Filip Stevanovic

It's been a while since i wrote my last post on this blog,so i would like to start the writing again with the season preview,and my next season priorities.This season i had my downhills and uphills,my PB on EYOC,and my failure at BOC,and of course less important state championships and state cup.I took the overall gold in the cup,but i have been less fortunate with the championships,mostly taking just silver medals.I had only one international race and it was Juniper Open Spring(gold medal).I also had Silva-o camp in plan, but in the end i couldn't go.About EYOC...I was feeling good about long distance,started well,but after the 3. post i went down the road that wasn't on the map(it was made by tractors pulling trees) and i made a big mistake of about 10 minutes. Until the end of the race i had some small mistakes and a big one of about 4-5 minutes.I ended the race with about 17-20 minutes of mistakes,about 20 minutes behind the 1st placed.I wasn't expecting much in the relay.We were a weak team compared to the other teams,esspecially as we were running in m18(2 of us from m16) I finished my leg 9 minutes behind the first placed.The sprint was the best race for me,i had just 20 seconds of mistake,but i didn't run fast,so i finished 2 minutes behind the first ranked runner,on the 42. place.My next big race was Kopaonik Open which was held on the same terrains as Eyoc last year.I took the overall bronze,in the M20 category behind Daniel Barkasz(ROU 1st ranked) and Kristaps Berkins(LAT 2nd ranked). Some weeks after,I was back again on Kopaonik for the National team camp.We had hard but very good trainings and i felt strong for the Balkans Championships.In september we departured to Belogradchik,Bulgaria,the unique set of terrains on which BOC was held.I started the sprint distance,was fast and secure in the town part,all to the forest part where i made 1 minute big mistake on the cliff section.Finished on the 7. place dissapointed,1 minute behind the leader.Next day was long distance,i started the race very good,was having a 2. best time until my mistake of about 50 MINS!!!!There were 2 identical hills,one on the map,and the 2. was not.As it always happens you are often where you shouldn't be so i went to the wrong one.I ran over and over the hill again and again,jumping like an mountain goat from stone to stone,watchin as more,and more runners approached the same hill and doin the same thing as me.So 50 minutes passed until i realised what i have done and i finished the race totaly out of strenght.Next day was middle distance,i was out of power from the last day so i finished as best as i can,on the 7. place 6 minutes behind the leader.The only event left was relay,i ran the first leg,ran a good race,and finished first.My second teammate finished 1st too,and we had a 4 minutes gape to the 2. placed team.Unfortunately our 3rd teammate had some hard time in the woods so we ended the race as the last positioned team.As i said my season had much ups and downs(mostly downs) so i head to the new season.Tommorow I will begin my winter trainings for the next season.My priorities will be the state championships(which I will be runnings in the M21E category-exept the long distance)EYOC in Czech Republic,JWOC in Poland(if our national team is going),and the SEEOC(South-easten europe O-champs)which was former BOC.I will be going to many races in Hungary,as it is very close to me,and as these are the best races in the region.I look forward to the beggining of next season and of course my next post on the blog
P.S. I will upload Maps from the competitions I menioned during this week.