Last weekend I ran World Cup in Østfold, Norway (Pre-WOC 2019), with four competitions in three days. My technical performance this weekend was stable, and I ran four solid competitions. In the Long Distance Friday, I got a good 12th position, followed up my a 10th place in the Prologue Saturday morning and an 11th place in the Chasingstart in the evening. In the Relay Sunday I got the chance to run the 1st leg for the 1st team, and made a good performance coming back as 7th, and with solid races also from Marianne Andersen on the 2nd leg and Kamilla Olaussen on the 3rd leg, we ended in 2nd spot! This is the 2nd time in my career I can climb up on the podium in a World Cup Relay. Fun that we also got all norwegian teams top 10 (men and women included).
The tough World Cup weekend was started with a Long Distance (a bit shorter than usual) in beautifull terrain close to Aremark. The ground was, however, heavy, and it was therefore physically tough. I made a good start into the race with only a minor mistake to control 3, and at control 6 I was in 6th position. My routechoice towards control 7 was not so good, and I did not find the best runable areas, and lost quite some time, before I additionally search the control for about 15-20s, and dropped down to position 15. Also lost some time to control 8 and 9, as well as a small turn into control 10, but after that I ran well until the finish, and could climb up to a 12th position in the end. Physically I really felt how the terrain was tougher than what I am used to, but with my solid technical performance through the whole race, I am still satisfied!
Photo: Stefan Månsson.
After one night sleep, it was time for a short prologue on Saturday morning in Våler. The terrain was expected to be more flat and having lower visability. And so it was directly from the start: crossing a green area and entering into a light green area with almost nothing to read on. I got a little stuck in the green, and hesitated a little, but my plan with running a little bit extra towards the left through the green at least made my control taking safe. I anyway lost a bit too much time here, but I kept on running focused. A little hesitation into control 2, but very good until I came a little far left into control 6, and I also made a small mistake into control 9. Here I got cached my Karolin Ohlsson, but I stuck to my own plan towards control 10. The two last controls I got Karolin and Cat Taylor infront of me, and all I needed to do was controlling to the finish because the two last legs were without routechoices and too short to really make any differences. Happy with my good technical performance once more, and also that it was enough for a 10th place.
Photo: @orientierungslauf
We got some hours on the bed before it was time again, and this time with a chasing start where the start differences were the double time differences of the prologue. I was therefore starting out as number 10, with 5:12min up to Tove Alexandersson, but with two fins just infront and behind me. I started out very well and held in the orienteering myself. Already approaching control 4 I saw the runners which started about 30-40s ahead of me infront of me in the forest, but it was stil a gap up. I kept running well, but hesitated a little bit into control 7, and I got catched by Kamilla Olaussen. Towards the 8th we catched up with Marianne Andersen as well. At the arena passage Kamilla, Marianne and I were 6th-8th position, but Kamilla pushed hard and the two of them got a little gap, and behind me there was a line of runners following. I kept up with Kamilla and Marianne half way to control 10, but had to give some meters, and some runners past me again. Into the control I made a minor mistake and I lost some more meters. Towards the 11th I felt the group went too much right and I tried to go a bit more straight, but orienteering myself was slower than following and I lost the group. Kept orienteering infront of my own group consisting of Kine Hallan Steiwer and some more runners, and held it well together technically. Towards the last control Kine past me, but when she hesitated into the control I got it first and could secure the win of our two-women group, and an 11th position in the chasingstart. For the format I felt it was fun in the very beginning before the groups formed too much, but after that it was not nice that the course was unforked and that doing the technical job did not pay off compared to finding a good runner to follow. I think this unforked chasing in especially such an open forest has very little with orienteering to do, and was it really exciting to watch? Anyway, I am happy that I managed an 11th place, after having to let go of my group in the 2nd half. I was very tired towards the end and after the race.
Photo: Terje Antonsen
After three solid performances I got the chance to run in the first team together with Marianne and Kamilla. I ran the first leg, and got a good start and got the back of Lina Strand (Sweden) into 1st control, and via her 1st towards my 2nd. Also Anastasia Rudnaya Russia was there together with me and just behind Lina. The 2nd control was forked and I went down before Lina who had another forking, but Anastasia came with me. Towards the 3rd control I was in front and was first at the 3rd control. The flat area around 4 and 5 was tricky, and I was careful to see the details that was possible to see, and avoided to make mistakes. I was therefore still in the leading pack, but Lina could catch up with us again and took the lead towards the 6th. Into the 6th control I was careful again, and got the control better than many others in the group. Down towards the arena passage I was careful again in the slope, and could run through the arena together with the leading pack which was not so big anymore. Lina pushed hard through the arena, but I did not want to use my last power before entering the forest again and let her get a couple of meters. Could catch up some meters again in the uphill on the road, but there Lina and all the others went for the left reentrance on the felled area. I knew I needed to run the right and went alone. I kept running alone up to my control and realized I had the longer forking. Continuing towards the next control I saw Lina and Lisa Risby Sweden 2 running up the slope fare ahead of me, and approaching my forking I could agains see them fare ahead on the felled area. Into the third last control I got company from Finland 1 with Sari Anttonen which also had the longer forking after the arena passage, but we both came a little too much to the left and lost about 20s. To the 2nd last control I decided to run safe and ran up to see the vegitation border, and Sari got a few meters into the control. Down the slope I struggled to find a runable route and ziczacked a lot and lost about 10s to Sari. Anyway, I came into the change over as 7th and could send out Marianne in an ok position. Marianne ran a good race and used the shorter forking on the last loop to get into a 2nd position all alone behind leading Sweden. Kamilla kept the 2nd position from start to finish and we could celebrate a good 2nd position in the relay. This is only the 2nd time I could climb up on a relay podium in the World Cup! Also really nice to see the men taking the win, and all norwegian teams inside of top 10.
Photo: Stefan Månsson.
Photo: Terje Antonsen.