Tiago Romão

From 30th June to 6th July took place at Goteborg the JWOC 2008.
This was my first Junior World Orienteering Championships and it was a really nice experience that will be forever in my mind.



Monday June 30 - Sprint final and opening ceremony

M20 - Sprint final
1 Stepan Kodeda Czech Republic 13.21,1
2 Johan Runesson Sweden 13.22,1
3 Sören Bobach Denmark 13.28,8
41 Diogo Miguel Portugal 14.48,3
83 David Sayanda Portugal 15.39,9
85 Tiago Romao Portugal 15.45,7
Jorge Fortunato Portugal Diskad

W20 - Sprint final
1 Emma Klingenberg Denmark 13.40,1
2 Silje Ekroll Jahren Norway 13.41,7
3 Jenny Lönnkvist Sweden 13.42,4
81 Andreia Silva Portugal 16.40,9

The sprint distance wasn't definitely my best start at JWOC. Many stops and bad route choices.
I started quite slow. In the exit from control 6 to control 7 I lost some seconds and I lost again some seconds in the
control 8. To control 12 I did a bad route choice. In the exit from control 13 I lost some seconds again.


Best resolution - Sprint

Tuesday July 1 - Model event

We went to a map that was similar with the middle distance in the south part and similar with the long distance and relay in the north part.

Wednesday July 2 - Middle distance, qualification

M20 A - Middle distance qualification
1 Sören Bobach Denmark 27:04
2 Erik Sagvolden Norway 28:10
3 Olli-Markus Taivainen Finland 28:19
54 David Sayanda Portugal 51:20

M20 B - Middle distance qualification
1 Timo Sild Estonia 25:55
2 Leo Laakkonen Finland 26:06
3 Matthias Kyburz Switzerland 26:33
26 Diogo Miguel Portugal 33:22

M20 C - Middle distance qualification
1 Tore Bjørseth Berdal Norway 27:50
2 Adam Chromy Czech Republic 27:57
3 Severin Howald Switzerland 28:17
30 Tiago Romao Portugal 33:41
36 Jorge Fortunato Portugal 35:50


W20 A - Middle distance qualification
1 Siri Ulvestad Norway 23:57
2 Venla Niemi Finland 24:19
3 Mariann Ulvestad Norway 25:16

W20 B - Middle distance qualification
1 Signe Klinting Denmark 26:53
2 Gabija Razaityte Lithuania 27:44
3 Judith Wyder Switzerland 27:53
35 Andreia Silva Portugal 41:00

W20 C - Middle distance qualification
1 Jenny Lönnkvist Sweden 23:27
2 Ida Marie Næss Bjørgul Norway 24:58
3 Karine D'Harreville France 26:03

This was my best chance to do a good result and go to final A. However this was no more that a dream that finished in control 7. I started the race very focus and in control 6 I was 3th in my heat, but to control 7 I lost about 4 minutes. Until the end of the race I tried to do my best however it wasn't enougth and I finished in 30th at 35 seconds of the 20th


Best resolution - middle Q

Thursday July 3 - Middle distance, final

Middle Final M20 A
1 Johan Runesson Sweden 30:45
2 Ulf Forseth Indgaard Norway 31:16
3 Sören Bobach Denmark 31:19

Middle Final M20 B
1 Lucas Basset France 29:23
2 Andrea Seppi Italy 30:44
3 Jakub Zimmermann Czech Republic 31:14
42 Diogo Miguel Portugal 41:15
49 Jorge Fortunato Portugal 45:05
56 Tiago Romao Portugal 49:31

Middle Final M20 C
1 Jacek Morawski Poland 20:36
2 Matjaz Stanfel Croatia 22:37
3 Wouter Leeuws Belgium 23:15
23 David Sayanda Portugal 30:07

Middle Final W20 A
1 Venla Niemi Finland 28:29
2 Beata Falk Sweden 29:03
3 Karine D'Harreville France 29:12

Middle Final W20 B
1 Victoria Steven Great Britain 29:21
2 Greta Knarston New Zealand 29:55
3 Laura Vike Latvia 32:00
38 Andreia Silva Portugal 45:49

So many stupid mistakes!!!! I couldn't be focus in the map all the race...


Best resolution - Middle Final

Friday July 4 - Rest day

The day to rest and know some about Gotemborg city

Saturday July 5 - Long distance, final

M20 - Long distance
1 Johan Runesson Sweden 1:12:22
2 Timo Sild Estonia 1:12:34
3 Matthias Kyburz Switzerland 1:12:36
86 Jorge Fortunato Portugal 1:34:27
109 Tiago Romao Portugal 1:42:06
122 David Sayanda Portugal 1:49:40
144 Diogo Miguel Portugal 2:19:15

W20 - Long distance
1 Jenny Lönnkvist Sweden 55:12
2 Beata Falk Sweden 55:50
3 Siri Ulvestad Norway 56:25
106 Andreia Silva Portugal 2:02:29

I started quite nice however not very focus on the map and in control 5 I did a big mistake. Afther this control I was quite ok!


Best Quality - Long distance

Sunday July 6 - Relay, closing ceremony and banquet

M20 - Relay
1 Sweden 02:28:36
2 Russia 2 02:33:41
3 Norway 02:33:58
33 Portugal 03:24:32

W20 - Relay
1 Sweden 02:19:52
2 Denmark 02:21:12
3 Norway 2 02:28:20

Some mistakes to the first control and again to control 6,12 and 15. Making the first leg in Relay wasn't the best choice for me...
After the Relay it was time to the 1st Beer Orienteering Relay.
Teams of 2 persons and 8 beers.
Mass start to the fist element. The first element had to drink one beer and do a small course, when he arrived, the second element had to do the same, than more one beer and 1 course for each one. After complete 4 courses for team, they had to drink more one beer, run around a football camp and drink more 1 beer. The first team to complete won.
I made team with Jorge Fortunato but our result wasn´t really good. Jorge drinks very slow... I finish the four heats in 1st ;P

Best Resolution - Relay

Now I'm resting... Next Sunday I will go to Palma de Maiorca (Spain)... A vacations...

Than WUOC in Estonia and 6 days of France will be waiting for me...

After some time without competitions I was completely focus to do a nice Relay and Long Distance Championships.
In Thursday was held the Portuguese National Relay Championship. This year I ran in a senior team by my Portuguese club and I was really motivated.
The terrain was not nice because it was very dirty and the options were almost through paths. I lost about 4' minutes in the 2nd control because it was not in the right place! However there was a worst thing! My team was disqualified because the 2nd guy miss one control!





Friday was the day to relax! I did a sprint race but slowly because it was not important!



On Saturday, in the same map of the relay, took place a middle distance race (Portuguese o-league).
I won this race however the terrain and the course was unpleasant and the weather was very hot. To make things worse, the 17th control was missing in the terrain and I finished the race bleeding from the nose!



After so many things, Sunday was the day of the Long Distance Championship. 25 controls, 10,9 km and 380 of climb was waiting for me.
I started with a good feeling however the 9th control made me lose the race. In this control I lost about 4' minutes to my opponents. After this I decided to forget what happened and do my best until the final. And so after this I made a perfect race however it was not enough and I lost the title by 1' 17". I completed the race in 1h 09' 36". It was really disappointing for me.



This week I will go to Sweden where I will train with my Swedish club, OK Klemmingen from Gnesta!
JWOC is arriving and I´m in a nice place to be a part of the national team for JWOC!

Taking part of a small competition that happened in Arraiolos (Évora), S. Pedro da Gafanhoeira was the host place of o-weekend from 22 to 25 of February 2008.





Alentejo is always a good place to do orienteering and the National Championships of Sprint and Middle distance will be in similar terrain of these trainings. These were some of the reasons that make me choose this place.

On Friday (22/02/2008) I and an O-friend arrived at Arraiolos where would be at 18H a training of S. Pedro da Gafanhoeira Orienteering Club headed by Tiago Aires and Raquel Costa.
I did with them an Indoor Training. Orienteering simulation and indoor courses. After this, we run in S. Pedro da Gafanhoeira.



On Saturday (23/02/2008) was the D-day. 3 trainings in a very changeling maps, São Bartolomeu de Outeiro II, São Bartolomeu de Outeiro IV and Évora City.
In the morning, after some problems to find the Start, we start the training under the gaze of many cows.
After lunch we went to São Bartolomeu IV where we training until the night.
In the night we did a sprint in Évora, was a changeling map with a very nice course.







On Sunday (24/02/2008) was the day of the competition.
In the morning, in a map called "Pastaneira" I did a nice race despite the tiredness. My big mistake was to control 11 where I lost some seconds in the control zone because I did not see the control at the first time I attacked him.
After lunch, in the village of S. Pedro da Gafanhoeira happened a sprint race.
I did this course two times because in the first time I was jump 8 controls and I was very angry with myself.
In the second time I enjoy the race and I did a nice race. And no problems because I was there to training, no for compete.





On Monday (25/02/2008) was the day to return at home, however there was still time for one more training. This time was chosen the map called "Esbarrondadouro" or knowed in Portugal by "São Bento de Castriz". A nice map, different from the others because was more dirty.



Finally I want to say thank you to Tiago Aires and Raquel Costa for receive us at your home, the way how they receive us, the nice competition and the others trainings.