Defending Champion Wins Weekend But Relinquishes Lead

After a tough weekend of Sprint the Bay orienteering, 2009 Silva Superseries champ Darren Ashmore of Rotorua came up with the right mix of navigation and speed to defeat visiting Swiss star Martin Hubmann by just one second in the sixth sprint, held at Napier Boys High School.

The win was enough to give Ashmore, seven times NZ champion, a win in the DirtyD Sprint the Bay weekend six from six races format.

"I was a bit rusty to start with this weekend, making some errors, but it's all good now" he commented after the close win.

However, strong and consistent racing by 2009 Oceania Sprint Orienteering champion Jamie Stewart gave him one of the Superseries wins for the weekend - the best five from six format working to Stewart's favor as he had mispunched in race five, as did Hubmann..

Stand out New Zealand representative in 2009 Ross Morrison took out Superseries points for his win in race 2 but was ineligible for further points as course-setter for two races.

Ross particularly enjoyed the racing against Swiss Martin Hubmann, top 3 placegetter at two Junior World Championships - winning three of the four matchups against him.

"It's a shame Martin mispunched in race 5, as over our four races there was probably only ten seconds in total between us. That mispunch ended up costing Martin the yellow jersey and the prizemoney too." Ross said.

Although Morrison and Ashmore have relinquished the Superseries lead to the speedy Stewart they both sounded the same warning to him - "It's early days yet!".

Tough competition was also in store for defending womens champion Lizzie Ingham of Wellington who had to face rapidly improving junior representative Angela Simpson (Rotorua) as well as several talented visiting European stars.

Simpson commenced her challenge for the Superseries crown with a 24 second win over Danish representaive Maja Alm, and Simpson went on to win races 2, 5 and 6.

Ingham placed in the top three consistently but came unstuck after a suspected asthma attack in race 4, walking the final few hundred metres and finishing midfield.

But overall honors for the weekend went to Dane Maja Alm ahead of Simpson and Ingham, after two strong wins for Alm.

Simpson, who is preselected for the 2010 Junior World Orienteering Champs team now takes a strong lead in the 2010 SILVA Superseries.

To add an extra element to the DirtyD sprint weekend, organizer Duncan Morrison added several Sprints point races as well as a Hill Sprint to the competition.

Local orienteer Paul Jensen took the Hill Sprint prize with a fast charging sprint up a scrubby creek and steep hillside near Kuranga gardens under Te Mata peak.

The mens Sprint became an intriguing tussle between local junior star Scott McDonald and Hutt Valley's Bill Edwards, 2009 World Masters Sprint Orienteering champion.

Both pulled out all stops to win the last two sets of Sprint points in the last race, with Edward's precise navigation; ability up against the apparently speedier legs of the younger McDonald.

But when the chips were downloaded, there was still nothing separating the two speedsters over the weekends Sprints.

So a rematch was called for.

Edwards was first to set off clocking 16 seconds for the pure-no-navigation sprint.

McDonald then set off, the crowd expecting that his younger legs would take a second or two off that time.

But that was not to happen - as the time of 16 seconds was called, and still nothing could separate the two.

The final decision went to McDonald, who won six of the nine Sprints against Edwards.

"Yeah, I gave it all I got" said McDonald. "But he did too. I'm looking forward to more points racing now that it's been introduced."

Angela Simpson took out the Sprints points competition ahead of Maja Alm and Lizzie Ingham.

The six race sprint forma, with additional hill and sprints points and bonuses, was the brainchild of 17 year old Duncan Morrison, of Havelock North, who was a standout performer at the World Schools Orienteering Championships in 2009.

"It was a lot more work than we expected, but from all accounts, everyone loved it" he said.

"Awesome!" was the most heard comment from competitors from New Zealand and overseas.

The DirtyD Sprint the Bay is planned to be held again in 2011 and should attract even more international orienteers.

Overall Results: DirtyD Sprint the Bay

Mens Elite

Womens Elite

Full results are available at www.sprintthebay.com.