Carsten Clinches; Storm Secure; Women Wait

2004 Orientering Superseries Round Four

Carsten Jorgensen has done what he couldn't quite manage last year; he has clinched the Superseries Mens title, and with two events to go. The top Danish orienteer, fourth in last year's World Long-distance Championship, was fastest in the NZ sprint and long champs at Easter weekend, although pipped by 20 seconds in Monday's middle distance. His closest rival Chris Forne (PAPO) cannot now catch up, although he has had an excellent season culminating in the NZ long-distance title which the Dane is not eligible for.

Likewise Forne is safe in second place, having a margin of 31 points over Neil Kerrison, coach of the NZOF Development Squad. But third place is up for grabs; if the lowest two scores are discounted as they will be in the final score, Kerrison is only a single point ahead of fellow Egmont orienteer Karl Dravitzki. It was Dravitzki who beat Jorgensen in the middle distance race, after having diffculty in Saturday's long when he lost a contact lens. Mark Lawson (NWOC) is also close behind, and though starting the series too late, last year's winner Rob Jessop could influence the results in the final two races at Queens Birthday.

Bivouac Southerly Storm was already secure for the team competition before the weekend's races in pine forest on coastal sand dunes in the Manawatu. It continued to pull ahead, although it wasn't the highest scorer on the last day which was surprisingly level; Northern Knights picking up 49 points to Storm's 46 and Central Raiders on 45. Knights is back in second place overall after Raiders, having a surprisingly good season, briefly got ahead in the sprint.

But if the men and team contests are sewn up, the women are wide open. Double winner Rachel Smith has spent the series catching up from missing the first two events, and her second place in Friday's sprint distance got her in front for the first time. She was beaten by Sweden's Sara Wallen, who has lived in NZ before and returned with greatly improved form; but has joined the series too late to be a contender. Third placings in the long and middle races took Smith further ahead, but not by enough to protect against her absence: she heads to Sweden in a week's time. Marquita Gelderman is just 10 points behind, and even a modest showing at Queens Birthday would see her in front.

Smith is certain to be runner-up however, as the next two have also got itchy feet. Jenni Adams follows her partner Jorgensen overseas for what is expected to be a two-year stint, and Claire Paterson leaves in two weeks en route to the Junior World Championships in Poland. There's an opportunity for Rebecca Smith to take third spot, but not second. The other high flyer at the weekend Tania Robinson (winner of long and middle) has also joined the series too late although she is sure to figure highly in the final on her home ground.

The three events at Easter spanned the "world champs" distances, starting with a 15-min sprint through the park-like grounds of Mt Lees homestead near Bulls. The mixture of tall English trees, gravelled pathways through native bush and long grass was an ideal test, with a long leg across the map providing a lot of route choice.

The long distance in Waitarere Forest near Levin was tough like last year's championship, with decaying forest prunings and bracken taking their toll on runners. Bill Edwards developed cramp as a result of the continuing high leg-lifting and had to stop for five minutes. Outstanding 17-year-old Amber Morrison spent 7 minutes looking for her electronic control card, denying her a probable top-three placing. Five men found the course too long and withdrew.

By contrast most of the middle distance race in Santoft Forest near Turakina was lightning-fast. Except for the first legs, which crossed tussock-covered dunes, hard to make speed and difficult to relate map to ground. Nevertheless, five minutes covered the top half of both the mens and womens fields.

The final round at Queens Birthday will consist of a long-distance race near Waiuku and a middle distance in Woodhill Forest north-west of Auckland.

Results, Coming Events