Oceania Orienteering Championships - Relays

Valiant effort by New Zealander wins the day at the Australia-New Zealand Challenge Cup

With 10 minutes of running and navigating through the sand dunes remaining and a lead of 100 seconds in the mens 40 ageclass, it looked like Australia would avoid defeat and gain a draw in the age-class competition between New Zealand and Australia - the ANZ Challenge Cup.

With Australia and New Zealand at 5 and 6 age classes apiece, it seemed an impossible task for Mens 40-50 age-class orienteer and former New Zealand representative Mark Lawson (Auckland) to catch the former Australian representative James Russell (Bendigo).

But realising that the result was crucial Lawson pulled out all stops gave all he had to catch Russell and overtake him in the finish chute, and bring New Zealand home to the closest of victories - 7 classes to 5.

Earlier in the day the elite New Zealand women had an outstanding ten minute victory over the Australian women, but the elite Australian men had then appeared to equalize with a closely fought last leg run by Australian Simon Uppill against Kiwi Darren Ashmore.

A check of the electronic control recording system revealed that Simon's teammate had, under the pressure of navigating through the intricate sand dunes and attempting to reel in the Kiwis, missed a checkpoint and thereby disqualified the Australian team.

Former Danish World Champion (relay distance) and former European Cross-country Champion, Carsten Joergensen of Christchurch showed that he is virtually unbeatable in the relay distance with a scintillating first leg to bring his Christchurch club (Peninsula and Plains Orienteers) in first by two minutes in the elite mens division.

His club team, along with Matt Scott and current Oceania Sprint Orienteering Champion Jamie Stewart eventually finished second behind the winning New Zealand elite team.

A second ANZ Challenge Cup will take place on Wednesday 7 January at the Oceania Orienteering Championships for the Long Distance, at Craigieburn, Canterbury.

This will also be the second of three Elite Test matches between the Australian and New Zealand elite men and women.

Currently New Zealand leads the Test Match series by 64 to 38 points.
 

Results: Oceania Orienteering Championships Relay Distance. Kairaki beach, Canterbury.

M21 Elite
1 NZ . 2:40:27
Michael Adams 49:33
James Bradshaw 59:23
Darren Ashmore 51:31
2 PAPO NZ 2:54:13
Carsten Joergensen 47:48
Matt Scott 1:05:44
Jamie Stewart 1:00:41
3 Composite 2:54:14
Blair Trewin 55:50
Eric Morris 1:03:48
Rob Preston 54:36

W21 Elite
1 NZ 2:08:26
Tania Robinson 40:33
Penny Kane 41:52
Lizzie Ingham 46:01
2 Aust 2:18:21
Vanessa Round 40:58
Mace Neve 47:35
Laurina Neumann 49:48
3 Composite  2:22:34
Line Soderlund (Denmark) 87
Heike Grassi (Italy) 55:54
Mari Vaananen (Finland) 45:48

Ageclasses won by New Zealand (7):
M21Elite, W21Elite, M40, M50, W50, W60, M70

Ageclasses won by Australia (5)
M20, W20, W40, M60, W70