Categorical! So we can target the
victory of Michele Cera that earned him the world title in PreO in
the Open Class at WTOC 2015. After a first day when, alone, he
assumed the command of the standings, Cera knew in the decisive day
how to manage his race and, with a clean course, hit a star-studded
competition. At the time of celebration, the Portuguese Orienteering
Blog spoke to him, sharing, here and now, the most important moments
of this conversation.
When you arrived in Croatia to
compete in the World Championships, somehow it was in your idea that
you could come to celebrate the world title in PreO?
Michael Cera (M.C.) - I don't
know. When I came to Croatia, my main goal was to make the best
possible. I think I got a very good result on the first day of PreO,
with only one mistake, while all other opponents have two or more
wrong answers. On the second day I felt quite nervous but I ended up
over it and do it again a good race, a clean race.
Did you have your course always
controlled or there was some doubts here and there?
M.C. - There were two or three
controls which I couldn't answer with absolute conviction. The
seventh control, for example, those with three flags very close, was
one of them. Another was precisely the last control, number 26,
although there I still had plenty of time to manage and I ended up
using it to ensure that my answer would be correct.
As for the competition itself, what
is your opinion?
M.C. - The organizers of this
WTOC in Croatia did a great job. The courses were challenging and
fair, free from complaints. It was a clean event. The maps were of
high quality and also the issue of zero tolerance was clear and
evident. It is a good sign as to what is intended for the future of
the discipline.
What about TempO? Does the 15th
place pleases you?
M.C. - When I looked to my time
[430 seconds], I confess I was waiting for something better. But I
improved two positions compared to my result last year and I feel
that I must not be too disappointed.
How do you assess the competition
results in respect of the said “smaller” countries? Portugal, for
example?
M.C. - Portugal achieved
excellent results, but also Slovakia, among others. It is very good
for the future of this discipline that new nations could emerge to
animate the competition and fight for the best places. Sweden,
meanwhile, goes home without any medal. But I think the question is
not that Sweden have lowered level; there, instead, some countries
that have grown immense.
What are your plans for the future?
M.C. - I will continue doing
Trail Orienteering, it's all I know. This result is a great
motivation to me.
Joaquim Margarido
