The final 3 Canada Cup races of the year were held this past weekend as part of the Ottawa Orienteering Festival.

The top male and female in the Elite Series received $300 cash and the top 3 men and women received a pair of VenoTrain sport compression socks donated by Bauerfeind Canada (valued at $100/pair). The top club won bragging rights!

After 17 Canada Cup elite series races this year, the top 3 women were:

1. Louise Oram (Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club)
2. Carol Ross (Orienteering New Brunswick)
3. Katherine Scheck (Yukon Orienteering Association).

The top 3 men were:

1. Will Critchley (Edmonton Overlanders Orienteering Club)
2. Robbie Anderson (Ottawa Orienteering Club)
3. Magnus Johansson (Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club).

The top club was the Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club (GVOC).

The Canada Cup Elite Series was created at the beginning of 2011 as a annual point scoring competition for the women and men’s 21-34 elite age categories. It is targeted at the Training To Win stage of the COF’s Long Term Athlete Development Model. Runners scored points for themselves and their clubs by placing well in the elite categories. Points were accumulated over the season. The creation of the Elite Series coincided with the name change of our highest standard of races, from A meets to Canada Cups. All Canada Cup races counted toward the Elite Series standings, with bonus points for Canadian Championship races.

“The first year of the Canada Cup elite series gave me a new motivation to hit the big events across Canada”, explained Will Critchley of Edmonton. “These events were already important for training, but a competitive season-long series was an added incentive to attend as many as I could. It is an exciting initiative for Canadian orienteering, as all elite Canadians need more opportunities for high level competition, and my new personal best of 38th at the World Championships shows that I owe a debt of gratitude to the COF and all the organizers of the Elite Series races.  I’m thrilled that I’ve put my stamp on Canada Orienteering history as the first ever Canada Cup Elite Series winner.”

“I really enjoyed the Canada Cup races this season. I am grateful to all the event organizers for putting on so many high caliber races”  said Louise Oram. “My favourite races of the year were the Canadian Championship in the Yukon, especially the long distance race through the Carcross desert.”

“The COF thanks all the event organizers and the competitors for making the first season of the Canada Cup Elite Series such a success” said Patrick Goeres, Athletes’ Representative and chair of the COF’s High Performance Committee.

The COF also thanks Bauerfeind Canada for donating VenoTrain sport compression socks. Bauerfeind is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of medical aids. They develop and produce supports/braces, orthoses, medical compression stockings and orthopedic orthoses. Their highly effective products have won many awards for function and design.

The final standings of the Canada Cup Elite Series are available here.
The scoring details are available here.

The Canadian Orienteering Federation (COF) and the High Performance Committee (HPC)  is pleased to announce Brent Langbakk of Whitehorse, Yukon, as the new coach of the Junior National Orienteering Team. Brent is a certified NCCP Level 3 coach and is also currently the head coach of the Yukon Orienteering Team. As testament to Brent’s success, in 2011 there were 7 Yukon athletes in the Canadian High Performance Program and Yukon athletes won 38 medals at the 2011 Canadian Championships. In 2010, Brent was awarded Coach of the Year by Sport Yukon. Brent was also one of three coaches involved in the 2011 National Summer Training Centre in Whitehorse and has served as the Athletes’ Representative on the COF Board. In this role he also served as the Chair of the High Performance Committee. Previously to his work as a coach, Brent had a long and impressive elite career himself as he represented Canada as an athlete at 5 World Orienteering Championships.

Canada recently has had only one National Team Coach, Magnus Johansson, who has been responsible for both senior and junior athletes. By creating the Junior National Team Coach position it will allow the two coaches to spend more time interacting with athletes. In particular the junior and senior athletes will now work with the same coach/team leader who will accompany them to the Junior World Orienteering Championships or World Orienteering Championships.

As well as leading the team to international events, such as the Junior World Championships, Brent will be responsible for the guidance and monitoring of junior HPP athletes throughout the year. He will work closely with Senior National Team Coach Magnus to ensure athletes can transition to the senior ranks smoothly and to resolve issues common to both teams. In addition, Brent will continue to be a member of and also report to the High Performance Committee.

“I am honoured to be given this opportunity. It wasn’t a decision I took lightly” explains Brent. “There is some momentum behind the High Performance Program now and junior development is key if we are to keep the momentum going. Canada has a talented crop of juniors who I am really looking forward to working with.”

“Having two national team coaches is a great step forward for high performance orienteering in Canada,” says Charlotte MacNaughton, COF Executive Director. “Brent is certainly well qualified for the role of junior national team coach and we are thrilled to have Brent joining Magnus in working closely with our elite orienteers.”