,
however, another particular duel took place, like the previous one,
giving some advantage to the French Frédéric Tranchand over the
Russian Valentin Novikov. Very motivated and with a strong and
consistent navigation, Tranchand still would catch Rollier,
establishing the best time in this fourth and final stage of POM
2015. But Asikainen had the race very well controlled and when
Tranchand appeared in the distance, on the finish's funnel, the name
shouted by the speaker was to Asikainen as the worthy successor of
his team-mate and notably absent in this POM 2015, the "King"
Thierry Gueorgiou. In the end, victory of Asikainen with a total time
in all four stages of 4:38:45 and a lead of 13 seconds on Tranchand
and 50 seconds on Rollier.
In the Women Elite class things didn't
go exactly the same way and Minna Kauppi assured the full of
victories in all three Long Distance stages of this POM. In the end,
the Finnish assured the victory with a total time of 4:08:23, leaving
Catherine Taylor (OK Linné) at 5:22 and Galina Vinogradova (Russia)
at 14:24 of difference. In the Men Elite class, Alasdair McLeod
(Clydeside Orien) made of this course a deserved smooth trip, “living
income” of his more than fifteen minutes to the second placed. But
the day's news is the victory of the Portuguese Tiago Martins Aires
(GafanhOri) in this stage, which allowed him to move up one place in
the table, staying on the sixth final position. Michal Olejnik (SNO)
held the second place, while Richard Robinson (OK Ravinen) climbed
one place, finishing in third position in exchange with Jonas Egger
(Swiss O-Team).
Final results
Men Super Elite class
1. Aaro Asikainen (Kalevan Rasti)
4:38:45
2. Frédéric Tranchand (Paimion-Rasti)
4:38:58 (+ 00:13)
3. Baptiste Rollier (The Swiss-Team)
4:39:35 (+ 00:50)
4. Valentin Novikov (Russia) 4:43:05 (+
04:20)
5. Gernot Kerschbaumer (OK Pan
Kristianstad) 4:43:40 (+ 04:55)
6. Lucas Basset (Poles France U)
4:43:49 (+ 05:04)
7. Martin Hubmann (The Swiss-Team)
4:44:29 (+ 05:44)
8. Kiril Nikolov (Kalevan Rasti)
4:48:36 (+ 09:51)
9. Bartosz Pawlak (SNO) 4:48:43 (+
09:58)
10. Ralph Street (SNO) 4:52:20 (+
13:35)
Women Elite class
1. Minna Kauppi (Individual FIN)
4:08:23
2. Catherine Taylor (OK Linné) 4:13:45
(+ 05:22)
3. Galina Vinogradova (Russia) 4:22:47
(+ 14:24)
4. Yulia Novikova (Russia) 4:23:24 (+
15:01)
5. Saila Kinni (Tampereen Pyrintö)
4:24:32 (+ 16:09)
6. Eva Jurenikova (Halden SK) 4:25:34
(+ 17:11)
7. Sofia Haajanen ( Individual FIN)
4:32:40 (+ 24:17)
8. Venla Niemi ( Individual FIN)
4:35:13 (+ 26:50)
9. Emily Kemp (NOSE) 4:38:29 (+ 30:06)
10. Anastasia Denisova (Savedalens AIK)
4:38:42 (+ 30:19)
Men Elite class
1. Alasdair McLeod (Clydeside Orien)
4:53:23
2. Michal Olejnik (SNO) 5:06:03 (+
12:40)
3. Richard Robinson (OK Ravinen)
5:13:45 (+ 20:22)
4. Jonas Egger (Swiss O-Team) 5:18:26
(+ 25:03)
5. Nils Spetz (Ulricehamns OK) 5:19:34
(+ 26:11)
6. Tiago Martins Aires (GafanhOri)
5:19:37 (+ 26:14)
7. Phillip Müller (Post SV Dresden)
5:25:09 (+ 31:46)
8. Severin Denzler (The Swiss-Team)
5:27:19 (+ 33:56)
9. Jukka-Pekka Sepönen (Single FIN)
5:28:56 (+ 35:33)
10. Lauri Okarinen (Single FIN) 5:29:52
(+ 36:29)
See the full results and further
information at www.pom.pt/en/.
Joaquim Margarido
Minna Kauppi: "I feel hungry for orienteering"
Minna Kauppi is returning
to the best shape. The “miserable season” is part of the past and
the great athlete recovers, day by day, the joy of Orienteering. After
an overwhelming victory in the Portugal O' Meeting's WRE stage,
she is motivated to win the POM overall.
What a race! Minna Kauppi was
perfect during the whole course, contradicting the organizers' forecast
in almost five minutes. And that was, precisely, the "motto" for starting a pleasant conversation, with Minna saying that this wasn't in her plans: “Actually, when I came here, I wasn't sure if I was
able to run all stages, because I haven't been running long distances
at all.” We have to say that Minna's last long distance course was
in Vuokatti, where she injured herself, and since than, she haven't
even done one single big, long and hard training like this. “So, I
ran the POM's first stage and then I realised that I was actually
quite okay and that I was doing it very well, and, most of all,
enjoying the forest again”, Minna says. And she won the first
stage, as we all remember.
Yesterday, she took the Middle Distance
a little bit easier, “just to spare some strenght”, but for POM's 3rd stage the goal
was to win: “I need points to the world ranking because I didn't
get that many points last year. But my race was really good, I liked
it, my orienteering was good, even if I started getting tired in the end,
and of course, my shape is not the same as it will be in the Summer. But, still, I'm really happy.” Talking about the course, Minna
thinks that it was “quite challenging, you had to be careful and
concentrate on the map all the time, and you also had to look further
for the right choices.”
Physically, Minna considers that her
shape “it's not excellent, but it's getting better, step by step,
because these have been my first orienteering trainings and
competitions at the same time. But I believe it will get better, and
there's still time to improve my physical shape”, she admits. And
to win is always motivating: “Yes, and of course, when you've had
such a miserable season, it's always nice to come back, and I feel
hungry for orienteering, not fed up with it. I get fed up quite
easily, so this is a big step. When you keep getting sticked by
orienteering, or your legs and injuries, you feel more motivated to
succeed than if the sun is shining all the time.” The last words
goes to POM's last day. Is it the goal to win? “I was thinking
that if I'm not on the top three, I won't maybe run full speed, but
now I have to. It will be a challenge for sure, but I think that
everyone is quite tired already and you just have to concentrate on
the map and do your best.”
Joaquim Margarido
Gernot Kerschbaumer: "My dream is to win a WOC medal"
Gernot Kerschbaumer has been an
usual participant in the Portugal O' Meeting's last editions. This
year, he was the winner of the queen stage, something that he didn't
expect.
“No, definitely not. Of course I
wanted to do my best and try to be as good as possible, but from the
start list, I was number 10, so to say, and to win should be a matter
of going well and you need to have a good day, so today everything
went well.” It was that way that Gernot Kerschbaumer explained the “secret of success”. But just “a good day” is not enough for such a great performance: “Yeah, and of
course, in this type of terrain, you have to push as hard as possible
from the beginning, but still today it was a little bit trickier than
the last days, which I think that was good for me. I always take enough time to understand the map and where the control have to be
but, yes, but today everything was very goood”, Gernot says.
In an almost clean race - “just a few
small mistakes, maybe, here and there, but nothing too serious” -, the
motivation is high, particularly because there's a long way, yet,
until the big competitions in the Summer. Gernot admits that “after
such a race, and because you have so many great athletes on the
start, you feel very motivated and you look forward for the next
competitions. Like you said, the season hasn't even
started yet, but it definitely motivates you.”
And when the Summer comes... comes the
World Championships: “Yes, of course, when you are able to, you
always want to improve. At the moment, my best rank ever in the World
Championships is the 8th position, so I want to improve and fight for
it.” Is it possible to get a medal? “There's still a long way to
get to the medals, and also, there's still a long way to the World
Championships, but it's a new season and my dream is to win a WOC
medal in my career, so we'll see.”
Joaquim Margarido
Monday, February 16, 2015
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