Sauli Pietikäinen: "I aim to do the right things, things right and at a right time!"

Topped with one gold medal, two silver and one bronze in the Junior World MTB Orienteering Championships, the 2016 season closes a cycle in Sauli Pietikäinen's career. The time as Junior comes to an end and it's time for a break. But the idea is to return later... and stronger than ever!

Would you like to introduce yourself?

Sauli Pietikäinen (S. P.) - My name is Sauli Pietikäinen, I'm 20 years old and I'm from Kouvola, Southeast Finland. I study economics and business at the University of Jyväskylä. My hobbies are basically all kinds of sports and I’ve also done some mapmaking.

Why Orienteering and why not, for example, Ice Hockey?

S. P. - I’ve always been into endurance sports. I've always been strong at ballgames, such as Football and indoor Hockey, seeing them as a good way of training and having fun. Still, endurance sport has been the number one. I’ve chosen Orienteering and MTB Orienteering in particular because, in it, one can combine all kinds of features together. You can train so versatilely and that’s what I like. It is fascinating to see yourself improve in this kind of sport – both physically and mentally.

Was MTB Orienteering an upgrade from FootO?

S. P. - That is the case for many MTBO riders, but not for me. I have competed in FootO, as well as in skiO and ridden a bike a lot. I just like to do Orienteering with bike. I rode my first MTBO races in the National Championships in Finland when I was 15. After the World Championships in Estonia, in 2013, I decided to take MTBO as a major sport. I was 17 but, even making solid races there, my best position was the 13th place in the Long Distance. In Estonia, the strongest men Junior was Cedric Beill. He won every single gold medal out of four possible. In the prize giving ceremony of Relay, I looked up to the podium and decided that, at the age of 20, in 2016, I would also win four gold medals out of four. Close, but no cigar. One could say he was my idol.

What makes MTB Orienteering so special?

S. P. - I think MTBO is a beautiful and challenging sport. I like the challenge of the route choices, demanding terrains, up and downhills, the speed and fast riding.

How is your training routine?

S. P. - I use road cycling to improve my speed and strength. Road races last up to 4-5 hours so an hour-and-half MTBO Long Distance doesn’t feel that tough once one gets used to road races. Naturally I also have to train with my mountain bike to convert the speed from the roads to the paths. I do some technical mountain bike trainings, and trainings with map, of course. Basically, my training is pretty simple, just a good mix of riding, weight lifting, easy trainings, hard trainings, rest days, skiing, ball games, power trainings, long trainings, races, etc… Actually, not so simple to make the right combination. I aim to do the right things, things right and at a right time! In my mind, I do train quite a lot. I’ve tried to train as professionally as possible. Last winter I worked hard to improve my skills so that I could ride faster in the summer. I’ve found it easier to orienteer in MTBO races when you can ride fast. When you know you’re a strong rider you can take more time to do Orienteering and thus make less mistakes – this is how self-confidence is built, at least in my case.

Looking back on the season, how do you feel?

S. P. - Well, I’m satisfied. Although my goal was to win an individual gold I am now happy with the results. Not just and only the World Championships, but also all the Nationals, WRE races and other races I rode. I’m satisfied with the way I prepared myself heading to the World Championships. I also attended the World Cup in France, in May, but I feel I wasn’t at the top of my shape back then. Also the vineyards were a real challenge for my orienteering skills. I think that by training you can improve your skills and strength, yes, but the final step is taken just by competing. I’m satisfied I got to take part in so many races this summer, from Finland to Sweden, France, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, and so on.

How hard was it to lose the Sprint gold by two seconds and the Middle gold by three seconds in the Junior World MTBO Championships?

S. P. - Well, needless to say it felt bad. As an athlete, winning is the goal to aim for. After both races I felt disappointed with not being able to ride the courses some seconds faster… In sprint it was a twenty-five-second mistake and in the middle one a fifteen-second. I tried to figure out the route choices that cost me the gold. Despite the small marginals in Sprint and in Middle, the saddest race was the Long Distance one. I knew that race would fit me better than shorter ones and the course was good for me. I led the race but had a crash that broke my bike and it took me about five minutes to get everything together. It hurt to ride the race until the end and the bronze medal didn’t warm my heart at all. After the race it just felt so bad knowing that that race was the last chance for me to win an individual gold as a junior. Even having “won” three medals out of three races, I felt I had undercut my goals, as I actually had. I was asked then, and many times after, if I'd give these three individual medals to get the gold one. Back then, after the individual races, I would have done it. Now, I do appreciate those silver and bronze medals more and they tell me that I was in very good condition and ready to win. The gold in relay topped the World Championships and my team mates must be thanked for the astonishing job they did, letting me start the last leg in second place.

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

S. P. - This is an easy one – without a doubt it was the last 200 meters, from the last control to the finish line in the Relay. It had been a stressful race, battling for the win with the Czech guy. Before the spectators control I had made a big effort and was leading the race. However I didn’t know the advantage I had. Upon arriving at the last control, it was great fun to grab the Finnish flag and ride to the finish line seeing my team mates waiting and celebrating. That was something I had never felt before.

What about Portugal and the JWMTBOC overall?

S. P. - I think the races and everything else were well organized. The model event reflected how the terrains would be well. Personally I didn’t see the importance of an unofficial mass-start but that’s just my opinion. I’ve raced twice in Portugal - European Championships 2015 and the World Championships, this summer. Both competitions have been successful, so the organizers must be pretty good at arranging MTBO races in Portugal.

What does it mean to be part of the Finland MTBO team?

S. P. - It means good training camps, races and people who have become friends. I’ve been a part of the National team for four years. In that time we’ve driven a lot by car, flown a lot by plane and got to ride our bikes in a great spectrum of terrains and races.

Are you ready to face the challenging MTBO Elite next year? Do you already feel “butterflies in your stomach”?

S. P. - I have to say that I will concentrate on road cycling now. I’m not saying I will quit MTBO but, in the next seasons, I won’t ride MTBO races or practice for them. But, maybe if, for example, the WMTBOC were to be arranged in Finland, let’s say, in 2022, you might see me there stronger than ever! Taking part in Elite races this summer was a good preparation for the Junior races. The Sprint in Åhus, in April, was a good race for me but not a perfect one. It was good to measure my performance there, three weeks before the World Cup, in France. So, my goals are in Time Trial - and road nationals and to ride good races with the team I ride with in road cycling. This summer was the first one I rode road races alongside MTBO races.

I found your motto, “I've always got time for the media!”, interesting. How do you see the relationship between the media and Orienteering? Does it please you?

S. P. - As an economics student I see self-promoting as an important way of making MTBO interesting for sponsors, race organizers and federations. I’m always ready to give an interview and I bring MTBO up in social media. That’s what my motto means. The more people do this, the better and bigger MTBO looks in the eyes of others. We must face the fact that MTBO is such a minor sport – just like Orienteering, if looked on from a global point of view. At least in Finland the amount of MTBO riders have increased steadily each year and in the Nationals there are already over 300 riders. The media, and national orienteering federations can be counted as “media” in my opinion, have a huge role in making MTBO an even greater sport. Thus, it is important how we, MTBO riders, are seen in the media and in social media. Am I pleased with the way it is now? Well, yes. At least in Finland, MTBO has got some visibility in the media.

Now that we're about to “turn the page” and go into a new year, I would ask you for a wish for 2017.

S. P. - I wish some nice and warm weather, good legs, good races and good training!

Joaquim Margarido

  

Doping scandal: "Russian orienteering athletes participation in IOF events is not restricted and is welcomed", the IOF says

Part two of Richard McLaren's report for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) into doping problems in Russian sport, which was released on 9th December, has clarified the conclusions reached in part one, which was made public in July. Analyzed the new release, IOF keeps its statement on the case and “has full confidence in Russian orienteering athletes and IOF event organizers”.

A second investigation commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency has revealed that more than 1,000 athletes were involved in a state-run doping system in Russia. The findings come in the second part of an investigation by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, who announced the results of his inquiry in London on Friday. His second report – which comes after WADA extended his mandate in July – confirmed the findings of the first report while revealing more about a system of covering up tests that was refined over time.

“The results of the forensic and laboratory analysis initiated by my team established the conspiracy that was perpetrated between 2011 and 2015,” McLaren said. “It is impossible to know how deep and how far back a conspiracy goes. For years, international sports competitions have unknowingly been hijacked by the Russians. Coaches and athletes have been playing on an uneven field. Sports fans and spectators have been deceived.” Most notably, he said more than 1,000 Russian Olympians and Paralympians – in summer and winter sports – were identified “as being involved in or benefiting from manipulation to conceal positive doping tests.”

How did it start?

Yuliya Stepanova, a Russian middle-distance runner, together with her husband, Vitaly Stepanov, who worked for Russia’s anti-doping agency from 2008 to 2011, spoke out in 2014 about a sophisticated, state-run doping system within Russia. The couple’s detailed accusations set off a series of investigations and additional whistle-blower accounts that have roiled global sports. She told the German public broadcaster ARD that she had been extorted and pressured to take drugs, and she provided recordings suggesting she was far from alone. The Stepanovs fled Russia in 2014, and they are living in the United States. The report also follows on charges made by Grigory Rodchenkov, a laboratory director in Sochi. Rodchenkov told the New York Times that he was ordered to replace tainted urine samples provided by top Russian competitors with clean ones.

The World Anti-Doping Agency was created in 1999 through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Its mandate is to promote, co-ordinate and monitor the fight against drugs in sports. It is headquartered in Montreal with regional offices in Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin America. It receives half of its funding from the IOC and the rest from various national governments. The agency is responsible for the World Anti-Doping Code, a document that aims to harmonize anti-doping regulations in all sports and countries. It has been adopted by more than 600 sports organizations as well as the IOC and International Paralympic Committee. The code embodies an annually updated list of prohibited substances. The agency has 34 WADA-accredited labs across the globe to conduct human doping-control sample analyses. It also operates a centralized Web-based Anti-Doping Administration & Management System that stores each athlete’s lab results, whereabouts, therapeutic-use exemptions and rule violations history.

Orienteering, a close-knit family

Immediately following the report, WADA notified the International Federations that they would be receiving gathered evidence for any cases pertaining to athletes within their testing jurisdiction. The respective International Federations would then take over the cases for potential disciplinary actions. On Friday, 16th December, the International Orienteering Federation made clear its position, sustaining its full confidence in both Russian orienteering athletes and Russian IOF event organizers regarding these matters: “Based upon the information received from WADA, the IOF concludes that there is currently no evidence which indicates that orienteering is involved in systematic doping in Russia as reported by the McLaren report, and therefore sees no reason to change the statements made in July/August 2016. Russian orienteering athletes participation in IOF events is not restricted and is welcomed”, can be read at the “IOF Statement regarding the McLaren report part 2” [HERE].

On Monday, 12th December, the International Orienteering Federation had already made public the Anti-Doping Report 2016, making clear that “during 2016, a total of 102 In-Competition Doping Controls were performed by the IOF. The tests were spread over 10 different IOF Major Events in SkiO, FootO, MTBO and TrailO. A total of 84 individual athletes were tested, representing 22 different Nationalities. All but one of these tests produced a negative result. This one test produced an Adverse Analytical Finding for a substance which was covered by a Therapeutic Use Exemption granted to the athlete in question by the IOF Medical Commission, and is therefore not regarded as an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.”

WSOC 2017 in Krasnoyarsk is out of risk

The possibility of withdrawing Krasnoyarsk from the World Ski Orienteering Championships' organization left the Ski Orienteering family on a verge of a nervous breakdown. Also here, the IOF statement is quite clear: “IOF Events planned to be organized in Russia will be completed as planned, and applications for future events from organizers in Russia are welcomed by the IOF. This decision means that the currently planned World Ski Orienteering Championships in Krasnoyarsk, Russia 7th -12th March, 2017 will go ahead as planned.” On Facebook, the American Alexandra Jospe's expressed her satisfaction by the way IOF is dealing with the case: “I really appreciate the IOF doing everything it can to make this a fair sport. You are not facing an easy decision here, and hopefully whatever decision is made is not met with Internet-venom. Thank you for your work!”, she said.

Looking on the subject also on Facebook, the Former European and World Champion in Ski Orienteering, the Russian Tatiana Rvacheva, goes even further: “I think that the only thing that saves our sport from doping in Russia is that we are not an Olympic sport. That's why athletes do orienteering, only because they really love it, not because of money and something else. During all my sport career I was really proud of our international sport-family and our sport, because in Orienteering we don't have doping, we can enjoy and win without it. All members from Russian national team are training separately, we have never been part of the system. I am pretty sure that McLaren report is a half truth and there are a lot of politics, but I hope that this report will initiate great changes in all Russian sport, and government will allocate money for healthy way of life and opportunities to do sport, not only for professional sport. I hope that this situation will change mind of big amount of coaches and athletes who think about which doping is more efficient but don't work too much to find efficient methods of training. But the main thing for us is that McLaren report is far away from the Orienteering World, really far away. I hope we remain the same family with our principals of fair play, our love to what we are doing. And I'm sure in Krasnoyarsk everything will be in high level with fair winners. With a great love to our sport.”

The McLaren Independent Investigation Report (Part I and Part II) can be downloaded from the World Anti-Doping Agency's website at https://www.wada-ama.org/en/resources/doping-control-process/mclaren-independent-investigation-report-part-i and https://www.wada-ama.org/en/resources/doping-control-process/mclaren-independent-investigation-report-part-ii

Joaquim Margarido

Interview Olav Lundanes - Achievement of 2016

Lundanes’ achievement, which gave him the award for the best orienteering achievement of 2016, was being the dominant forest orienteer at the World Orienteering Championships with two gold and one silver medal – only some meters in dark green forest from sweeping the table and taking all three forest gold medals. Behind Lundanes and Kyburz – two of the big names in international orienteering the last years, a new star from a young orienteering nation came in third; Roman Ciobanu from Moldova.

Q: Congratulations on being awarded “The Orienteering Achievement of 2016″. What an incredible season for you to be at your best at the most important races of the season! What were your expectations and goals ahead of the season?

Thanks a lot! It is a great honor to win “The Orienteering Achievement of 2016″, since there were so many other nominated runners to fight against. And it is nice that so many people think I deserved it! Before the season I had two main goals: WOC, and to show a high level during the whole season. WOC was of course the most important, and a long time goal for me. I am very happy to have succeeded there, but there are some decisions from the Middle distance I am think a lot about. The last years I have not managed to do many good races or races at all, except from WOC, so although I lost EOC I am happy to have run fast during the whole 2016 season.

Q: What are your main improvements compared to the 2015 season? Is it all about being free from injuries, or have you also taken steps in other areas?

Of course it is a lot about that I have been healthier than last season. But I have, as everybody else, been sick and injured also this year, and I think I have made big progress in the way I handle it. I know more about which trainings are most important to prioritize, when I can’t do everything I want. And I manage to stay calm and get the best out of the situation even when the situation is not optimal. Since I have managed to do more and better training, I therefore have managed to lift my physical level. The technical trainings [the last year] have been a lot WOC specific, and of course I have made progress in that terrain, but that will not help me so much next year.

Q: Can you name three key persons who were important for your achievements in 2016?

My girlfriend Ida is the most important person for my achievements, because she is always supporting me both practical things and with mental support when that is needed. It is hard to name anybody else, because there are so many that have a part in my medals. But of course the support from the rest of my family is important, and I have to thank both Halden SK and the other runners on the national team.

Q: The WOC relay victory was very much a team effort. How did you work and train as a team in order to prepare for that race?

It has been a long and very bumpy road to that victory, and I think all three of us where very happy with the gold medal. We have discussed a lot how we want to run the relay, and we have had some good trainings on the camps. We managed to do good races on a day where the terrain suited us, there was some real forkings for once and where the other teams made some mistakes. That was enough this time, but we have to improve to win in Estonia.

Q: You have moved from Norway to Finland ahead of the next season. How is life in Finland so far? Do you plan do to anything differently in your training for the upcoming season?

So far I am very happy with my life in Finland! It is a very nice training environment and good trainings, and it is also nice to try something new and different. There are a lot of training possibilities to choose from, and it is impossible and not so smart to join everything. And everybody who ran Jukola 2015 know that the terrain is nice, so I try to enjoy all the new maps. The language is the only problem, it is a bit difficult since I don’t speak fluent Finnish yet:) I think the home advantage was an important part of the success at WOC this year, and I have to improve if I want to be on the top also next year. I will of course change part of my training to be as good as possible in Estonia. I have started with some more strength trainings and I will do some faster intervals. But I will keep most of it as I have done it before, because I know it is working well. I have also done some measures to avoid some of the illness periods I have had the last years.

Q: What do your days look like now in the winter time?

No days are like the other, but in many cases I wake up at 7.30, and then we have some common training in the morning. When I come home I eat, sleep, relax and eat again before the second training. In the evening I eat, and then do some training analyze/planning/organizing etc. And then I eat again and sleep. There is not so much special happening, but I think it is a good life to improve as an orienteer

Q: Any final words to your fans out there?

Thanks a lot to everybody that has voted for me! And I wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Orienteeringyear! We are doing an amazing sport that we should be very prod of, so enjoy your trainings and races also next year!

Q: Congratulations again – and good luck with your season preparations!

[Press Release: Orienteering Achievement of 2016 / WorldofO.com]

Interview Tove Alexandersson - Achievement of 2016

Alexandersson won the Orienteering Achievement of 2016 award for finally showing that she is the best orienteer in the world on the day when it really counts: Winning both individual forest gold medals at both WOC and EOC after never winning a gold medal at the big championships before. Alexandersson won the award ahead of Emily Kemp (Canada) and Anastasia Denisova (Belarus) – the very best orienteer in the world ahead of two new stars who both wrote history for their nations at this years’ World Orienteering Championships with best-ever results.

Q: Congratulations on being awarded “The Orienteering Achievement of 2016″. What an incredible season for you to be on the very top of the podium in the most important races of the season! What were your expectations and goals ahead of the season?

Thank you! What I wanted most was to be able to run all important races and feel prepared and ready at the start line. The second thing I wanted was to win, I wanted to win in both EOC and WOC and the World Cup in both orienteering and ski-orienteering. At least it was my dream to do that.

Q: You skipped the sprint discipline completely(?) this season - and it could look like that is part of the reason for your success. What is your thought about that?

I wanted to be as good as possible in the forest races and felt that it was a risk to also run the sprint. It was safer to just focus on the forest but I hope I will be able to do top races in both sprint and forest disciplines.

Q: What are your main improvements compared to the 2015 season? Is it all about being free from injuries, or have you also taken some steps on the mental side?

I have taken some steps on the mental side but I think it’s the o-technique I have improved most during the season.

Q: Can you name three key persons who were important for your achievements in 2016?

The whole team around me is very important. The national teams and my clubs in both orienteering and ski-orienteering, Anneli Östberg who has coached me since I was junior and of course my family.

Q: The Swedish success is also a team effort. How do you work and train as a team? Can you give an example of how some of the others in the team have helped you get better?

The atmosphere in the team is fantastic and makes me always looking forward to the training camps and competitions. We always help each other to get better and to do good performances.

Q: Do you plan do to anything differently in your training for the upcoming season? Will you still focus on the same disciplines where you achieved such fantastic results at the World Champs?

This season I was very focused on the orienteering technique and running in relevant terrain for WOC. For next season I will focus a bit more on running on harder surfaces and hopefully improve my physical capacity in both the forest and sprint.

Q: Big achievements is one thing - but to get as far as you have, I guess it is important to have fun with what you are doing as well. What is the most fun you have had during orienteering the past year?

I have had so much fun during the year. Of course the championships have been great but if I have to choose something other, it will be my first orienteering competition of the year. For me it’s always a bit special with the first competition, especially if I come directly from the snow and winter. The competition was the first day of NAOM in Portugal. It was fantastic terrain, a really good middle distance course and I just had the o-technical flow I wish for. A perfect orienteering day and a good start of the season.

Q: What do your days look like now in the winter time? Have you still got full focus on ski-orienteering?

I focus on both ski-orienteering and orienteering during the winter, so the training at home is a mix between skiing and running. I really like the winter training because I can train much more compared to if I’m just running. I also have quite many training camps and not so much time to do other things than training.

Q: Any final words to your fans out there?

I want to thank everyone who have supported me and cheered on all races.

Q: Congratulations again – and good luck with your season preparations!

[Press Release: Orienteering Achievement of 2016 / WorldofO.com]

Alexandersson and Lundanes: Orienteering Achievement of 2016

Olav Lundanes (Norway) and Tove Alexandersson (Sweden) have been awarded with “The Orienteering Achievement of 2016″ titles in the women’s and men’s class, respectively! The vote has been decided by the big international readership of WorldofO.com – nearly 4500 unique votes from around 60 different countries have been delivered.

Alexandersson won the award for finally showing that she is the best orienteer in the world on the day when it really counts: Winning both individual forest gold medals at both WOC and EOC after never winning a gold medal at the big championships before. Alexandersson won the award ahead of Emily Kemp (Canada) and Anastasia Denisova (Belarus) – the very best orienteer in the world ahead of two new stars who both wrote history for their nations at this years’ World Orienteering Championships with best-ever results.

In the men’s class it was even tighter, with less than 40 votes separating Olav Lundanes and Matthias Kyburz (Switzerland). Lundanes’ achievement which gave him the award for the best orienteering achievement of 2016 was being the dominant forest orienteer at the World Orienteering Championships with two gold and one silver medal – only some meters in dark green forest from sweeping the table and taking all three forest gold medals. Behind Lundanes and Kyburz – two of the big names in international orienteering the last years, a new star from a young orienteering nation came in third; Roman Ciobanu from Moldova.

Big thanks go to all of the voters and the event sponsors Five + Five days of Sicily, Scottish 6 Days, Durmitor Orienteering Challenge, Aguiar da Beira “O” Meeting, Antalya Orienteering Festival, OOCup, Wawel Cup, Lipica Open and Danish Spring.

About Orienteering Achievement of 2016

The Orienteering Achievement of the Year is an annual election organized by the largest international orienteering presence - WorldofO.com. In this edition of the Orienteering Achievement of the Year 6 men and 9 women were nominated for their great orienteering achievements. The nominated runners – and stories about why they were nominated – can be found at http://poll.worldofo.com/2016.

  

[Press Release: Orienteering Achievement of 2016 / WorldofO.com]