Orienteering Canada Announces Pre-selection of Athletes for World Orienteering Championships

Orienteering Canada is delighted to announce that Emily Kemp and Louise Oram have been pre-selected to represent Canada at the World Orienteering Championships, to be held in Trentino, Italy from July 5th to 12th, 2014. Kemp and Oram will both run in the middle and long distance races.

This year significant changes to the format of the World Orienteering Championships (WOC) have eliminated qualification races for the middle and long distance events.  The number of start slots per nation is determined based on results for the previous two WOC years. Canada’s women have 2 start slots for the middle and long distance races. Kemp and Oram will take both of these slots.

“With the reduced number of starting slots this year, I’m honoured to be pre-selected for both the middle and long races”, said Louise Oram. “It will be interesting to see how the removal of qualification races impacts my races. Less time in the terrain could be negative, but fewer important racing ahead of time to make me nervous and tire out my body and brain could be positive”.

“Both Louise and Emily have trained hard, and this shows in their previous results”, said Alison Price, chairperson of the High Performance Committee. “We’re very excited to have two such outstanding athletes representing Canada on the world stage.”

Selection for the rest of Team Canada will take place at the Alpe Adria Cup, to be held from June 13-19, 2014 in Trentino, Italy.

You can follow the progress of Team Canada on this blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter @OrienteeringCAN.

Please join us in congratulating Louise and Emily!

2013 Canada Cup Series Starts With A Bang!

In an event filled weekend, Sage Stomp hosted the first Canada Cup of 2013. This long distance race was held at McQueen Lake near Kamloops. The open grassland area challenges all runners, even those who have visited the area in the past. 

Damian Konotopetz of Manitoba ran a strong race, beating second place Will Critchley by only 6 seconds! Eric Bone of Team USA came in 1:02 behind Will for a close 3rd place (Eric is not eligible for Canada Cup points). The 3rd place Canadian was junior team member, Adam Woods. Congratulations to Damian, Will, Eric, and Adam for each running an impressive race!

M21E - Standings after Sage Stomp
Athlete                       Club   Score
Damian Konotopetz CdeB 25
Will Critchley                EOOC 20
Adam Woods        GVOC 15
Graeme Rennie        GVOC 11
Mike Rascher        GVOC 8
Wade Tokarek        SAGE 6
Jiri Krejci                GVOC 4
Ian Collings                GVOC 3
Jared Kestevan        GVOC 2
Sergio Fernandez        GVOC 1

On the women's side there was a small field of only 4 runners. Vancouver's Louise Oram gave a convincing win, over 18 minutes ahead of second place Catherine Hoofd. Jackie Bonn of Kamloops came in 3rd, with Tori Owen of Calgary in 4th place. 

W21E
Athlete                Club Score
Louise Oram          GVOC 8
Catherine Hoofd    GVOC 6
Jacqueline Bonn    SAGE  4
Tori Owen          FWOC 3

In the Best Club in Canada category, GVOC holds its top spot after the first race, with 58 points, ahead of Coureurs de Bois with 25 points!

Club
Club        Score
GVCO          58
CdeB          25
EOOC          20
SAGE         10
FWOC           3

Here's the link to the full, official standings. You can view the results and splits on WinSplits! There are also some photos up on the GVOC Facebook page. 

2013 Canada Cups (scheduled to date)
August 3-5 ~ Western Canadian Championship, Manitoba (sprint, middle, long)
August 23-25 ~ Eastern Canadian Championship, St. John, NB (middle, long)
September 20-22 ~ Ottawa O-Fest, Ottawa, ON (combined Saturday/Sunday results)
October 11-14 ~ Canadian Champs, Hamilton, ON (sprint, middle, long)

Confirmation of Intent for World Orienteering Championships (WOC)

These athletes have indicated that they wish to be considered for selection to the 2013 WOC team:

Damian Konotopetz

Eric Kemp

Forest Pearson

Jeff Teutsch

Will Critchley

Jon Torrance

Nick Duca

Robbie Anderson

Serghei Logvin

Louise Oram

Emily Kemp

Kendra Murray

Kerstin Burnett

You can find more information about the selection process in the Athlete Handbook.

Orienteering Canada Announces the 2013 Rising Star Awards

Orienteering Canada’s High Performance Committee (HPC) is pleased to announce the 2013 Rising Star Award recipients. The Rising Star Award is an annual award designed to support Canada’s most promising young orienteers in their quest for top international results. The nominees are assessed on past results, future potential, and contribution to the orienteering community, as well as financial need.  
Our female Rising Star for 2013 is Emily Kemp. Originally from Ottawa, Kemp has been living and training with the French Elite Orienteering Squad, Le Pole, in St. Etienne, France for the past 2 years.  Kemp had a breakthrough season in 2012, culminating in a bronze medal in the long distance race at the Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC); Canada’s first ever medal at JWOC! Kemp is the current Canadian Champion in the long and sprint disciplines. As well as being tirelessly available for media interviews after her bronze medal win, Kemp has also inspired up and coming Canadian orienteers by participating in Skype training sessions and volunteering at the annual Sass Peepre Camp, a camp for 10-20 year old orienteers from across Canada.

When asked what this award means to her, Kemp said, “I am extremely grateful to win this award since it will be a ginormous financial aid for running the world cups and world champs this year. A humongous thank you to the HPP (Canada’s High Performance Program) for helping me and other athletes take orienteering in Canada to the next level!”

Our male Rising Star for 2013 is Serghei Logvin. Logvin had notable results at the North American Orienteering Championships in 2012, including achieving silver in the long distance race, and running the anchor leg for the winning Canadian relay team. Logvin has been very active with the Adventure Running Kids (ARK) program in Hamilton, ON, inspiring up and coming junior athletes. Logvin is currently training in Europe with the specific goal of improving his orienteering.

"Spending quality development time in Europe is a very important piece in the puzzle for me towards reaching my potential”, said Logvin. “The Rising Stars Award will make it a lot easier, both short, and long term. I really appreciate the support, and know that my best results are still yet to come! Thank you!"

You can follow Emily and Serghei through the 2013 orienteering season:
Emily Kemp Athlete Profile

Serghei Logvin Athlete Profile
Orienteering Canada Facebook Page
Orienteering Canada Twitter Feed

Please join us in congratulating Serghei and Emily!

Orienteering Canada appoints Toni Louhisola as Canadian National Team Coach

Orienteering Canada’s High Performance Committee is delighted to announce that Toni Louhisola has been appointed as the volunteer Canadian National Team Coach for the World Orienteering Championships. Toni will work with senior athletes selected to represent Canada at the World Orienteering Championships in Vuokatti, Finland this summer.

Toni brings a wealth of coaching experience, including 4 years as Lead Coach for the Great Britain National Orienteering Team. He is a level 3 coach certified by the Finnish Orienteering Federation. Toni was ranked top Finnish junior in 1996, and ranked in the top 20 orienteers in the world in 2004.

When asked how he feels about this appointment, Toni said, “Personally I am looking forward to working with Team Canada HPP athletes, volunteers and Canadian orienteers and clubs and I hope to have a lasting positive impact on the development of the athletes and to help drive the sport forward in Canada. I hope we can all enjoy the journey. I have a holistic approach to coaching but the focus for this spring and summer is to challenge the athletes and coaches to strive towards more effective orienteering thinking, and to contribute to a culture of systematic technical training, feedback, and analysis.”

Toni will travel to the Canadian team selection races in May. From there he begins a 4 week tour of Canada, with stops in Ottawa, Calgary, Cranbrook, Canmore, and Vancouver. Toni will have the opportunity to work one on one with many of the Team Canada athletes, as well as local junior and recreational club members. For more information on Toni’s schedule, please contact Adrian Zissos at Adrian@barebones.ca.

A full profile ofToni is available on Orienteering.ca. 

Please join us in welcoming Toni to the Orienteering Canada community. 

Go Canada Go!

Head HPP Coaches Announced!

Orienteering Canada's High Performance Committee (HPC) are delighted to announce that Brent Langbakk has once again accepted the position of Head Junior National High Performance Program Coach. Brent did not think that he would be able to take on the coaching role this year, but has arranged his schedule so that he is able to work with the junior HPP athletes. Brent brings a ton of experience to this role, including 5 years as head coach of the successful Yukon Junior Program, and coaching Team Canada to the best ever results at the 2012 Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC).

This year, Darius Konotopetz will work alongside Brent as Assistant Coach. Darius has represented Canada twice at JWOC, has a degree in education with a major in kinesiology, and has experience coaching a wide variety of sports, including soccer, ultimate frisbee, and cross country.

Although not completely finalized, the 2013 coaching structure for the High Performance Program will look quite different to 2012. The HPC are actively recruiting regional mentors to work with local HPP athletes. Mentors working with junior athletes would have support from Brent and Darius, and would work one on one with a small number of juniors to develop training plans, as well as some technical coaching. If you are interested in volunteering with one or two juniors in your area, please email Brent at brent (dot) langbakk (at) gmail (dot) com. 

The HPC was not successful in engaging a coach for the senior High Performance Program athletes. The HPC is currently working on a plan to compensate for this vacant position, and details will be released shortly.

We're still looking for Team Leaders to assist at WOC and JWOC. If you're interested, check out the details and email Alison at alimcalison (at) gmail (dot) com by November 15th.

Please join us in congratulating Brent and Darius!

Elites Series 2012 ~ and the winners are.....

It's been an exciting year for 2nd Canada Cup Elite Series! We've had many different leaders and stiff competition over 23 races throughout 2012. But in the end, there can be only one winner... well two actually, but you know what I mean!

In the men's standings; in third place with a grand total of 150 points is Graeme Rennie of the Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club! Second place is Will Critchley of the Edmonton Overlanders Orienteering Club. In first place, with a very decisive 84 point lead, is Eric Kemp of Ottawa Orienteering Club! Congratulations to Eric on a strong season, with a great finish!




In the women's standings, up and coming junior Molly Kemp (Ottawa Orienteering Club) secures third place! Second by a mere 5 points is Carol Ross of Orienteering New Brunswick. Winning for the second year in a row, despite an early season ankle injury, is Louise Oram (Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club). Congratulations to Louise!

In the club challenge, the Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club once again gained the most points, and retains “bragging rights” as the best club for elite orienteering in Canada!

Here are the full final standings!

Louise and Eric both win $300 for their achievement. This year the High Performance Committee is extending cash prizes to second and third places. Carol and Will will receive $150 each, with Molly and Graeme receiving $50. Nice!

What did our winners have to say? We interviewed them both! Check out the videos below. A big Orienteering Canada CONGRATULATIONS to Louise and Eric!

Please join us in wishing a huge Orienteering Canada THANK YOU to the Canada Cup race organizers from coast to coast. There were 23 Canada Cup races in 2012! We're definitely looking forward to the 2013 Canada Cup season!

Canada Cup Update ~ Lots to report with 5 races to go!

With 5 races to go, it's still anyone's guess as to who will win the Canada Cup Elite Series.... here are the latest standings after the 3 Canada Cup races held in conjunction with the BC Orienteering Championships.

In the women's standings, the 2011 Canada Cup Elite Series champion Louise Oram is back on top after winning the sprint, middle, and long races at the BC Champs. Carol Ross ran some excellent races to boost her in to second place, with Pam James holding on to third. Kerstin Burnett, Emily Kemp, and Molly Kemp are not far behind, which means all could change in these last few races...

In the men's category, Adam Woods won his first Canada Cup race in the middle distance on Whistler Mountain. Adam ran a confident race, commenting afterwards that his race was "excellent", and he enjoyed the challenge of the open, rocky terrain. In terms of standings, Graeme Rennie and Brian May both ran excellent races to close the gap to leader Will Critchley and second place Eric Kemp, but Will and Eric are still far enough ahead it's unlikely either Graeme or Brian can take over the lead in these last few events.

Since this was the BC Champs, the Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club (GVOC) amassed a good amount of points to have a comfortable cushion over Ottawa Orienteering Club (OOC). However, with all 3 sprint, middle, and long distance races at the Ontario Champs next weekend being designated Canada Cup races, OOC does have the opportunity to make up the difference. Can GVOC hang on to the "Best Club in Canada" crown for a second year??

The final Canada Cup races for 2012 are:
October 6-7: Ontario Orienteering Champs - sprint, middle, long
October 14: New Brunswick Champs - long
October 28: Blue Nose Classic, Nova Scotia

It's still anyone's Cup to win... stay tuned!

Canada Cup Elite Series ~ Another Update!

Well we warned you last week that this Elite Series would go right down to the wire, and we weren't wrong! Forget what you read last week ~ it's all change at the top of the standings! For those of you who aren't aware, the Canadian Orienteering Championships were held this past weekend in Edmonton, AB. That meant there were 3 more races to run hard and score some good points.

In the women's standings, Pam James has taken the lead with 108 points, with Carol Ross moving up in to second place with 95 points. Emily Kemp is right behind Carol with 94 points, with her sister Molly trailing in fourth place with 83 points.

Top 5 women scorers at the COC's:
5. Jennifer MacKeigan (YOA) ~ 30 points
4. Kendra Murray (YOA) ~ 40 points
3. Pam James (OANS) ~ 53 points
2. Carol Ross (ONB) ~ 70 points
1. Emily Kemp (OOC) ~ 86 points

On the men's side, Will Critchley has taken the lead from Eric Kemp by only 1 point! Will and Eric have pulled away from the rest of the pack now; Eric has a 72 point lead over third place Graeme Rennie of North Vancouver.

Top 5 men scorers at the COC's:
5. Brian May ~ 49 points
4. Damian Konotopetz ~ 53 points
3. Eric Kemp ~ 61 points
1. Mike Smith ~ 80 points
1. Will Critchley ~ 80 points

In the club standings, Ottawa OC have taken over GVOC, and now lead with 495 points over 431. Can GVOC come back to clinch the club crown once again?! Here is the full list of standings to date.

There are only 5 Canada Cups left to go ~ BC Championships Sprint, the Ontario Championships, and the New Brunswick Long distance. Looks like it'll be a nail biter to the last race!

2012 Team to World Championships Announced!

The Canadian Orienteering Federation (COF) and the High Performance Committee (HPC) are delighted to announce the selection of talent to represent Canada at the World Orienteering Championships (WOC). This year Patrick Goeres (Winnipeg), Robbie Anderson (Ottawa), Will Critchley (Edmonton), Eric Kemp (Ottawa), Damian Konotopetz (Winnipeg), Jeff Teutsch (Ottawa), and Louise Oram (Vancouver), accompanied by coach and team leader Magnus Johansson (Vancouver), are heading over to Lausanne, Switzerland from July 14-21. Each country can send up to 6 athletes to WOC, but can only enter 3 athletes per race. Below is the list of who is scheduled to run each of the races:

Men:
Sprint: Patrick Goeres, Robbie Anderson, Will Critchley - Alternate: Damian Konotopetz
Middle: Eric Kemp, Damian Konotopetz, Jeff Teutsch - Alternate: Robbie Anderson
Long: Jeff Teutsch, Robbie Anderson, Will Critchley - Alternate: Damian Konotopetz

Relay: Team to be decided at WOC

Women:
Middle: Louise Oram
Long: Louise Oram

COF would also like to acknowledge and thank the selection committee for their hard work. Selection is never an easy process, and this year Magnus Johansson, Brian May, and Magali Robert stepped up to the challenge. Selection is not only based on the results of identified priority races, but also training consistency, recent performance at WOC and other events, and opportunity for younger athletes with potential for success. You can find all the details in the 2012 Athlete Handbook.

COF will be bringing you the inside scoop on the Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC), the World University Orienteering Championships (WUOC), and WOC, so make sure you log on and tune in on the Team Canada Blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter. 

Go Canada Go!

National Orienteering Week ~ What is your favourite Canadian Orienteer map, and why?

As part of National Orienteering Week in Canada (NOW), we asked our High Performance Program athletes "What is your favourite Canadian Orienteer map, and why?"

Bow Valley Provincial Park, near Canmore, Alberta

"Now that I'm able to figure the map out and not get lost, its a good mix of fast open, flat forest, and complex ridges." Will Critchley

"Technical navigation, super-fast running and one of the few areas where you get incredible views while you race." Patrick Goeres

"Great runnability, tricky terrain and top quality mapping." Carol Ross

Long Lake, Whitehorse, Yukon

"Fast, but still technically and physically (hills) demanding." Robbie Anderson

"Personally, I have a lot of fond memories of orienteering there. It is also a very technical map contour wise, and can therefore be very challenging." Pia Blake

"It was the first map that I ran on after I had learned how to read contours. It was such a proud moment!" Emily Kemp

Carcross Desert, Whitehorse, Yukon

"The scenery around is stunning, and it has so many different types of terrain in it from forested, to scrubby stuff, to sandhills, to rock features..." Louise Oram

"Amazing technical challenges mixed with fabulous scenery, and an awesome physically challenging dessert." Graeme Rennie

Lewes Lake, Whitehorse, Yukon

"This map is super technical providing a great challenge" Kendra Murray

"No other map has that level of end to end detail, good runnability but low visibility, no trails and spectacular scenery. Paradise if you can handle it, traumatic if you cannot." Eric Kemp

"It is very challenging and different terrain." Trevor Bray

"The 2011 Canadian Orienteering Championships middle was held at this map. It was super detailed, but really fun to race on at the same time." Emily Ross

Barrens, near Carp, Ontario

"This map is special to me because it is very different from anything I've ever on. It is a challenge and something that I can work at improving." Laura Teutsch

"The uniqueness of the terrain. It's also very technical yet quite runnable so is very fun!" Jeff Teutsch

We have orienteering events on all over Canada this week. Check out the NOW website and find out what's going on in your area!

You can follow our High Performance Program athletes as they train and compete throughout the year on this blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter @OrienteeringCAN

National Orienteering Week ~ What tips would you give a beginner?

As part of National Orienteering Week in Canada (NOW), we asked our High Performance Program athletes "What tips would you give a beginner?"

"Get out on a map as often as possible. Don't be afraid to go over your courses with other orienteers." Emily Ross

"Practice, practice, practice. And run on courses more difficult than you are used to/think you are ready for." Graeme Rennie

"Do not get discouraged by mistakes!" Trevor Bray

"I would say that it is important to always trust your compass, don't assume that you know better than your compass which way is North." Laura Teutsch

"ORIENT YOUR MAP! (always)." Tori Owen

"Keep your head up and look far ahead. You'll be surprised how far ahead you can see." Patrick Goeres

"Think about which way is best to enter the control, and then plan your route to come from

that direction." Louise Oram

"Re-visit old maps -look for features on the map before you see them in the terrain, and visualize them. If you know what is coming you will be able to move more quickly with less hesitation. Kerstin Burnett

We have orienteering events on all over Canada this week. Check out the NOW website and find out what's going on in your area!

You can follow our High Performance Program athletes as they train and compete throughout the year on this blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter @OrienteeringCAN

National Orienteering Week ~ What drives you to continue competing in Orienteering?

As part of National Orienteering Week in Canada (NOW), we asked our High Performance Program athletes "What drives you to continue to compete in Orienteering?"

"Orienteering is challenging. I want to do it well. The need to compete with other orienteers, the only meaningful yardstick against which to measure my performance, follows." Jon Torrance

"I have to win. If it were not orienteering, it'd be something else. But, since I seem pretty good at it so far, and can get significantly better, I envision there is a lot of winning potential still to be had." Will Critchley

"The challenge of each new race and type of terrain that forces you to adapt." Emily Kemp

"Orienteering is always new and exciting. Different terrain and races are always around the corner. I love to compete and I'm keen to reach the top!" Robbie Anderson

"Love of the sport, the outdoors, and the challenge of pushing your body." Louise Oram

"There is always the feeling that you can get better. The feeling of an absolutely perfect race is amazing, I strive for this feeling every time." Kendra Murray

"Imagine running over every hill, spiking every control. Flying through the forest with complete control over body and mind, it is wonderful." Eric Kemp

"That it is so multifactorial, it is not just physical or mental, and there is always something to work on." Tori Owen

"I am motivated to continue orienteering because I love getting to train or race on new terrain. I also want to have the perfect race." Pia Blake

"The adrenaline rush I get during a race and the feel good feeling you get after a race. Also how much I enjoy running in the woods." Jennifer MacKeigan

We have orienteering events on all over Canada this week. Check out the NOW website and find out what's going on in your area!

You can follow our High Performance Program athletes as they train and compete throughout the year on this blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter @OrienteeringCAN

National Orienteering Week ~ What is your favourite aspect of Orienteering?

As part of National Orienteering Week in Canada (NOW), we asked our High Performance Program athletes "What is your favourite aspect Orienteering?"

"I love that I can control what happens during every event or training session, and that I can concentrate on staying in the moment and only thinking about how to get to the next control." Pia Blake

"I love how different it is from anything else. Instead of having a specific course that must be run, the courses and terrain are all so variable it is always interesting." Kendra Murray

"Orienteering is always a challenge. I also love the feeling of knowing that a control is going to be just over that hill, or on the other side of that boulder, and then actually seeing it!" Emily Ross

"That the sport involves lots of mental training as well as physical training." Trevor Bray

"Running through the woods at full speed with full control." Robbie Anderson

"The unique experience: Venturing into the unknown, the thrill of the hunt, the satisfaction of the kill… (e.g. taking the control)." Eric Kemp

"The problem solving aspect, and that the fastest runner will not necessarily be the winner." Louise Oram

"I appreciate that it is a sport where you absolutely need to hammer. And though you don’t have to be smart, you just need to be clever." Will Critchley

We have orienteering events on all over Canada this week. Check out the NOW website and find out what's going on in your area!

You can follow our High Performance Program athletes as they train and compete throughout the year on this blog,on Facebook, and on Twitter @OrienteeringCAN

National Orienteering Week ~ What is your first orienteering memory?

As part of National Orienteering Week in Canada (NOW), we asked our High Performance Program athletes "What is your first orienteering memory?"

"Going orienteering with my dad. I was on a bike so I could keep up. It was the guys of the family vs. the girls of the family!" Adam Woods

"My earliest orienteering memory is orienteering on my own in Germany when I was 7 or 8, and marveling at how all the trees were planted in rows instead of being helter-skelter like back home." Pia Blake

"One of my earliest orienteering memories is running B-meets with my dad. Every Sunday morning, my dad and I would head out together on the intermediate course." Laura Teutsch

"Twelve years ago, it was Halloween. My family and I were trying orienteering for the first time and we got lost searching for a giant caterpillar. We found it eventually..." Eric Kemp

"Running my first race in Winnipeg, some trails were completely flooded up to my knees with a nice film of ice on top. I had a blast and never looked back." Patrick Goeres

"My Dad telling me to duck as he bashed through thick New Brunswick forests with me in the baby backpack!" Carol Ross

"I remember my dad making an orienteering map of the trails behind my house for one of my birthdays (not sure which birthday, but I was pretty young) - my party guests and I did a mini O course together and got a sticker at each control." Kerstin Burnett

We have orienteering events on all over Canada this week. Check out the NOW website and find out what's going on in your area!

You can follow our High Performance Program athletse as they train and compete throughout the year on this blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter @OrienteeringCAN

National Orienteering Week ~ How did you discover Orienteering?

As part of National Orienteering Week in Canada (NOW), we asked our High Performance Program athletes "How did you discover Orienteering?"

"I started orienteering when I was 8yrs old all thanks to my dad who thought it would be fun all go out as a family together and get lost. After enough of that, though, we caught the bug and I competed in my first COC’s up north in the Yukon in 2004." Emily Kemp

"When I was 5, my brother Eric, my sister Emily, and my dad picked up a pamphlet and decided that we would try an intermediate course. We got completely lost, and ended up falling in love with the sport." Molly Kemp

"After orienteering as a very young child in a hiking backpack with my parents I started orienteering regularly around 1999. My first major event was the 2006 North American Champs when I surprised myself by coming in the middle of the pack in the 17-20 age category (I was 17). I’ve been hooked on competing ever since." Jeff Teutsch

"I have been orienteering my whole life, as both my parents orienteer. I began to train and become competitive around age fifteen." Kerstin Burnett

"I began orienteering (running or biking with my father) at age 9. I picked up orienteering again in 2009." Adam Woods

"I have been involved with orienteering for as long as I can remember, going out with my mom before I could read a map by myself. I would say I started orienteering around the age of 5." Kendra Murray

"When I was 8, my family decided they wanted orienteering to be one of their main sports. We would go on lots of road trips to Ontario and the north east US to compete in events. It was some of those events that got me hooked." Emily Ross

We have orienteering events on all over Canada this week. Check out the NOW website and find out what's going on in your area!

You can follow our High Performance Program athletes as they train and compete throughout the year here on our blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter @OrienteeringCAN

2012 JWOC Team Announced!

The COF’s High Performance Committee (HPC) is proud to announce the initial team selection for the 2012 Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC). Once again, we had a strong group of focused athletes who wish to represent Canada at the World Championship level.

The JWOC team is heading to Slovakia from July 7 – 13. Below is the initial selection for the Canadian Team. Additional athletes may be added to the team in May.

Men:
Alex Bergstrom
Trevor Bray

Women:
Emily Kemp
Kendra Murray

Please join us in congratulating our athletes! Remember you can follow the progress of our JWOC team and High Performance Program (HPP) members as they gear up for JWOC, COC’s, and NAOC’s online:

Team Canada blog
Facebook
Twitter

Keep your comments and cheers coming, and show our athletes your support!

High Performance Program Athletes Announced!

The COF's High Performance Committee are proud to announce the successful athletes for the 2012 High Performance Program! These athletes represent orienteers from across the country that show potential to represent Canada at the World Championship level.

Junior Athletes (Coach - Brent Langbakk, Whitehorse, YK)

Adam Woods (Vancouver, BC)

Alexander Bergstrom (Ottawa, ON)

Trevor Bray (Whitehorse, YK)

Emily Kemp (Ottawa, ON)

Emily Ross (Moncton, NB)

Jennifer MacKeigan (Whitehorse, YK)

Kendra Murray (Whitehorse, YK)

Kerstin Burnett (Whitehorse, YK)

Laura Teutsch (Ottawa. ON)

Molly Kemp (Ottawa, ON)

Pia Blake (Whitehorse, YK)

Senior Athletes (Coach - Magnus Johannson, Vancouver, BC)

Damian Konotopetz (Winnipeg, MB)

Darius Konotopetz (Winnipeg, MB)

Eric Kemp (Ottawa, ON)

Graeme Rennie (Vancouver, BC)

Jeff Teutsch (Ottawa, ON)

Jon Torrance (Ottawa, ON)

Nick Duca (Waterloo, ON)

Patrick Goeres (Winnipeg, MB)

Robbie Anderson (Ottawa, ON)

Serghei Logvin (Oakville, ON)

Will Critchley (Edmonton, AB)

Carol Ross (Moncton, NB)

Louise Oram (Vancouver, BC)

Tori Owen (Calgary, AB)

We asked Brent, Magnus, and Patrick Goeres (Chair of the HPC) for their thoughts on the HPP athlete selection for this year. Here's what they had to say:

Brent Langbakk ~ "The junior athletes in the HPP have two completely different groups. The women are very experienced with several members having participated in multiple Junior World Orienteering Championships. The men's side is undergoing a bit of a rebuilding phase. This season we want them to gain experience so they can be competitive in the next two or three years.”

Magnus Johansson ~ "The senior athletes in the HPP had a strong year in 2011 with improving results at the World Championships. The goal for 2012 is to continue to build on this trend! We are currently especially strong on the women's side, thanks to a few dedicated individuals. For the men, there is a wave of young and motivated athletes training hard. The competition to make the national team is tougher than ever and we expect this to show in the international races this year."

Patrick Goeres ~ “The HPP athletes have made some great progress in the past year and we have a particularly strong, young cohort right now. I predict some ground breaking results in each of the Junior, University and Senior World Championships this year.”

Want to find out more about our athletes? Want to pass on messages of support? Find us online!

View Athlete Profiles: http://www.orienteering.ca/team-canada/high-performance/

Follow our blog: http://teamcanadaorienteering.blogspot.com/

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Alison Price

Communications Assistant

High Performance Committee

Talent + Dedication + Support → Performance + Growth