24.9.2004
THE FOURTH TIME IN WOC - THE FIRST TIME WITHOUT MEDALS


In Västerås I orienteered my fourth WOC in a row. My main goal was to win the classic distance event, but the day was physically bad for me and I ended 10. place. I was not satisfied at all, though the result is not awfully bad for me either. When your expectations are much higher, that result doesn't feel very good. Anyway, that felt even worse, because the Finnish men have been used to achieve medals recent years and now we got none. The relay run was excellent for me. I knew that I'm in shape and trusted to what I can and did it. I hoped our luck would change, but it didn't. Although, Jarkko and Mats ran well too, we were left out of medals 4. spot. Only the gold medal would have saved the WOC for the Finnish men team, but leaving out of medals for the first time in 17 years was a disaster. It doesn't feel much better that I have done, perhaps, unbeaten record by coming four times in a row as the first man into changeover from the first leg. That feels nice, anyway. Now, the watch has been directed to new challenges - of course, in orienteering!

-jani-