Ida Bobach: "I don't feel saturated with medals at all"

If last week ended with the interview to the World Long Distance Champion, Thierry Gueorgiou, the week starts now with the interview to the female World Champion in the same distance, Ida Bobach. A revisitation of the achievements of the Danish athlete in Scotland, told in the first person.

How was your training time? Did you feel well prepared for the WOC? What goals have you drawn?

Ida Bobach (I. B.) - I felt very well prepared before the WOC. I could do all the physical training that I had planned without any injury problems, which I had before the two last WOCs. Technically I also felt very well prepared. During the last year I have spent almost two months in Scotland together with the Danish National Team. So before the competitions I had a lot of self-confidence and my goal was to bring home two medals.

In fact, you actually won two medals and I can understand your satisfaction. I would start by asking you to tell me about this extraordinary title of Long Distance?

I. B. - To win the gold medal at the Long Distance felt really amazing. After running 75 minutes all by myself it felt so great to hear the speaker saying that I was more than two minutes in lead. I didn’t expect to win but I had dreamed of it all year. The past year I had tried to focus on the Long Distance and I had had many good long distance trainings and competitions so I believed that I could do well. I am really proud that I could win this Long Distance in a very physically and technically challenging terrain, that is far from what I am training in at home. This win means a lot to me.

And what about the other gold, this time in the Relay? What feelings do you keep from the race?

I. B. - It was really great to succeed as a team. I think the Relay will always be something special. I really feel that I am not just running for myself but for the team. That really kept me motivated until the end of the race where I pushed as hard as I could so I could send Emma out with as many seconds as possible. I did not know that I was minutes ahead. It was a great moment when Maja and I could give Emma a big hug at the last control and run together with her all the way to the finish line.

How disappointed are you with the 4th place in the Middle Distance?

I. B. - I was quite disappointed after the Middle Distance. Not so much because I did not win a medal but more because of my race. I made a way too big mistake and was caught up by Annika Billstam. I actually had many very good periods during the race and I kept a high speed. After I was caught up by Annika I tried not to give up and fight all the way. I succeeded pretty well with that but unfortunately I had a lack of focus at one control and I was orienteering to a wrong one. Luckily I found out before I had lost too much time but Annika had gone away. I almost caught her up again in the end though.

What motivation do these results represent for the future?

I. B. - After winning these two gold medals I just feel like winning more. I don’t feel saturated with medals at all. I see every WOC as a new challenge with new and exciting terrains and courses. I think that I will keep my focus on the forest disciplines (Middle, Long and Relay) and hopefully I can bring some more medals home in the next couple of years.

What about the Danish team? Overall, what results do you highlight?

I. B. - The Danish team has really had an amazing Championship. So many people have been performing at their best. And not only the ones who got gold medals but also our young stars. I am really impressed with our three debutants: Cecilie Klysner, Jakob Edsen and Thor Nørskov. Cecilie and Jakob ran the sprint and were 14th and 22nd in the final while Thor ran the long distance and was 28th. That really impressed me. One of the highlights of the week was also the sprint-mix-relay-team. They had very big expectations and they really managed to focus on their own runs and had an amazing win with a big margin.

How do you rate the WOC 2015 from a technical and organizational point of view?

I. B. - I think the WOC2015 was a really good championship. It was very well organized and seemed really professional. Of course there are always small things that could have been better but the terrains and courses were of great quality. The arenas were really good and it was cool to see so many cheering spectators. The Brits are really good at cheering and the atmosphere at the arenas was great. It makes the competitors feel even more excited and important.

If I asked you a moment - the great achievement of the Championships -, what would your choice be?

I. B. - It was a really great moment for me when I came to the last control on the Long Distance and I saw Søren Bobach, my brother. He gave me a Danish flag and told me that I had a big lead. It felt great.

The season is approaching an end. What are the goals for what remains of the season?

I. B. - I will try to be at my best in autumn, at the World Cup, in Switzerland. I am currently no. 2 in the World Cup so I hope that I can keep that position or maybe take the lead. But I always think it is difficult to peak right in autumn because there are so many national races and the Danish Championships where I would also like to run at my level.

[Photo: WOC 2015 / woc2015.org]

Joaquim Margarido

Thierry Gueorgiou: "The Long Distance felt more like a redemption than anything else"

Thierry Gueorgiou needs no introduction. He is, “only”, the best orienteer ever, confirming that in the recent World Orienteering Championships WOC 2015, where he won his 13th world title, the fourth in Long Distance. But the expectations of the “king” were other...

How was your training time? Did you feel well prepared for the WOC? What goals have you drawn?

Thierry Gueorgiou (T. G.) - Well, there has been lot of ups and downs in my preparation this year, the lowest point being reached with a big toe fracture in January. I struggled also with minor injuries resulting from this one later on. But I spent quite much time on relevant terrains (50 days in Scotland) to be well enough prepared, even though I had to give up the Relay to allow me more time to recover before the Long Distance.

This decision was taken a couple of weeks before World Championships with the team. The main reason was a sub-optimal preparation, but I also had in mind this French saying “the perfect is the enemy of the good” and I keep remembering the last seasons of two legends of our sport, Emil Wingstedt, running all the races for his last WOC in Trondheim (2010), ending with a 6th place as best, and Bjørnar Valstad, running two distances (long and relay) at the WOC in Västerås (2004) and ending his career with two new gold medals. On top of that, I realized last year, I had contributed to create a huge emotional baggage associated with my own expectations for the middle distance, and 24 extra hours to empty my head before the long distance would surely make a difference.

Would you like to talk about your amazing gold Medal in the Long Distance? Did you expect it?

T. G. - My main focus at this World Championship was the middle distance, even though the results of the last years have shown that my biggest chance was probably in the long distance. But to be fully honest, after the huge disappointment of the middle distance, the Long Distance felt more like a redemption than anything else. During the whole race, I tried to use my frustration as a source of energy. That was probably why my technical performance was far from perfect that day (too much will, too little control), but I felt released after the race and was pleased to avoid another serious headache for the rest of the summer…

And what about the 7th place in the Middle Distance? You talked about disappointment and frustration earlier…

T. G. - This race is terribly difficult to analyse without criticising the map quality on the penultimate control. But it is not the first time in history that there has been mapping mistakes here and there, and it is worth mentioning that the map has always been the same for everyone. It is an important skill to manage to keep the risk as low as possible whatever the circumstances. Do I have this skill? It is, may be, where I should put my focus on at the moment instead of blaming the whole world for my failures in middle distance.

Are these results a motivation for the future or is it time to stop now?

T. G. - It's really hard to tell, actually. Some morning, I wake up thinking it is the right time to say good-bye. Some other morning, I wake up with hundreds of ideas to change my training to still be competitive. The reality is, deep inside, I still love orienteering, and also love racing against the very best, but I see this as fun only if I am able to maintain a good enough level.

What about the French men's team? Overall, what results do you highlight?

T. G. - As a team, and if we take aside the WOC 2011 in France, which was special, it was our best WOC ever. Lucas and Fredo showed this last week they already belong to la crème de la crème! And I am afraid it is just the beginning for them. From what I see in training camps, they can definitively reach some even higher heights. I was especially proud of Vincent as well, as he has been training for many years in a very professional way, but never managed to really show his full potential. We gave him a chance at the relay, he stood firm under the pressure and delivered. I can´t forget to mention Philippe, who couldn't compete for his last WOC due to a back injury, but over those last years he has brought so much of his spirit to the team, that part of those medals belong to him as well, and his cooking skills during the WOC week made a difference too...

How do you rate the WOC 2015 from a technical and organizational point of view?

T. G. - Well, if I am remembering right the welcome words of the Event director in the bulletin, he said that athletes will leave Scotland saying it was the “best WOC ever”. For the reason mentioned earlier, for me, it sound now a bit too cocky, even though I have enjoyed the atmosphere at the arena very much. And it is fair to mention that having no arena passage for the forest distances has contributed to increase the course quality a lot. Let's hope the future organizers got inspired.

If I asked you a moment - the great achievement of the Championships -, what would your choice be?

T. G. - Well, maybe, maybe, Annika Billstam from Sweden?! ;)

The season is approaching an end. What are the goals for what remains of the season? (World Cup and World Ranking)

T. G. - Not much, really. I just want to keep training well and answer all the questions I have in mind at the moment.

[Photo: World of O / facebook.com/WorldofO]

Joaquim Margarido

Mari Fasting: "The Relay silver was as good as gold"

After Nadiya Volynska and Lucas Basset, the Portuguese Orienteering Blog calls to its tribune one more Vice-World Champion. Or, to be more precise, one Vice-World Champion twice. To the silver medal won in the Relay, the Norwegian Mari Fasting joined a second place in the Long Distance, achieving her first individual medal ever. But let us hear what she has to tell us about this.

How was your training time? Did you feel well prepared for the WOC? What goals have you drawn?

Mari Fasting (M. F.) - My technical preparation has been good for this year's WOC. I have altogether been in Scotland four times before this Championships, and had about 45 technical trainings in the Scottish forest. The physical preparation has been more challenging, with some injuries during the spring. My goals were to take one individual and one Relay medal so I'm very satisfied with achieving my goal.

Would you like to talk about your amazing silver Medal in the Long Distance? Did you expect it?

M. F. - I knew that the Glen Affric terrain did suit me well. And after almost being at the podium at the last WOC, I was confident that, with a strong race, I would be on top 3. After a stable start, I almost forgot to run to the 4th control because I was looking at the route choice to the long leg – 5th. But I realized it and got the 4th before taking the long leg. I was struggling a bit in the middle part of the long leg trying to find a good route. From the 5th to the 8th controls I had good navigation and pace. But running towards the 9th I felt a bit tired and did a parallel mistake and got too far from my way to the control, having to struggle through a lot of fallen trees, and loosing a lot of time. I then realized I had to focus and run really good the last part to have any chance of getting a good place, and managed to keep myself together and do a really good end of race from 10th to the Finnish.

And what about the other silver, this time in the Relay? What feelings do you keep from the race?

M. F. - The Relay silver was as good as gold to us, Norwegian girls. No other nation had any chance against the Danish girls. I was very happy with my performance and that all, on the Norwegian team, did show that we all are good orienteers.

How do you feel about the 10th place in the Middle Distance?

M. F. - I was really disappointed with my Middle Distance. I knew that I could do a good race and have a good result. But I was a bit surprised that the forest in the start of the race was so dense and I didn't manage to adapt my speed and do a proper technical job. I did loose a lot on the 1st, 2nd and 4th controls. The end of the race was OK.

What motivation do these results represent for the future?

M. F. - It's always challenging to do a very good race at the WOC individual races. I have not yet managed to do so. For next year this will be my goal, and then hopefully I will be on top of the podium. :)

What about the Norwegian team? Overall, what results do you highlight?

M. F. - For the Norwegian team the Relays are always one of the highlights.

How do you rate the WOC 2015 from a technical and organizational point of view?

M. F. - I have only been running in the forest and therefore will not comment on the sprint races. But the forest races have had a very good technical level. They were challenging and fun courses. It was nice to have a lot of gaffling at the relay for us who compete, but not so nice for the public to follow. The one thing I think the organizers should have done better is giving the public/audience the possibility to follow the race live! There should have been wifi at the arena all days! (Or a better way to follow up on the results.)

If I asked you a moment - the great achievement of the Championships -, what would your choice be?

M. F. - My best moment this Championships was the morning prior to the Long Distance. One of the boys in my team told me that he really believed in me and that I had to remember that I was one of the strongest girls in the field. This helped me a lot, especially at the long leg to the 5th control after my first mistake to the 4th.

The season is approaching an end. What are your goals for what remains of the season?

M. F. - Since I didn't run any World Cup during the spring, I will have no chance in the World Cup overall. So, after finishing this WOC, I will focus on the Norwegian Championships before I focus in the WOC 2016.

[Photo: World of O / twitter.com/worldofo]

Joaquim Margarido

Lucas Basset: "The feelings are impossible to describe!"

Lucas Basset was, with the Bulgarian Kiril Nikolov and Ivaylo Kamenarov, the trio of athletes who managed to grant a presence in all the finals of the World Orienteering Championships WOC 2015, which is worthy of note. But if we add to this the two amazing medals won by the French in the Middle Distance and Relay, then we have here a great achievement. The Portuguese Orienteering Blog talked with the athlete in the aftermath of the competition and bring to you the result of a nice conversation.

How was your training time? Did you feel well prepared for the WOC? What goals have you drawn?

Lucas Basset (L. B.) - The training towards WOC started last September with the 1st Training Camp in Scotland with the French team. I immediately got a great feeling with the terrain and I felt the motivation grew higher and higher. During this Camp, I also beat Thierry [Gueorgiou] for the first time ever. He was maybe the only guy who I had never beaten in a single competition or timed-training, so it was a good motivation too (laughs). After that I train well and had neither injury nor sickness during the whole winter. The last month before WOC, I felt I was in good shape and after our last Training Camp, two weeks before the competition start, I understood I could be a challenger for a top10 place at Middle Distance. But not better.

Would you like to talk about your amazing silver Medal in the Middle Distance, only three seconds behind the gold? Did you expect it?

L. B. - The race was great from a technical point of view. Some seconds lost here and there going out from controls or being some meters away from the fastest line, but I didn't make any mistake attacking the controls. They were always placed where I imagined they should be, and the speed seemed to be okay, even if I didn’t feel so great throughout the course. Maybe because I pushed quite hard. Getting into the finish, I was delighted to see I had done such a good race on D-Day, when it really mattered. When Daniel Hubmann came to the finish, beating me by only 3 seconds and saying to the speaker he have had a great race, then I started to wonder: "What the hell is going on?". The feelings are impossible to describe!

And what about the bronze in the Relay? What feelings do you keep from the race?

L. B. - Considering the changes in our team, with Thierry deciding to skip the Relay one month before the WOC, Philippe [Addamski] taking in place but injuring himself at the beginning of WOC and Vincent [Coupat] jumping in, fifteen hours before the start, we didn't really know what to expect. But we kept our heads calm, ran as fast and as straight as we could, and the result was beyond our own expectations! Seeing Vincent taking his head in his hands of disbelief when Fredo [Frederic Tranchand] crossed the finish line in a bronze medal position was the best of all!

Are you happy with the 9th place in the Long Distance?

L. B. - The long distance was like a bonus for me, already before the WOC, but even more after the good races at Middle and Relay. Still, I am really happy to having been able to refocus, to avoid mistakes and especially to having been able to enjoy so much the race. I really felt privileged during the race, running in a beautiful terrain on such a demanding course, with already two medals around my neck, and finishing in the Top 10. That was the cherry on the cake!

I stayed calm, ran at a pace I was comfortable with, and therefore never hit the wall. I never thought my speed would be so close to the winner's, which is why I am actually even more surprised by my result at the Long, than by both the Middle and the Relay.

What motivation these results represent for the future?

L. B. - Of course, when you experience such amazing feelings, you want to live these moments again, and it gives motivation to train harder for next year! But, at the same time, it is kind of an accomplishment, so I could stop my career right now (laughs). Only joking of course!

And what about the French team? Overall, what results do you highlight?

L. B. - Well, I guess we can be happy with our results! Thierry winning the long and Fredo being so close to the medal, ended the week in a perfect way! We were a bit disappointed by our performances at the Sprint but that was quickly forgotten. I would like to thank all the staff who made a perfect job throughout the week and, of course, before, with the preparation. A special thank you to Philippe also, really unlucky for his last WOC and unable to run any "good-bye" race but still behind us, supporting us the best he could and enjoying our performances as much as if it would be his! A great team-mate!

How do you rate the WOC 2015 from a technical and organizational point of view?

L. B. - WOC 2015 was amazing for me and I enjoyed every moment. I really enjoyed all the forest races and had fun on the terrains they chose. Especially the Long Distance will be something to remember. I was also positively surprised by the Sprint Mixed Relay, whose course was great. I don't want to complain about the organization since I enjoyed myself so much, but of course it was not perfect. Something I want to underline is that the Sprint was not as good as it could have been. Letting us visit the city as much as we want is not good for the sport, and making an easy course without using any artificial fences was really disappointing. Why don't organizers completely forbid the access to the Sprint areas? Orienteers are not cheaters, if it is what they feared.

If I asked you a moment - the great achievement of the Championships -, what would your choice be?

L. B. - Of course, I would like to pick our surprising bronze medal at the Relay, which is something no one would have bet money on. But still I am involved in it, let's say the Great Achievement of the WOC would be Denmark's "easy way" to gold on both the Sprint Mixed Relay and the girls Relay: Impressive!

The season is approaching to the end. What are the goals for what remains of the season?

L. B. - I will not take part in the World Cup final round since I will probably go to South Korea with the French military team for the Military World Games. So, we can say this is the season’s next goal.

[Photo: World of O / twitter.com/worldofo]

Joaquim Margarido

Nadiya Volynska: "Yes, I expected a medal"

With the second place achieved in the Sprint, Nadiya Volynska offered Ukraine its first ever medal in the Women class of World Championships. A historic moment that we revisit today.

How was your training time? Did you feel well prepared for the WOC?

Nadiya Volynska (N. V.) - To start from the beginning, in the autumn of 2014, during the Swedish Championships, I injured myself and didn't realise, for a long time, what was wrong. But a training camp in Scotland was already booked and I couldn't afford to stay home and go there some other time (lose the flight tickets, getting visa is expensive, etc.). It was during the camp that my doctor told me that I had a fracture in the fibula bone so I had to use crutches for one month. Good or bad, I decided to face my feelings and the real situation. And act: I was walking our o-courses during the training camp, usually about two hours per training. It was the only camp in Scotland for me and the Ukrainian team, but it was better than nothing. So, as you see, it wasn't the perfect start on the way to WOC, but I still had a lot of time to recover, so it was no panic!

Would you like to talk about your amazing 2nd place in the Sprint? Were you expecting it?

N. V. - My goals were the Sprint and Middle Distance. I knew, from the beginning, that it was possible to get a medal. After my 4th place in the Sprint at WOC 2014 I was really disappointed that I was so close to a medal but still so far from it. However, it was a huge motivation for me to become better, so this year I felt really confident about myself and believing that I could do better than last year. So, yes, I expected a medal, which I think was really important for Ukraine in many aspects. It was the first individual women medal from WOC for Ukraine and, undoubtedly, a historical moment.

And the Middle Distance and Long Distance? Are you happy with your results?

N. V. - At the Middle Distance I felt really bad, having no power in my body but I knew if I controlled my technique I could reach the top 6. So, when it happened, I was actually really happy with the result, but after checking the GPS I figured that my mistake on the way to the 4th control was fatal. But what if... Don't wave your fists after the fight… That is orienteering. The Long Distance was the last course at the Championships and I wanted to remember it as a good moment checking if I achieved that when crossing the finish line - I wanted to feel satisfaction about my performance, my technique above all. And because after almost the whole WOC program I couldn't really demand miracles from my body, I focused just on doing my best at the moment. So I'm quite happy with that result, even if it is a new kick and I feel that I can do better.

What motivation do these results represent for the future?

N. V. - Ukraine is becoming a really strong rival for other nations in the orienteering world and not just on the Men's side, which is good. I hope it can motivate the younger generation in Ukraine to develop and become the best in the world, in the future. The Ukrainian team is - THE TEAM! With very limited - but very effective - resources, fighting with injuries and bureaucracy, having an unpaid running-coach [Oleksandr Kratov] and not old fashion thinking “stacked in the eighties” person, supporting and helping each other in the team and potential team members to become better in orienteering, all of us went through this and we did it together, no matter what (not really smart) people say. Everyone did their best on the way to WOC and everybody can be and will be better. I’m proud of MY TEAM OF UKRAINE!

How do you rate the WOC 2015 from a technical and organizational point of view?

N. V. - There have been some organizational troubles but everything was dealt with quite well. Since the very beginning we got really good contact with the WOC staff which helped us a lot on the way and during the WOC. I liked the touch free system and the great TV broadcast. The weather was nearly perfect, I think, it was fun at the banquet (haven't been there since 2009) and the atmosphere at the arenas was amazing. I just want to thank you all for your good work!

If I asked you to choose a moment - the great achievement of the Championships -, what would be your choice?

N. V. - If you mean my achievement, it would be my medal, no doubt. If you mean overall, it would be - Denmark's girls!

The season's end is approaching. What are the goals for what remains of the season?

N. V. - I'm planning to run the last stage of the World Cup in Switzerland (I have no idea what my position is in the Rankings). But I still have the Swedish Championship and other club Relays left as well. It is going to be fun!

[Photo courtesy of Nadiya Volynska]

Joaquim Margarido