The 2009 World Games, for non-Olympic sports, commences on Friday, July 11 in Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan).
The New Zealand team of two men and two women is the first to represent New Zealand Orienteering at the World Games, and is an exciting mix of talent and experience.
Youngest member of the team, Lizzie Ingham (Wellington) is in great shape after the Hong Kong training camp - "it was wicked fun, and hot! We're taking it easy from here on in."
With all of the team having excellent results at World Championships level, it's a strong bet that they will step up to the next level to a top-ten placing or better, with the three race format of the World Games.
The competition will start with a Sprint race around the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts followed by a Middle Distance and Mixed Relay Event through the 375 hectare scenic area around Chengcing Lake - all formats that suit the fast legs and focused minds of Lizzie Ingham, Darren Ashmore, Ross Morrison and Tania Larsen.
New Zealand World Games team:
Ross "Rocketman" Morrison - From Hawkes Bay, Ross moved to Denmark in 2008, where he has been fine-tuning his skills competing against the best orienteers in the world. Recent form in Europe, combined with making five A finals in the past 2 World Championship, has catapulted him onto the top 100 in the world. More recently he won the prestigious JK Sprint in the UK, and the 2009 Danish Park Sprint series, and he's recognized as someone to look out for at the Games.
Darren Ashmore - Currently based out of Rotorua after starting orienteering at age 10. He has eight NZ and Oceania titles and he's competed in the A finals at 5 World Championships. Looking fit and sharp, he returned to his best form to win the Middle Distance New Zealand title in 2009 and the Silva National Superseries, and he could well be a surprise package to the rest of the world.
Lizzie Ingham - After winning Oceania titles at the start of this year, she backed these up with a National title at the recent New Zealand Championships and a National Silva Superseries win. Placing as high as 15th in the Junior World Orienteering Championships, she spearheads the young talent moving into h the NZ elite orienteering ranks.
Tania Robinson - With 22 National titles, 11 World Championships (best of 16th) and 2 Junior World Champs (best of 5th), Taiwan sees her return from injury and retirement to have another shot at the world's best. With nothing to lose and everything to run for, Taiwan will see her give it all.
Start list for Sprint race
Men (36) 3.2 km 30 m 24 C
1 Pavol BUKOVAC SVK 15:01
2 Jan SEDIVY CZE 15:02
3 Ming Yen WU TPE 15:03
4 Hiroyuki KATO JPN 15:04
5 Cheng Hsiung CHEN TPE 15:05
6 Darren ASHMORE NZL 15:06
7 Shigeyuki KOIZUMI JPN 15:07
8 Nicholas MULDER RSA 15:08
9 Michael SMITH CAN 15:09
10 Clement VALLA FRA 15:10
11 Simon UPPILL AUS 15:11
12 Jean Baptiste BOURRIN FRA 15:12
13 Andreas RUEDLINGER SUI 15:13
14 Ross MORRISON NZL 15:14
15 Alexey BORTNIK RUS 15:15
16 Rasmus Rossen SOES DEN 15:16
17 Lars SKJESET NOR 15:17
18 Martins SIRMAIS LAT 15:18
19 David BRICKHILL-JONES GBR 15:19
20 Edgars BERTUKS LAT 15:20
21 Mattias MILLINGER SWE 15:21
22 Jonas Vytautas GVILDYS LTU 15:22
23 Mikkel LUND DEN 15:23
24 Julian DENT AUS 15:24
25 Scott FRASER GBR 15:25
26 Dmitry TSVETKOV RUS 15:26
27 Tero FOEHR FIN 15:27
28 Matthias MUELLER SUI 15:28
29 Pasi IKONEN FIN 15:29
30 Lukas BARTAK SVK 15:30
31 Oeystein Kvaal OESTERBOE NOR 15:31
32 Simonas KREPSTA LTU 15:32
33 Tomas DLABAJA CZE 15:33
34 Peter OEBERG SWE 15:34
35 Andrey KHRAMOV RUS 15:35
36 Daniel HUBMANN SUI 15:36
Women (36) 2.9 km 30 m 23 C
41 Karine D'HARREVILLE FRA 14:01
42 Wan Jyun SIE TPE 14:02
43 Tania WIMBERLEY RSA 14:03
44 Elizabeth INGHAM NZL 14:04
45 Charlotte BOUCHET FRA 14:05
46 Chieh CHEN TPE 14:06
47 Johanna ALLSTON AUS 14:07
48 Kajsa NILSSON SWE 14:08
49 Mikiko MINAGAWA JPN 14:09
50 Katarina LABASOVA SVK 14:10
51 Sarah BRANDRETH CAN 14:11
52 Iveta DUCHOVA CZE 14:12
53 Merike VANJUK EST 14:13
54 Kathryn EWELS AUS 14:14
55 Sandra PAUZAITE LTU 14:15
56 Yulia NOVIKOVA RUS 14:16
57 Mari M FASTING NOR 14:17
58 Inga DAMBE LAT 14:18
59 Inga KAZLAUSKAITE LTU 14:19
60 Jana MACINSKA SVK 14:20
61 Yoko BAMBA JPN 14:21
62 Helen BRIDLE GBR 14:22
63 Maja Moeller ALM DEN 14:23
64 Tania LARSEN NZL 14:24
65 Aija SKRASTINA LAT 14:25
66 Angela WILD SUI 14:26
67 Signe Rossen SOES DEN 14:27
68 Linnea GUSTAFSSON SWE 14:28
69 Elise EGSETH NOR 14:29
70 Dana BROZKOVA CZE 14:30
71 Bodil HOLMSTROEM FIN 14:31
72 Sarah ROLLINS GBR 14:32
73 Minna KAUPPI FIN 14:33
74 Galina VINOGRADOVA RUS 14:34
75 Rahel FRIEDERICH SUI 14:35
76 Radka BROZKOVA CZE 14:36
