As you see, it took a long time to recover both physically and mentally from JWOC week to sit down and start calmly writing some note about it, but this month I was more busy than ever in this summer, so it's not that I was doing nothing, on the contrary, I've been training a month abroad, about what I will tell a bit later. And, I think, all my audience would be too excited right after JWOC to take seriously some analysis, and now you're already missing those competitions and kinda curious about some more memories from it. So, enjoy!
It was my first JWOC, I was (and now am) 17 years old, so if you'll count with me and if everything will go well, I still have three JWOCs to take part in :) So honestly, I was like a new one on the arena and didn't know my rivals and their levels, so couldn't expect or plan something, couldn't make myself an exact goal to finish in top-something. The goal was to enjoy orienteering, show my best skill on that moment, don't make mistakes and just spread oneself, because, nevertheless, I was presenting team Russia, and be a part of those big great competitions was exciting and pretty serious.
Now how I managed it. Well, not as I could. I've done mistakes in all disciplines. Some were little blots, some were wrong route choices. So I had a lot to analyze and discuss with my coaches, but what I can say about all distances - is that they were really difficult. The terrain in Tampere is very challenging - there are many-many small objects and they are situated on a steep big hills, and the ground under feet was very hard to run fast: felling, stones and rocks, bogs, moss and blockages. So we had to fight with this terrain and at the same time keep concentrating to the end, what was the most difficult, when you're giving up all your forces and when you are under nerve strain.
And what about consequences? I've seen how top girls are running, their technique and speed.. and I was a bit shocked, but I know I can reach it, if keep working steadily. It's not like on Russian championships, where you come as a favorite already. Here I was fighting for top-20, and my best place turned out 18th. So it makes you feel you have a lot to work on. But I'm really glad that I have gone to JWOC this year, because I've become all this experience and lots of motivation, and I know that I still have two years till 20th class, so I have time to catch those girls and even to become better! And these are the words with which I left Finland. And, I think, it's the best mood to proceed trainings, to change something in your mind and your plan. So train hard, then win easy! :)
