Those who are involved with TrailO
knows that the name of “Zdenko Horjan” matches with “WTOC
2015”. In fact, he was the Course Setter of the last World Trail
Orienteering Championships and I must agree he did a terrific job.
So, even if we're here to talk about the present, this long Interview
starts by revisiting Zagreb, almost one year after.
You've been the World Trail
orienteering Championships WTOC 2015's course setter. What do you
keep from that experience?
Zdenko Horjan (Z. H.) - My
feelings about WTOC 2015 are divided. On one side, I'm very happy
that, still today, many people are coming to congratulate me for what
we've done. And that makes me feel very good and proud of our work.
On the other hand, I know all the little details which didn't run as
smoothly as we've planned. Also, I know all the other things we've
planned, things which would make everything even better, but just
didn't happen for some reason (lack of time, people, money...). So, I
am sorry about that. But memories are nice and still fresh. And,
although a bit stressful, it was a really nice experience.
Looking on Tomáš Leštínský's
job as EOC 2016's course setter, how do you rate him? Would you do
something different in some parts?
Z. H. - All in all, Tomáš did
a great job. At the Relay, my course (V1) was very good, but many
competitors complained about the other two courses, so maybe there
some controls could have been a bit different. I didn't like the
TempO controls at all, especially mapping and Z task at station 2. I
didn't try it by myself, but at the final station just one person got
all correct, so I believe that wasn't also the best station. At TempO
Qualifications my only objection is that the fence at station 1 was
not mapped. At station 6 I had problems with connecting map and
terrain, but I can't really say what was the problem (maybe just in
my head). I wasn't in the TempO Finals, but I visited the terrain
later. One can't really judge it without competing, but it seems to
me that only the last station was questionable.
Both PreO courses were really
excellent! Very demanding, but solvable. Generally, maps were very
good, very detailed and all the features drawn correctly. All, except
some paths! Why everything can be drawn perfectly, except the paths?
And that is my only serious objection to Tomáš (and to the IOF
controllers, my friends Lars-Jakob Waaler and John Kewley), which
still bothers me a lot.
Jana Kost'ova said that, from a
media point of view, the ETOC 2016 didn't exist. Do you agree?
Z. H. - I would be very happy if
someone disproves this but, as far as I know, I can just say that I
totally agree with Jana. For example, starting for the
Championships' logo... Do you see the word ETOC anywhere!? Official
web page – look at the header: Any mention to ETOC!? Facebook,
Twitter... there exists only EOC 2016. Oh yes, there were also some
billboards around Jeseník and big posters on the back window of
local buses, but guess what – I haven't seen any mention to ETOC.
Was there ETOC in Jeseník at all, or we, somehow, participated at
EOC? I blame IOF for that! I believe if organisers themselves are not
aware enough about all the disciplines, IOF should somehow make them
to treat equally all the Championships. Otherwise, why do we have
joint Championships at all?
Luckily for competitors, Tomáš made
the “unofficial” ETOC web page, where all the relevant and fresh
information weas published. Otherwise, with just the official webpage
available, we wouldn't have any information about ETOC.
For the first time in the last
years, Croatia stayed out of the podium in the team competition, now
the TrailO Relay. How was that?
Z. H. - It is well known that
our team is very strong in PreO, but not so good in TempO. I did
quite well my part of the job, but my team mates were not as good as
expected in PreO, so we lost there our chances for a high position.
So, it happens. It isn't the end of the World. There is always next
time...
What's your opinion about the TrailO
Relay format?
Z. H. - I don't like it. In
fact, the format is maybe OK, but I don't like how the results are
calculated. I don't like mixing PreO and TempO in the way as it is
now (translating everything into seconds). I believe that, in TrailO,
precision (correct solution) should be primary and speed just
secondary to divide those with the same score. Now I feel (I still
have to analyze the latest results to be sure) that these two
components are equal, or even maybe a bit in favor of speed,
considering the extra final TempO stations. Anyway, no matter the
rules or how the results were calculated, Italian victory in Jeseník
was clear, so once again I congratulate my friends Remo Madella,
Michele Cera and Alessio Tenani for their superb performance.
You missed the TempO final for
narrow 9 seconds and I believe you've been expected something
different. Was your qualifying heat tougher than you expected?
Z. H. - Actualy, I wasn't
expecting anything in TempO. With just one or two TempO competitions
a year, I know that I don't have the necessary speed and practise to
compete with the best in TempO. So, at this moment, entering the
Finals would be like getting a medal. Surprisingly, the terrain
suited me much more than I expected, but one mistake because of the
mapping (really, guys, why that fence wasn't on the map?) on the 1st
task at 1st station and one miscounting of the correct flag moved me
from 8th to 19th place. Since I didn't expect anything, I don't
regret for being first under the line.
I believe the other heat (A) was much
tougher then mine (B), but that doesn't matter. The fact is that
other competitors in my heat were better than me this time and they
qualified. I didn't. Simple as that. If you compete at the highest
level, you have to be better than the others, no matter how tough
they are.
Finally, you did a great job in the
PreO competition, finishing fourth with the same points of the bronze
medalist, Jens Andersson, Sweden. Are you happy with your results?
Z. H. - I am extremely happy
with my final result! In the first day I made two stupid mistakes
(which obviously costed me a medal). I somehow managed to miss the
easiest time control (1st on the station 1) and I didn't check
thoroughly my answer on the 5th control, after quickly deciding it
was a clear Z. There was one more mistake near the end of the course,
caused by time pressure, but I can't really say that I would answer
it correctly with much more time available. After all that, the 12th
place (out of 88) looked quite good, but with so many great names in
front a place on the podium looked so far away that I even packed my
official uniform deep in my luggage, so I had to borrow it from my
team mates for the prize giving ceremony (laughs). And after solving
so tough course on the 2nd day, with just one mistake, what took me
upfront for 8 places and into the fight for medals, I must be
satisfied with my overall performance and congratulate those who were
better this time: Stig Gerdtman, Martin Jullum and Jens Andersson.
Would you like to share with us the
strongest moments along the two-day PreO competition?
Z. H. - Well, at first, I thought
the first day was quite intensive and difficult. Already there, I had
some problems with keeping up the tempo of solving the tasks and time
pressure in the second half, but the second day we had even less time
per control and I was a bit afraid of that. I started well, but then
I reached the controls 10-14, all on the big cliffs/rock faces at the
other side of the valley and I was just astonished by the view! I
tried to solve some tasks there, but just couldn't get anything for
sure. To be honest, at one point of time I was really considering
answering all those tasks either A or Z. Then I stopped and calmed
down for a moment. I noticed some flags nearby, belonging to the
tasks in the second part, so I “borrowed” some of my time from
the second half to define where they are. After that I turned back to
the tasks on the other side and somehow managed to read the map and
answer everything correctly, which I'm really proud of.
The next big challenge it's called
World Trail Orienteering Championships WTOC 2016. Are we going to see
you getting a medal in Strömstad?
Z. H. - Humm... as things are
now, you will not see ME in Sweden, so getting a medal could be a bit
difficult (laughs). That is because, according to the standings in
qualifications for the Croatian Team, I am currently out of the best
three. But we still have some additional qualifications in June, so
everything is still possible. Let me first qualify into the Team,
then we'll think about medals!...
What kind of event can we expect?
Z. H. - I'm expecting a standard
“Swedish style” competition. That means, high quality, demanding
and interesting courses, with clean zeros. If I come, my recent
experience shows me that my only adversaries are my own stupid
mistakes.
How do you evaluate the current
TrailO moment in your country? And worldwide?
Z. H. - I feel that we're all
standing at the same place for the last few years. It was very
refreshing to get Portugal and Slovakia in recent years as new and
quite strong opponents, but in the other countries things didn't
change too much. Also in Croatia, despite our good international
results, organisation of WTOC and all our other efforts, TrailO is
still not very popular and it is very difficult to get some new
competitors.
Is there a key to call people's
attention on Trail Orienteering and its beauty?
Z. H. - The key maybe exists,
but it's not in my pocket. Maybe we should look for it in some new
countries with growing number of competitions and competitors.
Portugal for example?
If you had the power, would you
change anything in the Trail Orienteering current rules?
Z. H. - Yes, definitely. I would
do something to make the Paralympic class more fair. At least,
dividing it into “sitting” and “standing” subclasses or
something like that. Then I would allow anyone to compete in sitting
class if s/he sits in a wheelchair during the competition. I would
change the scoring calculation for the Relay, emphasizing precision
before speed. Or reinstall the Team PreO competition as it was (only
with separated classes), along the Relay as it is now.
Would you like to share with us your
biggest dream?
Z. H. - My dream is to live in a
normal country without problems, stupid politicians and ignorant
people. Yes, I know, it is called Utopia... I like to travel, so my
personal big wish is to visit Machu Picchu and Easter Island. I've
heard that there they have some nice rocks, suitable for TrailO...
(laughs).
Talking about Orienteering, my big wish
was to compete in all four disciplines, what I finally accomplished
in 2015. You can imagine how fun it was to compete in SkiO without
standing on cross-country skis ever before, learning the techniques
just from the Internet. But I did it! And I liked it! And, of course,
it would be very nice to crown my TrailO results with an individual
medal in the Open class, but that is not my main goal. I know - and
I've shown )!) - that I'm good enough to compete in PreO with the
World's best orienteers, but for the medal you also need a bit of
luck too. If you're chasing that little piece of luck, it's very hard
to catch it; but if you just go, you might find it when you least
expect it. So, good luck to all of us!
[Photo: OK Vihor /
facebook.com/OK-Vihor]
Joaquim Margarido
