So a new year starts… Despite SOW creeping into January this year, it is a quiet period. Hence below you will find a more extended summary of the seminar given by DFSNZ at the Under 23 Camp in December, as well as, of course, the SOW results, and a few other snippets of information, as we await the season to kick into full life.

Malcolm Ingham

(mandg.ingham@xtra.co.nz)

 ajor International Events 2018

Although calls for expressions of interest in selection for major international events appear on the ONZ website in advance of the due date, for reference here is the (almost) complete list for 2018.

IOF Stuff

A few items of potential interest appear in the latest minutes from the IOF Council. Most immediately pertinent was the discussion regarding a breaking of the embargo for WOC 2018 in Latvia. This was in relation to 2 athletes using an aerial attraction (zip-line – flying fox?) which partially entered the area above the embargoed area. It was decided that although the athletes had breached the embargoed area they would not be disqualified from participating in WOC 2018 but would have their Athletes Licenses suspended from the until June 1, 2018, until which they would not be allowed to participate in IOF events requiring an Athletes License. The area of the zip-line attraction has now been removed from the embargoed area!

Also of interest is that Round 4 of the 2019 IOF World Cup has been awarded to China.

SOW2018 – SuperSeries Round 1

The first two races of the 2018 SuperSeries were run on the first two days of Southern O-Week over Auckland Anniversary Weekend. With Nelson, as elsewhere, baking under high temperatures, for many it was a test of survival as well as orienteering. Day 1 started with a middle distance on a new map at Tunnicliffe Forest, although times were perhaps a little on the long side for the designation. Matt Ogden, already fired up for WOC2018, was a clear M21E winner, while British WOC representative Charlotte Watson took out W21E. However, with the 20’s on the same courses as the elites, it was an excellent run by Marina Comeskey who was fastest of the Kiwi women ahead of all the elites. Stephen Harding and Joseph Lynch were well clear in M20.

M21E, 3.53 km: 1. Matt Ogden (NW) 36:09, 2. Cameron Tier (NW) 42:53, 3.Mark Purvis (AUS) 47:13.

W21E, 3.07 km: 1. Charlotte Watson (AUS) 46:15, 2. Sara Prince (PP) 49:13, 3. Jenni Adams (PP) 54:21.

M20, 3.53 Km: 1. Stephen Harding (PP) 57:52, 2. Joseph Lynch (WN) 59:50, 3. Will Tidswell 1:09:20.

W20, 3.07 km: 1. Marina Comeskey (WN) 48:09, 2, Marisol Hunter (PP) 49:34, 3. Anni Berger (AUT) 53:14.

Saturday’s race moved to Teetotal Flat at St. Arnaud and in M21E Nick Hann was 4 minutes ahead of Matt, although times spread into well over 2 hours. Like Nick, Georgia Whitla was making her first appearance of the weekend and was a convincing winner in W21E ahead of Charlotte. Marisol Hunter’s time in winning W20 was not far behind, although the M20’s found the going tough on the longest course with Joseph being out for over the 2 hours.

M21E, 10.25 km: 1. Nick Hann (PP) 1:31:40, 2. Matt Ogden 1:35:35, 3. Aaron Prince (PP) 1:54:21.

W21E, 7.88 km: 1. Georgia Whitla (NL) 1:32:04, 2. Charlotte Watson 1:44:24, 3. Sara Prince 1:44:50.

M20, 10.25 km: 1. Joseph Lynch 2:10:22, 2. Stephen Harding 2:22:27, 3. Will Tidswell 2:37:15.

W20, 7.88 km: 1. Marisol Hunter 1:45:08, 2. Briana Steven (PP) 1:51:38, 3. Anni Berger 2:00:21.

Although not part of the SuperSeries, day 3 saw a chasing start, based on the results of the first two days, in the complex moraine and scrub of West Bay. Once again Matt was a convincing winner in M21E, with Sara Prince taking out the women’s elite. The 20’s saw two new winners with Scot Smith in M20 and another Australian visitor, Rachel Allen, in W20.

M21E, 5.05 km: 1. Matt Ogden 46:33, 2. Scott McDonald (HB) 57:37, 3. Tommy Hayes (AK) 1:02:24.

W21E, 4.05 km: 1. Sara Prince 50:32, 2. Charlotte Watson 1:01:19, 3. Sophie Harrison (PP) 1:02;50.

M20, 5.05 km: 1. Scott Smith (PP) 1:04:18, 2. Will Tidswell 1:08:15, 3. Stephen Harding 1:11:49.

W20, 4.05 km: 1. Rachel Allen (AUS) 1:06:59, 2. Marina Comeskey 1:08:14, 3. Tegan Knightbridge (NW) 1:10:01.

So after the first two races in the 2018 SuperSeries the leading points are as follows.

M21E: 1. Matt Ogden 180, 2. Aaron Prince 120, 3. Nick Hann 100, 4. Tommy Hayes 90, 5. Nathan Faavae 84, 6. Cameron Tier 80.

W21E: 1. Sara Prince 160, 2. Marina Comeskey 130, 3. Marisol Hunter 120, 4. Georgia Whitla 100, 5. Briana Steven 95, 6. Lara Molloy 85.

M20: 1=. Stephen Harding 180, 1=. Joseph Lynch 180, 3. Will Tidswell 120, 4. Willian Hayes 50, 5. Dominic Cleary 45, 6. Clayton Shadbolt 40.

W20: 1. Marisol Hunter 180, 2. Marina Comeskey 150, 3. Briana Steven 140, 4. Tegan Knightbridge 100, 5. Georgia Skelton 95, 6. Jessica Sewell 85.

The next 3 races in the SuperSeries will be the three ONZ Championship races at Easter.

 Drugs in Sport

As was commented last month, the Under 23 Development Camp in early December was treated to a presentation from Drugfree Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ) on the issue of doping in sport. Given that most were previously unaware of much of what was presented, and the fact that it applied not just to elite athletes but to all of us, it is perhaps timely as we embark on new year to comment on some of the key points.

Firstly, as some of you will have seen in the media, there was an incident late last year when DFSNZ tested a series of club rugby players and found many to be in violation of the rules. This has raised awareness that the problem of doping in sport is not necessarily confined to the elite level. This was also emphasised by the fact that testing was carried out at one of the forest events at WMOC2017 in Woodhill – something at the time that many thought rather amusing as, at a masters event, many of the field will be on medications which may not actually be legal. The point is that DFSNZ could turn up at any orienteering event from the ONZ Championships to an Auckland Summer Series on One Tree Hill, and anyone found in violation of the rules is subject to a 4 year ban from all sport, not just the one they are tested in/at.

So what are the rules? Firstly the five obvious ones, that you are in violation of the anti-doping rules if you:

• test positive for a prohibited substance;
• use or attempt to use a prohibited substance or method;
• evade testing or refuse to provide a sample for drug testing;
• fail on three occasions within twelve months to provide whereabouts information or miss a test (if you’re Registered Testing Pool athlete – of which there are no orienteers in New Zealand);
• tamper or attempt to tamper with any part of the doping control process.

However, there are five other rules which are perhaps less obvious to many:

• possessing prohibited substances or methods;
• trafficking or attempt to traffick a prohibited substance or method;
• administering a prohibited substance or method;
• covering up an anti-doping rule violation by yourself or anyone else;
• associating with someone, such as a coach or medical professional, who has been found guilty of an anti-doping rule violation or equivalent.

Thus, if someone you know is taking a banned substance, and this might be as simple as, say, certain asthma medications, you are technically in breach of the rules if you do not report them.

Of course there such things as Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUE) for, for example, banned substances that are part of a prescribed medication, but in general these have to be applied for in advance of competition.

One point of interest is that DFSNZ are very wary of supplements, as, unlike medicines and many foodstuffs, these are often subject to possible contamination in the production process. While many will associate supplements with weight loss formulae, of muscle building concoctions, DFSNZ included in this such common things as energy drinks. So next time you go for a Powerade or Gatorade be aware that there is a risk associated with – the underlying theme being that anything you take or eat is your responsibility to ensure it is allowable.

Finally, DFSNZ have a service which allows you to text the name of any medication to 4365 and you will receive a rapid response giving the status of that item – banned completely, banned in competition, allowable etc.

What else….

The weekend before SOW2018 was Wellington Anniversary and, for the third year running, this saw the Wellington area training camp. This year as well as locals among the approximately 35 attendees were orienteers from Auckland, Christchurch, Australia and Sweden. Perhaps in preparation for SOW, the venue in the Wairarapa saw blazing blue skies and temperatures in the low 30’s, taxing stamina and concentration.