Team Profile Part V

Jasmine Neve

Attackpoint: secret trainer

Running: Sprint and Middle

Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi 

Drive or Ride? Ride

Nike or Asics? Asics

Mountains or Beach? Mountains 

Iced or Cinnamon? Cinnamon 

Toast or Cereal? Cereal

Abbott or Gillard? Gillard

Public or Private? Public

City or Country? Country 

Long Run or Intervals? Long Run

Kathryn Ewels

Attackpoint: secret trainer (see NSW Stinger)

Running: Long and Relay

Coke or Pepsi? Coke

Drive or Ride? Ride

Nike or Asics? Asics

Mountains or Beach? Beach

Iced or Cinnamon? Iced

Toast or Cereal? Cereal

Abbott or Gillard? Gillard

Public or Private? Public

City or Country? Country

Long Run or Intervals? Long Run

David Shepherd

Attackpoint: Shep

Running: Middle, Long and Relay

Coke or Pepsi? Coke

Drive or Ride? Ride

Nike or Asics? Nike

Mountains or Beach? Mountains

Iced or Cinnamon? Cinnamon

Toast or Cereal? Cereal

Abbott or Gillard? Gillard

Public or Private? Public

City or Country? City

Long Run or Intervals? Long Run 

Jonsvatnet

The team relaxed with a swim in beautiful Jonsvatnet - a typical fresh, clean Norwegian lake.



Now during the races, we're drinking fresh, clean drinking water, from... Jonsvatnet!



*if you are the Norwegian police this is a fictional story.

Team Profile Part IV

Vanessa Round

Attackpoint: 007

Running: Middle and Relay

Coke or Pepsi? Coke

Drive or Ride? Ride

Nike or Asics? Nike

Mountains or Beach? Mountains

Iced or Cinnamon? Cinnamon

Toast or Cereal? Toast

Abbott or Gillard? Gillard

Public or Private? Public

City or Country? Country

Long Run or Intervals? Long Run

Victoria Simpson

Attackpoint: Posh

Team Physio

Coke or Pepsi? Coke

Drive or Ride? Ride

Nike or Asics? Asics

Mountains or Beach? Beach

Iced or Cinnamon? Iced

Toast or Cereal? Cereal

Abbott or Gillard? Abbott

Public or Private? Private

City or Country? Country

Long Run or Intervals? Long Run

Wendy Read

Attackpoint:

Coach/Manager

Coke or Pepsi? Rum and Coke

Drive or Ride? Ride

Nike or Asics? Asics

Mountains or Beach? Beach

Iced or Cinnamon? Iced

Toast or Cereal? Cereal

Abbott or Gillard? Gillard

Public or Private? Public

City or Country? City

Long Run or Intervals? Long Run

Rob Lewis

Coach/Manager

Coke or Pepsi? Coke

Drive or Ride? Ride

Nike or Asics? Nike

Mountains or Beach? Mountains

Iced or Cinnamon? Cinnamon

Toast or Cereal? Cereal

Abbott or Gillard? Gillard

Public or Private? Private

City or Country? City

Long Run or Intervals? Intervals

Long Final

Yesterday was the epic long final here at WOC 2010. The sun was out and the action was aplenty with Aussie Anna Sheldon flying the flag for the Aussie Team.


The Long Arena.

Anna was pumped for the 9.9km in the Trondheim terrain, which was expected to be very tough! As spectators this was blatantly obvious with the Granasen ski jumps towering over the arena, and unfortunately (for the runners) a control flag up the top!





Strong all the way.


Anna had an early start and came into the finish strongly posting an early competitive time with the Aussies chearing loudly. Eventually ending up in 38th place!



Powering to the finish.


Anna said that it was "missiontastic! a tough slog the whole way, my aim was to get the controls cleanly, and I'm satisfied with my race, but looking forward to another crack next year!"

Well done Anna!


Crossing the line!


Meanwhile, on the rest days Team Australia has been preparing for the two remaining races in WOC 2010.
The middle Final tomorrow with Simon, Dave, Vanessa and Grace ready to go!

These four find various ways to relax....



Vanessa loves to draw, and they are quite remarkable too!
This is down at the local beach and is in overlooking Trondheim fjord just down from our accommodation.
A photo taken by Robbie, of Jasmine, drawing Vanessa, drawing the fjord!




Grace just loves to orienteer! She has been preparing out at the model area for the final and resting up with Craney (her British hubby) who is also running the Middle final for GB!






Simon relaxing for the Middle Final on the interweb and drinking Coke!



Shep prepares for the Middle Final by ...?

And the rest of us are preparing for the relay on Sunday, in the sun...





and making sure we don't get injured...







Apparently Trondheim hasn't had weather like this since 2000....for real!




Can you name the silhouettes?

Stay tuned tomorrow for the Middle Final @

http://live.woc2010.com/

Hviledag (rest day)

Today was a rest day for WOC competitors and what great weather we had! It was 24 degrees and sunny :-). It doesn't mean we rest all day though! There's plenty to do in Trondelag, Norway. This is what some of the team got up to today - with the highlight being the Aussie Supporters Arvo Tea at the castle.

*Grace, Simon, Vanessa, Wendy and Jasmine went middle distance training in the morning
*Kathryn and Robbie went kayaking
*Anna went to the beach
*Wendy, Vanessa and Victoria went on a cruise to an island
*Shep and Julian caught up with their family
*Coach Rob, Shannon and Julian competed in the World Chasing Start Orienteering Champs at Kristiansten Festning (which also coincided with the WOC Tour). Julian went for broke and came home with the glory.

Bits and pieces from the day...

Coach Rob relaxing at the beach after the World C.S Champs


Heading to the Norwegian "vik"


The downtown


The flower bridge - every time we have crossed this footbridge we have seen 2 people watering the flowers


These WOC flags line the main street



Thanks for supporting us!
It's been great having so many Aussie supporters here in Norway. This afternoon we hung out at the castle and enjoyed some Norwegian food.

Caption competition...

Team Profile Part III

Rob Preston

Attackpoint: NSW Stinger

Running: Sprint and Long

Coke or Pepsi? Coke

Drive or Ride? Ride

Nike or Asics? Nike

Mountains or Beach? Beach

Iced or Cinnamon? Cinnamon

Toast or Cereal? Cereal

Abbott or Gillard? Gillard

Public or Private? Public

City or Country? Country

Long Run or Intervals? Long Run

Anna Sheldon

Attackpoint: Bomb

Running: Long

Coke or Pepsi? Coke

Drive or Ride? Ride

Nike or Asics? Asics

Mountains or Beach? Beach

Iced or Cinnamon? Cinnamon 

Toast or Cereal? Cereal

Abbott or Gillard? Gillard

Public or Private? Private 

City or Country? Country

Long Run or Intervals? Long Run

Behind the Scenes - The Team Hotel

Ever wondered what the team gets up to when they're not out training or racing? Here's a few snaps of a few of the team members in action...

Most of the time is spent like this... watching TV, the interweb, reading... 

Then Posh gives out the call, "dinner's ready". This seems to make Rob happy. 

Getting between Simon and his dinner is like stepping between a bear and her cubs, but this map seems to be getting away with it... for now.

Can't talk, eating.

Waiting for someone to bring out dessert... "just take the photo and go get it".


Satisfied... now to watch a post-tour crit on the box.

Behind the scenes - at the start of the long quali

At the World champs the start procedure is quite different from the SILVA National League... Firstly you get bussed out with all the other competitors and coaches.

Trondheim has bikes for people to use around town. Melbourne and London have just launched a similar scheme although the Norwegians have had their system going for decades! These bikes are at the Central Station.


This is us waiting for the bus - we are often first there!


Mainly we catch a bus so we don't get to check out the Finish Arena. Obviously it also means you don't get to see the last control. There's a lot of waiting around at the start too... but you do get to sneak a look at what the World Champions do to prepare before their race. Maybe the qualification is different, but I have to say - they look very relaxed!! Maybe the final is a bit different.

When we arrived this afternoon we all lined up to 'sign in'. Afterwards, Wendy found us a great possie in the paddock and we had about 1.5-2 hours before our start. You'll be pleased to know the toilets are similar!! A couple of portaloos which were a bit on the wiffy side...

After we signed in, we lined up again to get our emit thingo and timing band. The boys also had to collect a gps harness. You also get given a 'warm up map'. This is a small area with some controls. Apparently a few years ago a girl got lost on the warm up map at a World Cup race and missed her start...

The warm up map - do you risk shattering your confidence if you head out and make a mistake?! Actually, today's warm up map was nice and easy.


Here is a photo of the warm up area. You can see a guy above the cliffs near #1.


Here is the communal tent for all nations to use. Above it you can see the first warm up control.


Emit stuff


As you can see, some teams come well prepared - the Swedes even have their own oversized Swedish tent. Here they are hanging out in front of it.


There's a lot of prancing around at the start too. Approximately 200 competitors need to strut their stuff and go through their pre-race warm up routines. Some listen to music, others read, some have a snooze. Robbie preferred to relax lying down


When it's time to race you start with 2 other people (in a qualification) so that 3 of you begin at the same time - of course you don't have the same first control!! Actually, the courses are usually so different that you may only share one or two common controls. Anyway, that's about it for what happens at the start!

STOP PRESS - Anna makes it through to the FINALE!! Congratulations, good stuff :-)