World Rogaine Chances

Team Changes Continue

We'll make some predictions. But the only thing that is certain is that there will be more team changes! Injury at the Masters Orienteering Champs, unable to get off work, thought better of it, you name it!

Disclaimer: our knowledge of the international rogaining scene is limited, we're bound to have overlooked some top teams.

• The Junior classes are always hard to predict because of the absence of form, so we won't try.
• Peter Squires from the Mens Super-Vets Champion Team in Canada is the Course Planner this time, and his partner is in SVX, so that doesn't help us. We'll go for Tim Dent (who apparently orienteers without a compass) and Rob Taylor, from Victoria, Australia.
• The Vet Mens class could well provide the open winner as well, which makes it doubly interesting. We think that Geoff Lawford and Rod Gray (ACT, Aust) will be hard to beat, but keep an eye on Paul Hoopman and Leigh Privett (Vic, Aust) and of course the Czech pair Vaclavek and Rusek have extensive experience in endurance events. Ray Pratt has withdrawn so partner Ted van Geldermalsen is looking for a partner, his chances depend on who he chooses.
• The Open Men is wide open! We can't distinguish between Australian Champions Dave Baldwin/Adrian Sheppard, Swiss Dieter Wolf who has teamed up with kiwi Jason Markham, runners-up last time Greg Barbour and David Rowlands (NZ/Aust), brothers Andrew and Peter McComb from South Australia, and titleholders Nigel Aylott (Aust) and Iiro Kakko (Finland). The last two were NOT going to compete together but we think that both are still looking for partners. A pity that Jim Russell (Aust) has withdrawn due to injury, and Irish partner Colm Rothery has so far resisted entreaties to pair with someone else. Michael Adams joins fellow kiwi Alistair Cory-Wright instead of brother Guy C-W for a moderately strong team.
• Catherine Hagen and Pam James won Open Women on home turf last time and we're picking them to do it again. But they'll have to do battle with former Australian Champions Jenny Casanova and Alexandra Tyson.
• The NZ Mixed Championship is likely to be won by Phil/Antonia Wood or Jenni Adams/Rob Hart, but we're not sure of the strength of visitors such as Helen O'Callaghan and Tony Woolford from Tasmania.
• I'd say Womens Super Vets Champions will be Sharon Crawford and Judith Dickinson from USA, in spite of Bunny Rathbone's win in the World Masters Orienteering Champs yesterday.
• I think that Phil and Penny Dufty (Western Aust) will beat NZ's Bill and Ann Kennedy for the Mixed Super-Vet title, but remember that Bill holds the Mens SV title! Karin Tibbelin has broken her arm, so John Brock is looking for another partner, he's a very fit M55.
• Meanwhile Helen Bailey and Richard Matthews from Western Australia may get the edge in Mixed Vets. The NZ title could go to Marcus King/Joy Talbot, Lisa and Geoff Mead, Peter Watson amd Gillian Ingham, or Wayne and Trish Aspin. Former World W45 Orienteering Champion Roz Clayton has had to abandon the rogaine as her father in England has just died.