JWOC and EYOC 2020
JWOC
The
Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC) will be held in Turkey
from 26th June to 4th July. This event is for athletes in the M20 and
W20 age groups. The selection criteria for this event is attached
below. There is an official training camp taking place in Turkey 13-17
April and there is a possibility of the Irish team staying on for a few
extra days to conduct more training. There is a clash of dates with the
final day of the JK and athletes wishing to travel to Turkey will need
to miss the relays. Please contact Colleen if you are interested in
travelling to this final training camp before JWOC. We will need team
leaders to travel with the athletes to Turkey for JWOC. If you have an
interest in the role of team manager at this event please contact
Colleen at juniorrep@orienteering.ie
EYOC
The European Youth Orienteering Championships (EYOC) will take place in Hungary from 19-22nd June. This event is for athletes in M18, W18, M16 and W16 classes. The selection criteria for this event are attached below. There is an official training event in Hungary taking place 13-16th April for any athletes in the above age groups that would like to train in the type of terrain that the event will take place. There is a clash of dates with the JK and this training event – please note that athletes wishing to take part will have to miss the final (relay) day of the JK in order to travel to Hungary. Please let Colleen know if you are interested in travelling to Hungary for the training event in April. We will be looking for team leaders for this training camp as well as to travel with the team to the main event at EYOC – if you are interested in becoming a team leader please also contact Colleen at juniorrep@orienteering.ie
Sprint Training Camp
You are invited to an open Sprint Camp in Belfast from 14th-16th of February The camp is open to anyone over 18 years who would like to practice Sprint Orienteering. All National team runners are encouraged to participate, but we’d love to see anyone who is interested in improving their Sprint tactics.
The plan is to start with a team relay on Friday night with knock-outs on Saturday and racing a traditional Sprint on Sunday. The aim is to practice race tactics with as many participants as possible whilst having a fun weekend. With WOC fast approaching, as well as the selection races this will help our National team, and you, prepare for your next Sprint race.
Please Email Anton on Hallors_92@hotmail.com for more information. Registration is mandatory and registration deadline is 9th February.
Travel: Hoping to arrange carpooling from Dublin and back.
Fees: No actual fee for the races.
Accomodation: Food and accommodation will be paid individually.
Why not JOIN US!
Irish Junior Team Selectors 2020
The Irish Orienteering Association are delighted to announce that the following selectors have been appointed for the Junior International events of 2020; Ruth Lynam, Mike Long, Darren Burke and Stephanie Pruzina
We are most grateful to Ruth, Darren, Stephanie and Mike who have taken on the task of selecting junior teams this year. All of the selectors are highly experienced orienteers and have been involved in the Junior training and selection for many years.
Selection criteria for EYOC, JWOC and JHI will be published very shortly.
It is likely that the first selection race will be the annual Time trials to be held in the Phoenix Park on February 29th this year.
Details of the Phoenix Park course and previous results can be found here.
From Austria to Ireland
Anna Nilsson Simkovics visited Ireland for the Autumn of 2019 spending a semester at Maynooth University. During her stay, she took part in orienteering, hill-running and indoor track competitions (as well as her studies)!
Anna is a member of the Austrian orienteering team. She placed 39th in WOC long distance in 2019 and was 33rd in WOC sprint in 2015. Previously she was a bronze medallist at the World Games.
Here Anna tells us how she fitted right in to the Irish Orienteering community!
I had never been to Ireland before, I didn’t know any Irish orienteers, I didn’t know the Irish language, nor had I ever been orienteering in Ireland. During my three-month exchange for my Geography studies at Maynooth University all of this changed.
Looking back, I’m so happy that I decided to take the opportunity to go abroad and experience another orienteering paradise.
In love with the sport; I immediately looked up where to go orienteering, and my first race was a long distance in the Dublin Mountains organized by Three Rock Orienteering Club.
Although I struggled a bit with my navigation, getting my first impression of Ireland’s landscape and being welcomed with tea and cookies in the finish made me happy. The friendly atmosphere is something I appreciate a lot about orienteering in Ireland.
At the World Cup in China in October I met Niall who made me get in contact with rest of the Irish national team runners. Exchange students often end up hanging out together and leave the country with no connection to it, something I didn’t want to happen to me. I opened my horizons, saw the opportunities and spent the weekdays with my colleagues from university and the weekends with Irish orienteers. Somehow, I also managed to study and to learn Irish!
At The Dublin Sprint Weekend, organized by UCD Orienteering Club, I got to know Anton, the ambitious coach and development officer of Irish orienteering. He invited me to the seniors’ physical camp and kick-off for the Sprint World Championships 2020 in Denmark. It was a tough camp and what I saw in the Irish athletes shows big potential. Fast runners, fun people and a team which I believe can reach higher than they think.
Back home in Vienna I am already looking forward to my next visit to Ireland.
Go raibh maith agat to all the friendly and helpful people and friends I met and made me feel so welcomed!
If you ever feel like coming to Austria for orienteering, I can highly recommend the Vienna Orienteering Challenge held in June each year.
Anna Nilsson Simkovics
Austrian National Team Athlete
World University Orienteering Championships 2020 – Team Leader needed
World University Orienteering Championships (WUOC) are held every 2 years. 2020 will see WUOC take place in Smolensk, Russia, between July 14th and 18th.
It is a requirement that the team (approx. 5 people) must have a Team Leader in order to participate.
At this stage I am asking for expressions of interest in being Team Leader and/or if you have any questions about the role please get in touch.
Darren Burke, Director of High Performance Orienteering, Irish Orienteering Association
elite@orienteering.ie