2015 Oceania Orienteering Championships CarnivalTasmania, 2-11 January
The 2015 Oceania Orienteering Championships were held in Tasmania in early January. ESOC members Janice Nisbet and Brian Yates were there.
The overall programme also included the first 3 races of the 2015 IOF World Cup. The Event Centre was in Launceston, and there were 5 open events in the NE part of Tasmania, in or near Launceston, Swansea and St Helens, amongst some wonderful and varied scenery. The Carnival programme was as follows:
3 January – Race 1, Sprint
University of Tasmania, Launceston – "University campus with areas of parkland, ornamental gardens and complex buildings."
6 January – Race 2, Middle Distance
Rajah Rock, Avoca – “Undulating to steep open eucalypt forest with areas of granite and bare rock, and some tin mining.”
7 January – Race 3
Kelvedon, Swansea – “Open and semi open grazed farmland with dolerite outcrops and bare rock.”
8 January – Race 4
Coles Bay – “The complex granite terrain varies from fast, relatively open woodland to areas which have a dense understorey that provides reduced visibility and slower running. Parts of the area are steep and rocky and care should be taken where fallen leaf litter covers smooth, sloping granite slabs. Competitors may encounter small patches of burnt forest, with improved visibility, but where fallen dead timber may inhibit running speed.”
11 January – Race 5, Long Distance
St Helens – “Principally gully spur terrain with areas of complex granite and small areas of remnant alluvial tin mining. Some steeper slopes. Runnability varies from fast to slow. Bands of thick vegetation and marshes in major gullies provide challenges in route selection.”
Janice Nisbet competed in W60A, with excellent results, coming 2nd in Race 1, 8th in Race 2, 1st in Race 3. In Race 4, Janice had the bad luck to fall and break her arm approaching control #9. She went on, with the broken arm, to complete all 13 controls and nonetheless finished in 7th place before heading to the ambulance. With 4 results to count out of the 5 days, she came 5th overall.
Brian Yates competed in M70A, coming 18th in Race 1, 27th in Race 2, 18th in Race 3, 16th in Race 4 and 25th in Race 4, 22nd overall.
Full information about the event, including results, is available on the Oceania 2015 website.
Other entries categorised under: Event Reports