While the attention of most in New Zealand is on the upcoming Oceania Carnival let’s not forget that the third round of the 2019 IOF World Cup starts in Switzerland on Friday evening New Zealand time. NZL has only two entrants, Laura and Tim Robertson, for a 3-day programme that starts wth a middle distance on terrain described as “…a mixture between deciduous and coniferous forest. Hilly topography with moderate to steeper slopes with a dense net of forest roads and hiking trails. Moderate to dense vegetation, some contour and rock details.” First start is scheduled for the women at 11:53 local time (9:53 pm NZL). Live tracking is available free at https://orienteering.sport/event/orienteering-world-cup-round-3/middle/#current while live TV will cost Eur 6 (Eur 16 for all 3 days).

The middle is followed on Saturday by a knock-out sprint which will begin with a qualification race of winning time 8-10 minutes and is then followed by ~8 minute winning time quarter-final, semi-final and final rounds. In the previous World Cup KO sprint in Czech Republic last year, both Tim and Lizzie Ingham made through the qualification before being eliminated in the quarter-finals. Developing experience at this new discipline, which will debut at the 2020 WOC in Denamrk, is important and NZL will hold 2 such KO sprints as part of the trial process for Denmark. WC Round 3 finishes with an individual sprint on Sunday.

Meanwhile the Oceania Carnival kicks-off on Saturday with the Ocenania Sprint, followed by the Australian Long distance champs on Sunday, and the Oceania Relay on Monday. All three races are part of the return Pinestars-Bushrangers Test Match with high quality and large teams from both countries lining up. The Oceania races also form part of the ANZ Challege competed at each age grade between 16 and 60.