Porto City Race 2015: Maps

Saudações orientistas.

Joaquim Margarido

Porto City Race 2015: Triumphs of Jack Kosky and Sophie Kirk

Held today, on Pasteleira map, the third stage of Port City Race 2015 put an ending in the event. Hardly contested, the queen stage had in the British Jack Kosky and Sophie Kirk the big winners.

Point of departure and arrival of the third and final stage of the Porto City Race 2015, the Pasteleira Park was the epicentre of the queen stage, held this morning and scoring for the City Race Euro Tour 2015. Organized by the Grupo Desportivo dos Quatro Caminhos, the event offered great challenges to about three hundred participants, more than half of which competing in the Open classes.

A week after the London City Race 2015, where he was 23rd placed, the British Jack Kosky took a big win today in the Men Senior class, covering the 8.400 meters of his course in 52:10. Repeating the outstanding performance that earned him, yesterday, the triumph in the Final of the Portuguese Urban Circuit 2015, Nélson Baroca (CA Madeira) was the second placed, with 59 seconds more than the winner. Winner of the Sprint stage that took place yesterday at S. Roque Park and Monte Aventino Sports Centre, the British Mark Burley (Bristol OK) finished in the third place with a time of 53:26.

Remaining winners

The winner of the Women Senior class was the British Sophie Kirk (Octavian Doobsters), finnishing the 5.600 meters of her course in 41:26. To this result she adds the triumph in the night Sprint stage that opened the Porto City Race 2015 and follows to the excellent 8th place achieved last week at London City Race 2015. The French Heloise Cavalier (RO Paris) and Marie Desrumaux (Valmo), took again excellent results, occupying respectively the second and third positions, with 1:39 and 2:07 more than the winner. Tania Costa Covas (.COM) was the best Portuguese athlete in the race today, finishing in sixth place with 5:45 more than the winner.

In the other classes, the rule remained and while the Portuguese dominated in the lower age groups, the foreigners, mostly British, were the great rulers in the Veterans classes. The highlights go to the youngster Helena Lima (COC), for the veteran Mary Ross (interlopers), for the Super-Veteran Annamari Vierikko (HS) and for the Ultra-Veteran Christopher Branford (WIN), which made a full of victories in the three stages disputed.

Results

Men Senior

1. Jack Kosky (UDOC) 52:10 (+ 00:00)

2. Nelson Baroca (CA Madeira) 53:09 (+ 00:59)

3. Mark Burley (Bristol OK) 53:26 (+ 01:16)

4. Robert Kelly (AIRE) 56:55 (+ 04:45)

5. Maikel Rodriguez (AROMON) 58:37 (+ 06:27)

Women Senior

1. Sophie Kirk (Octavian Droobers) 41:26 (+ 00:00)

2. Heloise Cavalier (RO Paris) 43:05 (+ 01:39)

3. Marie Desrumaux (Valmo) 43:33 (+ 02:07)

4. Merill Mägi (OK Kape) 43:47 (+ 02:21)

5. Sally Calland (WIM) 47:04 (+ 05:38)

Winners other classes

Youth M/F - Tomás Lima (COC) and Helena Lima (COC)

Junior M/F - Ricardo Ferreira (ADFA) and Joana Marques (Ori-Estarreja)

Veteran M/F - Eduard Garcia (Farra-O) and Mary Ross (INTerlopers)

Super-Veteran M / F - Gavin Clegg (Quantock Orienteers) and Annamari Vierikko (HS)

Ultra-Veteran M / F - Christopher Branford (WIM) and Liz Drew (Happy Hearts)

Initiation - Afonso Guimarães (CCachapuz OK)

Open Short - Daniel Pereira (EB Apulia)

Open Middle - Eduardo Camilo (Individual)

Open Long - Gonçalo Gomes (Seri)

Further information and complete results at http://www.gd4caminhos.com/portocityrace.

Joaquim Margarido

IOF Athlete of September: Anton Foliforov

IOF’s Athlete of September needs no presentation for people familiar with Mountain-bike Orienteering. Two World Champion titles and two European Champion titles this year, victory in the World Cup for the second time in a row and a big lead in the IOF World Rankings has made Anton Foliforov the biggest name in MTB Orienteering right now. From the first ride, under the watchful eye of an expert father, to the most outstanding moments of his career so far; read what Anton has to say.

Name: Anton Foliforov

Country: Russia

Date of Birth: 3rd January 1987

Discipline: MTB Orienteering

Career highlights: World MTB Orienteering Championships – Gold at Long Distance (2010, 2014 and 2015), Middle Distance (2015), Sprint (2011 and 2014) and Relay (2009 and 2010); European MTB Orienteering Championships – Gold at Long Distance (2015) and Middle Distance (2015); World Cup – 1st overall in the Mountain Bike Orienteering World Cup in 2014 and 2015.

IOF World Ranking position: 1st.

Born in Kovrov, 250 km east of the Russian capital Moscow, Anton Foliforov seemed to have his destiny set in advance. From his early years he got used to following his father, a successful coach in Cycling, and it was natural that one of his biggest gifts was his first bike when he was six. To ride “with the older guys” is among his happy childhood memories, and as a 10-year-old Anton became part of the group of youngsters riding in his club. “I was so small that I had to ride a bike without a seat post, with the saddle right on the frame”, he recalls.

The years went by, and in early 2003 an apparently simple event definitively changed Anton’s life. The unexpected visit to the club of an MTBO coach brought up a challenge. In the previous year Fontainebleau had hosted the first-ever World MTB Orienteering Championships, and new opportunities to those who loved bikes seemed to arise. Who dares to try? With nothing to lose, Anton set off to discover. “Liking maps” may have helped him decide. Since then, MTB Orienteering has become a part of his life and definitely his main sport, and the mysterious visitor has since then been his coach.

The first rides

In 2003 Kovrov hosted the Russian MTBO Championships, and Anton Foliforov had the opportunity to participate in what was his first significant competition. Joining the Elite class and competing alongside stars such as Maxim Zhurkin, Viktor Korchagin and Ruslan Gritsan, the young outsider took the silver medal in the Classic (Long) Distance, and with it came the needed motivation to focus even more intensely on the sport. Later that year, in September and October, he had the chance to participate in the last three rounds of the World Cup. 32nd place in an individual stage was the best result achieved, but from the experience of competing in Poland, Czech Republic and Italy he gained experience on new maps and terrains, contact with the emerging names in the MTBO world and an enhanced dose of motivation.

In 2005 Anton headed to Banska Bystrica in Slovakia as a member of the Russian national team in a World MTB Orienteering Championship for the first time. The first good result appeared in the following year in Joensuu, Finland, with 5th place in Middle Distance. But we had to wait until 2009 to see Anton Foliforov rise to the top of the podium in what the athlete recalls as the best moment of his career so far: “It was in Ben Shemen, Israel, with the gold medal in the Relay. I ran the last leg and went out six minutes lagging behind the lead, but in the end I was able to win. It was something very unexpected.” But some less good episodes also occurred, the worst of which was his exclusion from the Final in the Long Distance course of the World Championships in Italy in 2011: “I had a mechanical problem in the qualifying race and I couldn’t finish it. I wasn’t allowed to compete in the A-Final, and therefore lost the chance to defend my world title. It was very sad and not quite fair in my opinion”, he says.

Three questions, three answers

– Do you have a preference for a particular terrain or distance?

“Now I prefer hilly terrain, regardless of the distance. But I must confess that I do find the Sprint Mixed Relay interesting and entertaining. In any case, I always try to do my best on every course.”

– Which particular skills do you have that makes you a “primus inter pares”, the best of the best?

“Skills are unique and vary for each athlete. Honestly, I cannot identify my best skills for MTBO. I train for the physical part, and I try to keep a cool head at every moment throughout the race.”

– Do you have any support or sponsors that allow you to see yourself as a professional in MTB Orienteering?

“A major support comes from the National Team. I can feel a tremendous energy and willingness to work and seek quality training, thinking ahead to the big competitions. In addition, there is the support of the Russian Orienteering Federation, but also the Regional Federation and the Regional Sports Department, to whom I owe a sincere word of gratitude. Saying this, I think that I can consider myself as a professional in MTB Orienteering.”

Luck at Middle Distance

Liberec in the Czech Republic can now be seen as an important milestone in Anton Foliforov’s career. There, in August, the athlete won two of the six world titles he has achieved, getting his second gold medal in a row at Long Distance and for the first time ever winning the gold in the Middle Distance. These achievements make him the athlete with the most world titles ever in men’s MTB Orienteering, along with his compatriot Ruslan Gritsan. Therefore the best moments of the recent World Championships were “each time I was on the top of the podium, singing the national anthem of the Russian Federation, with my team-mates singing with me”.

From the latest achievements, Anton highlights a moment: “I think that reaching a world title is anything but easy, but I must admit I was very lucky winning the gold in the Middle Distance. Luca Dallavalle was in the lead throughout the race, but he had a problem with a tyre just at the last control, which prevented him from winning. But this is a sport where the ‘man-machine’ combination is always present, and no-one is safe from bike problems.”

“To join the Olympic program we need to make our sport more spectacular”

But Liberec also offered the opportunity to reflect on MTBO’s current state of development. To have Brian Porteous, the IOF President, joining the athletes and riding in the World Masters MTBO Championships “was very positive and it shows that he is interested in our discipline and will support us in the future”, Anton reflects. The athlete looks on the new mapping standards, the rules about riding off the tracks and the touch-free punching system, amongst others, to say that “MTBO is going in the right direction”. But he warns: “If organisers allow riding off the tracks, then competitors must ride and not run with the bike; otherwise, organisers must forbid competitors from leaving the tracks.” And also an eye on the Olympics: “To join the Olympic program we need to make our sport more spectacular.”

The season is approaching its end, and Anton looks back on the long time he has spent away from his family and friends, “who support me all the time”. Now it’s time for “one or two weeks without my bike, to lie on the beach”. But he’s already thinking of the next challenges: “I will prepare myself for all the MTBO competitions next season and I want to do even better. 2015 has been my best season ever so far, but I’ll be trying to improve my results in the future, though it will be very hard I suppose.” About the future, his last words: “I will continue MTB Orienteering for as long as I’m able to compete with the other top riders.”

[Text and photo: Joaquim Margarido. See the original article at http://orienteering.org/iof-athlete-of-the-month-anton-foliforov-russia/. Published with permission from the International Orienteering Federation]

Antwerp Sprint Orienteering Meeting 2015: Victories of Yannick Michiels and Galina Vinogradova

Yannick Michiels and Galina Vinogardova were the big stars of the Euro City Race Tour 2015's opening round. In the beautiful city of Antwerp, the two athletes were unstoppable, counting for victories the three stages.

Confirming their favouritism, the Belgian Yannick Michiels and the Russian Galina Vinogradova were the big winners of the Antwerp Sprint Orienteering Meeting ASOM 2015. First round of the City Race Euro Tour 2015, the event that saw its first edition this year, called to Antwerp, in northern Belgium, over three hundred participants from 19 different nations. Organized by the Orienteering Club TROL, the ASOM 2015 was distributed by three urban stages in brand new maps - two of them in the distance of Sprint and the third, named Antwerp City Race, in Middle Distance -, offering to all participants “a spectacular adventure where buildings and streets of the 13th century meet creations of the 21st", in the words of the organizers. Note also that the event relied on prize money for the Elite classes amounting to € 2,000.00, leaving € 500.00 to the winners.

In the Men Elite, Yannick Michiels was the strongest, leading the three stages on the Norwegian Øystein Kvaal Østerbø and the New Zealander Tim Robertson, respectively second and third placed. The differences between the three athletes weren't particularly significant in any of the stages, but the Belgian made avail of a more consistency, especially in the Middle Distance stage, ending this ASOM 2015 with the total time of 54: 25, against 56:45 and 57:21 from Østerbø and Robertson. In the Women Elite, Galina Vinogradova had an excellent performance in the first stage, ensuring immediately a comfortable margin over a Norwegian “triad” of athletes. The Russian also won the remaining stages, recording a total time of 53:45 in the end. The Middle Distance stage turned out to be fundamental in scaling the immediate positions, with the Norwegian Elise Egseth and Lone Karin Brochmann spending more 2:52 and 4:47 than the winner, respectively, and occupying the second and third positions.

Portugal was represented in Antwerp with a set of seven athletes, highlighting the performances of Fernando Costa (GD4C) in the Men Superveteran class, with two good results in the second and third stages (12th and 10th, respectively). The circuit now heads to London, where, in the coming 12th and 13th of September, will take place the London City Race, and then will settle in the city of Porto, the last weekend of September, with the Porto City Race's third edition.

Results

Men Elite

1. Yannick Michiels (BEL K.O.L.) 54:25 (+ 00:00)

2. Øystein Kvaal Østerbø (NOR IFK Lidingö SOK) 56:45 (+ 02:20)

3. Tim Robertson (NZL Fossum IF) 57:21 (+ 02:56)

4. Tristan Bloemen (BEL COLiège) 59:00 (+ 04:35)

5. Antonio Martinez Perez (ESP Halden SK) 59:18 (+ 04:53)

Women Elite

1. Galina Vinogradova (RUS Alfta Ösa) 53:45 (+ 00:00)

2. Elise Egseth (NOR Nydalens Skiklub) 56:37 (+ 02:52)

3. Lone Karin Brochmann (NOR Bækkelagets SK) 58:32 (+ 04:47)

4. Kristine Fjellanger (NOR NTNUI) 1:00:10 (+ 06:25)

5. Alice Leake (Great Britain) 1:00:12 (+ 06:27)

More information and full results at http://www.asom.be/en/home.

[Photo: Yannick Michiels / instagram.com]

Joaquim Margarido

Annika Billstam: "I never expected a gold medal at the WOC"

By winning the Middle Distance world title for the second year in a row, Annika Billstam signed one of the most beautiful pages of the World Orienteering Championships 2015. To the Portuguese Orienteering Blog, the great Swedish athlete remembers the moment and outlines the summary of a week full of emotions.

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

Annika Billstam (A. B.) - My training towards the WOC was interrupted by a long virus infection during most of May, missing out on some important races such as Tiomila and a couple of Swedish selection races. It was bad timing but I convinced myself that my good training through winter and early spring (I decided not to take part in the World Cup during January to focus 100% on WOC) could pay off when combined with a good plan for the last preparations. I decided that it was just enough time to get fully prepared.

Would you like to talk about your gold Medal in the Middle Distance, repeating the amazing title achieved in Italy? Did you expect it?

A. B. - I never expected a gold medal at the WOC. Even if you feel fully prepared and do your best, your competitors might just have a better day, which is something you can't control. But I believed I had a chance. I felt really obliged to fulfil my goal of a clean race and also grateful to be able to bring inspiration and feelings to those following me with my result.

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

A. B. - The Relay was a mix of feelings for me. We won the bronze after a tight sprint finish on the last leg and we were very happy about the result. My race was ok and a better race wouldn't have made the result list much different. That day the Danish girls were simply the best !

How angry are you with the 15th place in the Long Distance?

A. B. - The Long Distance was a different race from any I have ran in any WOC. Usually I have a feeling of where I lose time, but not during this race. I made one big mistake just before the arena, which was the mistake I “felt”. The flow feeling was as good as expected throughout the race. Analysing the splits, I lost a great amount of time on two of the longer legs because of wrong route choices. I never thought they were that decisive. I was not angry but felt empty knowing WOC was over.

What motivation do these results represent for the future?

A. B. - I'm still in a state where I enjoy and reload. I’ll see which direction my motivation will point out in the future.

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

A. B. - Of course Jonas' gold in Sprint was very well deserved and a great achievement after several top national results. That gold also “kicked-off”/set the level for the Swedish team for the rest of the week. I also would like to highlight Olle Boström's bronze in Middle Distance, his first WOC-medal, and I'm sure you will see more from him in the future.

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

A. B. - Organizing a WOC is a big task. Overall it was well done. As an athlete I appreciated the organization's choice to skip arena passages in Middle and Long to make the best for the competition.

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

A. B. - The Danish girls' show in Relay – impressive!

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

A. B. - I’ve decided to go to the World Cup final to end my season.

[Photo: Ethan Childs / facebook.com]

Joaquim Margarido