WOC 2023 - the (big) analysis
14th place in the middle distance (and spectator at the relay gold of the Swiss men) - that is my summary of the home World Championships Flims-Laax. What was supposed to be a highlight of my career turned out to be a big disappointment in terms of results. I had high goals for the home World Championships and invested a lot accordingly. Three of countless examples:
For more than 2 years, we have repeatedly visited relevant alpine or pre-Alpine running terrain for the orienteering training camps with the national squad.
In addition, I invested a lot in physical preparation, for example with a special high-altitude training camp in Kenya in the winter of 2023.
In mid-April, I resigned from my part-time job as an environmental engineer in order to create optimal conditions for the World Champs preparation during 3 months as a professional athlete.
In the finish chute during the WOC Middle Distance Race. Photo: Sandro Anderes.
The dream, the vision
I started my home WOC project with a dream: World Champion in front of the home crowd. In this vision I saw myself running the middle distance and the relay. From this vision/dream I formulated my motivation, defined my RoadToWOC, set up measures in 4 different areas for training / everyday life and thus developed my planning towards WOC.
The goal
In the run-up to WOC, I communicated my result target for the WOC middle distance to the outside world as follows: Top 6. Personally, however, I wanted more, namely to have a say in the medal fight.
In retrospect, it is clear that I did not manage to have a say in the medal fight at the WOC middle distance. Although after 7.5' race minutes (at control #4) before my mistake I am virtually in second place (9 seconds behind the later World Champion). But even with an optimal technical run I was hardly in the (physical?, mental?) condition to come close to the medals on that day.
What was missing?
I'm trying to find out why I fell far short of my results target in the most important race of the year:
Control #5: The longest route of the whole race. After the difficult start part (especially controls 1-3) the supposed "easy" control. Of all things, this section becomes my downfall. Everything went wrong: A bad route choice, an even worse execution, and a turn at the control picking. With the 2.5 minutes time loss on the section time I went from the virtual intermediate rank 2 at control 4 down to rank 17 at control 5.
My orienteering concept was ready for "The detailed, complex contours and the many rock details require accurate map reading." [Bulletin 4]. And I certainly had my "magical moment" at control 1 ("Magical moments are certain when navigating around knolls, depressions or boulders and seeing the control exactly where you expect it to be!" [Bulletin 4]). But I was apparently not ready enough for a longer route (a relative weakness in my orienteering technique, which is not new to me). I was prepared for a route choice at the appropriate place - in all lengths, angles and variants I have foreseen such a route choice there in the simulation tracks (thanks Sevä!). But during the race I took too little time for the route choice (too fast decision for the left route). I didn't realize that on my chosen left route especially the run out to the street is firstly slow and secondly difficult to execut (see my direction mistake). In the control circle, due to my already somewhat battered map, I was looking for a hill as the control location and only after a small detour, my check on the control description (would actually have been part of my concept - thanks Mätthu!) solved my misunderstanding - a small depression!
The technical demanding start of the race (1-4) and the fateful route to control 5.
BackToFlow. I was prepared for this situation: a (small) mistake. With a clear concept, this scenario was well rehearsed and trained a hundred times (thanks Andle for the help!). The concept helps me to steer my thoughts after a mistake as fast as possible again on the action track (and not on the regret of the time loss). I would say it worked "reasonably well". I was back in the flow after control 5. No follow up errors, a good middle section until Lake Cauma. However, a look at the graph shows that the "magic was gone". No more fast section times, constantly I lose time. How much of this is the physical compenent (a strong start phase is nothing new for me) and how much despite BackToFlow the unconscious processing of my mistake? I don't know.
38 days until the WOC: The selection races organized by the WOC organizer were used by the Swiss team only as training/test competitions. I was in great shape, physically and orienteering-wise, and was able to finish second twice against strong international competition. My self-confidence reached its peak.
18 days later at the selection races of the Swiss team (20 days until WOC): A completely different picture. The from my point of view unfortunate program (first Long, then Middle Distance) was made even more unfortunate by the brutally long Long Distance and all the travel across Switzerland. I recovered badly for the middle distance, felt under pressure and "wanted to show everyone what I'm made of". That was a (tactical) mistake, it would have been better - as so often in selection races - to show one of those "constant, safe" runs. A mediocre to poor performance at the most important competition before WOC - my self-confidence reaches rock bottom.
The knee. The evening after the Middle Distance selection race, I felt severe pain in my left knee. What I tried to calm down with quark compresses at first, turned out to be a partial rupture MCL in the left knee five days and an MRI later. The diagnosis of a torn medial ligament: not exactly optimal, 12 days before the start of the World Championships... But - with the appropriate measures - I was not prescribed a no-go for WOC (thanks Zaschi!) and on the day of the diagnosis I could already run uphill without pain. Thereupon I took new courage (thanks Tom!): My adapted timetable for the WOC convinced me and I also saw a lot of positive things in it (more uphill meters in the last preparation, greater mental orienteering freshness thanks to a less orienteering training, etc.). An appropriate tape bandage (thanks Cédi and Manu!) stabilized together with the musculature my knee so well that I remained pain-free later also when running in terrain. Superficially, I don't think that my knee situation had a negative effect on the World Championship result. But I can't answer conclusively whether the tape bandage didn't hinder me a bit or whether I would have been more ready with a normal preparation.
The relay. The biggest disappointment during the whole project (besides the final result) was not being selected for the Swiss relay team. This took a lot of wind out of my sails and caused a trend reversal in my self-confidence index. It should be said here that I am not questioning the selection decision, but that I was simply disappointed in myself that I could not give the selection team more and better reason to select me. Here the knee injury diagnosis (see above) turned out to be very positive: Suddenly, my thoughts were no longer determined by the denied dream of relay gold, but with which measures I would manage to be ready for WOC - this way I found my way out of the "self-pity swamp" 3 days after the selections.
Physical. Why did I have to walk practically every incline during the middle distance (instead of running)? In the immediate preparation for the WOC, I did not do any strength training - mainly to avoid having to run the interval trainings with sore legs. Are the missing gym hours in the last month before the WOC the missing piece of the puzzle? Or what did I do wrong in the physical preparation? I have already shown myself in previous years (2018, or also 2021 and 2022) that I could (significantly) improve my physical condition towards the WOC. This year, the "WOC magic" did not happen.
If I had to summarize all this in one sentence for a person who has no idea about sports, I would say it like this: I was probably just not strong enough.
Was remains of WOC 2023 on homesoil?
"The chase is better than the catch" she said (thanks Ele, for your support before, during and after WOC!) in the last few days to cheer me up. And it's true: being able to celebrate successes, medals, victories is something incredibly beautiful at the moment. But just as beautiful are the experiences or the mastered challenges on the way (not) there.
The three weeks in the Kenyan running mecca Iten was by far my most special training camp experience.
I developed a real love-hate relationship with the midweek track training in winter and spring.
Gstaad, Moosalp, Arosa, Lenzerheide, Davos, Seefeld, Engadin - destinations like out of an Asian tourist brochure we were able to visit during the many orienteering trainings.
In the vacation apartment of Zaschi (thanks family Züst!) in Trin Mulin with the best view to the finish arena of the middle distance qualification I felt like at home because of the many short stays - at Crestasee, they let us swim even at the rate of the locals.
The WOC23-loop in the Züriberg I will probably still be able to run during my sleep even 10 years from now.
Fortunately, in addition to the ranking goal, I also defined a second goal for the WOC week: "I want to keep this home WOC as a positive memory for life by always enjoying the moment with all the emotions before and during the week". I have clearly exceeded this goal. The home WOC in Flims-Laax will definitely remain in my memory as an orienteering festival in a class of its own!
A big thank you to all the people involved in making the 2023 World Orienteering Championships an unforgettable memory:
The best organized WOC since I have been there; with a finish arena designed as a witch's cauldron, a veritable "athletes' village", short distances, atmospheric ceremonies, spectacular orienteering terrain and an unmatched attention to detail (Panini collector's album for fans, mascot Capri as a highlight for the little ones, active confusion tactics of the organizers via tourist info by presumably closing the northern part of Lake Cauma in order to grant a surprise moment in the middle distance, etc.).
An (probably?) unique presence of the orienteering sport on TV (SRF)
Numerous and vociferous Swiss orienteering fans, who, despite the danger of overheating, provided moments of chicken skin during the run-in.
The great support of my family, friends, fans and supporters, on site or from further away.
The whole staff of the Swiss team (head coach, coach, physio, kitchen, doctor, control setter, mental coach) who, as always, had our backs and ensured the best possible conditions.
And last but not least my Swiss team colleagues, who really rocked the World Championships! Carried by the wave of success, I simply didn't feel like being disappointed about my own WOC performance after my competition or during the relay. So I didn't miss the chance to rock out for the last act of the WOC week - the closing party.
