Tomorrow the first competition day of O-Ringen 2009 takes place in Eksjö. In previous years O-Ringen was included in the World Cup program, but this year O-Ringen is included in Elitserien 2009; the Swedish National Orienteering League. In total 160 runners (men and women) will compete in the surroundings of Eksjö. The top-50 of those runners in each class, Men / Women Super Elite, were qualified at the end of Spring. The remaining runners were allotted by the organizers.
Extra points
O-Ringen will award extra points compared to a normal competition within Elitserien. 75 points to the winner (50 points at normal competitions) and thereafter on a falling scale down to the 30th position.
Prize money
At total of 500.000 SEK, approximately 45260 EURO, prize money will be rewarded at the end of the week. The top 5 runners in each respective class will receive: 100.000 SEK – 60.000 SEK – 40.000 SEK – 20.000 SEK – 10.000 SEK. In addition, the winner of each race 1-4 will receive an extra 5 .000 SEK.
Bonus-seconds
On each day during races 1-4, the top 5 runners in each race, plus the 5 first places at a public passage point, will be rewarded bonus seconds which will be deducted from each runner’s time.
Halden SK already compared the construction of the bonus seconds at these Elitserien competitions with the Tour de France. :-)
For some runners there is some extra pressure this week. The Swedes have their selection races for the World Orienteering Champions this week. Five of the 14 Swedish runners – Peter Öberg, Emil Wingstedt, Martin Johansson, David Andersson and Helena Jansson – have already been selected. What does Emil Wingstedt and Helena Jansson expect from the competitions?
“It feels good to be selected already” Jansson tells, so she can focus already for the WOC. Tomorrows mass start worries her a bit she, it is always a challenge to stay calm and not to get distracted because of the other runners. Jansson, who showed her strength already at the Dolomites 5 Days in Italy winning in Women Elite, is one of the favourites in the womens class.
Emil Wingstedt, who has studied at the orienteringsgymnasiet in Eksjö – knows the type of terrain -, is looking forward to tomorrow. Wingstedt is especially looking forward to the sprint in the center of Eksjö. The spectators really stimulate you to push a bit more he tells.
Program
Race 1 – Sunday, 19 July
Arena: O-Ringen square
Men: 17 km (85 min, 3×3 km+8km).
Women: 12,5 km (70 min, 3×2 km+6,5 km).
Courses in reverse-order and laps in the arena. Finish with a common course. Bonusseconds awarded after the reverse-order courses as well as at the finish.
Race 2 – Monday, 20 July
Arena: Risan. Long-distance with shortened courses. This race has World Ranking Event,(WRE) status.
Men: 10 km (60 min).
Women: 7 km (45 min).
Bonus-seconds at the hills as well as at the finish. The calculation of IOF World Ranking Event-points will be excluding bonus-seconds.
Race 3 – Tuesday, 21 July
Arena: Eksjö city square, city-sprint.
Men: 3 km (12 min).
Women: 2,5 km (12 min).
Bonus-seconds after each lap and at the finish.
Race 4 – Thursday, 23 July
Arena: Ränneslätt. Middle-distance.
Men: 6,5 km (35 min).
Women: 5 km (30 min)
Bonus-seconds at the public control-site and at the finish.
Race 5 – Friday, 24 July
Arena: Ränneslätt. Long-distance with chasing start.
Men: 13 km (75 min).
Women: 11 km (65 min).
Check for more information O-Ringen’s ELitserien page
O-Ringen 2009
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