Junior World Orienteering Championships - Middle distance qualifications

New Zealand women Georgia Whitla (Christchurch), Angela Simpson (Rotorua) and Kate Morrison (Hawkes Bay) raced superbly to qualify for the Middle distance finals of the Junior World Orienteering Championships in San Martino, Dolomites, Italy.

The steep and technical course at altitude in the Dolomites was popular with the European orienteers - no non-European men qualified for the Finals, and only the three New Zealand women.

Focus on perfect navigation at the expense of speed was the secret of the New Zealander's success in qualifying three women.

Tom Reynolds, top-20 finisher in the Sprint in the 2007 Junior Championships, missed out on a finals berth by only 46 seconds.

The finals take place on Friday, July 10 in San Martino.

Results - Junior World Orienteering Championships - Middle distance qualifications

Men Heat 1
001 HUBMANN Martin SUI 26:20 +00:00
020 MONICH Dzianis BLR 31:39 +05:19
020 LYSELL Jerker SWE 31:39 +05:19
038 MCDONALD Scott NZL 34:05 +07:45
039 SCOTT Toby NZL 34:10 +07:50

Men Heat 2
001 KLUSACEK Matej CZE 26:17 +00:00
020 NIEMI Vili FIN 30:52 +04:35
023 REYNOLDS Thomas NZL 31:37 +05:20
037 JAGER Simon NZL 34:51 +08:34

Men Heat 3
001 KYBURZ Matthias SUI 26:43 +00:00
020 NIELSEN Rasmus Folino DEN 30:55 +04:12
024 HARVEY Jourdan NZL 31:44 +05:01
033 PEAT Andrew NZL 33:27 +06:44

Women Heat 1
001 ARNESEN Mari Jevne NOR 25:19 +00:00
019 SIMPSON Angela NZL 30:18 +04:59 (Qual)
020 HAGNER Stine Bagger DEN 31:13 +05:54
035 GOODWIN Rachel NZL 37:56 +12:37

Women Heat 2
001 BOCHENKOVA Ivana CZE 23:53 +00:00
020 AEBI Bettina SUI 30:56 +07:03
024 PEAT Nicola NZL 31:46 +07:53
033 KNARSTON Greta NZL 36:16 +12:23

Women Heat 3
001 MADLOVA Vera CZE 27:20 +00:00
001 KLINTING Signe DEN 27:20 +00:00
012 WHITLA Georgia NZL 30:49 +03:29 (Qual)
015 MORRISON Kate NZL 31:55 +04:35 (Qual)
020 OBSTETARD Perrine FRA 34:35 +07:15