Accumulating climbing meters has been one of the guidelines for the Finnish national orienteering team for the training season.
In recent years, the World Orienteering Championships have been held in physically demanding terrains with steep climbs: Norway 2019, Czech Republic 2021 and now Switzerland 2023. That is why many have been training at high altitudes in Europe for several seasons in order to practice their hill running skills.
Prize medalist Marika Teini hopes to have learned a lot from the past years. In the Norwegian Games, Teini was fighting for a medal in the opening race, i.e. in a long way, finishing fourth. Leg problems, however, ruined the rest of the Games. The preparation for the 2021 World Cup in the Czech Republic was disturbed by Corona and the corona restrictions, but Teini admits that there were also mistakes in training.
– For the Czech Republic, I tried to run a lot of hills, but in the games those hills were so steep that I mostly walked there, says Teini.
– Now I’ve started a bit of a different season. I’ve been trying to do the hill with less power and gain muscle endurance to be able to perform in a balanced way. Not like a couple of years ago, when you can run one hill hard and then freeze, Teini reflects.
Ojanaho increased its land bank in France
The national team has been camping a lot since the beginning of 2023. Official camps have been organized in Spain, Tenerife and Italy, and some of the top orienteers have also stayed in Europe for a longer period of time. So too Olli Ojanahowho raised expectations for success by placing fourth twice in the upcoming World Cup competitions in Switzerland in the fall.
Ojanaho, who was on a student exchange in Grenoble, France last year, had a good time in the Pyrenees and other parts of France this year as well. The risk of injury is lower when running on a completely melted surface. Ojanahok also admits that especially downhill running has been one of his biggest areas of development.
– In Finland, you can still train for uphill running in the winter, but downhill running is not such a sport if you have to slip and be careful, Ojanaho reasons.
During the three and a half month trip, I have also had time to orientate more regularly.
– In previous years, I have camped a lot in Spain and Portugal. I feel that France’s terrains are versatile, so thanks to them I have been able to expand the terrain bank as much as Napsu, Ojanaho states with satisfaction.
The rear travel can be closed
Also Urheilu’s expert Minna Kauppi believes that the Finns’ greatest distance back to the Swiss peaks, for example, is precisely in hill running.
– The Swiss are naturally tough about it. Downhill running in particular requires ferocity and even a unique running technique. It is clear that the Finns are already naturally behind, because the Swiss have the opportunity to run up hills every day, Kauppi states.
However, he reminds you that you can also catch up on the back journey. A special feature of the 2021 World Cup in the Czech Republic was the massive stone pavers. In the previous year’s World Cup, the Czech orienteers were still completely sovereign compared to the others, but after a year of preparation, when it came to the World Cup, the game had already leveled out. And there were no surprises on the results list.
For years, Finland has been among the medal winning countries in orienteering competitions. The success of last year’s European Championships with cross-country trips raises expectations for this summer as well, even though the terrain in Estonia was much more familiar to Finns and very different from what is offered at the World Championships in Switzerland.
– For example, the good rankings in the World Cup in Switzerland certainly gave Olli Ojanaho confidence. Last year, great things happened in orienteering and some breakthroughs were made. They are important for this season, Kauppi estimates.
The head coach Thierry Gueorgiou does not start promising the Finns’ return to World Cup medals after two medal-free years (2021 cross-country championships, 2022 sprint World Championships). The international season really starts with the first World Cup competitions at the end of April.
– You don’t have to win the World Cup yet to win the World Cup gold, Gueorgiou says and believes that, for example, the Swiss tops may still be in trouble in Norway but will be strong when they reach their homeland.
The head coach reminds that there are still more than two months from the World Cup in Norway to the World Championships. According to the experienced Frenchman, there is time for the necessary repairs. Good results from Norway would still be welcome.
– It is important for athletes to receive feedback from the games. It is also always better in terms of self-confidence to return home from the Games with a good result. It affects the feeling with which everyone continues towards the summer.
Norway sets the stage for the season
Kauppi also believes that there is no reason to despair, even if there are still no top results from Norway. Of course, the national team has camped a lot during the winter, but Finland’s forests were still largely covered in snow in April, so the recent domestic training has definitely suffered.
– In Norway, the terrain is rough and requires strong orienteering. It could be that the Finnish orienteers are not yet completely ready with the technical run due to the late spring in their home country, Kauppi ponders.
Of course, the first international competition of the season will tell you how the Winter Training has gone and how it is going in relation to the others.
– Yes, the first World Cup of the season still tells you what settings we will start the season with. But, I wouldn’t be too scared even if, for example, the Swedes were still ahead in the results, says Kauppi.
The World Cup team will be selected at the beginning of June after the inspections in Switzerland.
The Norwegian World Cup will be contested on April 27–30. and the games can be watched on Areena and TV2.