Tereza Smelikova (on the left) in Jukola 2018 (Photo: MS)
This years Junior World Orienteering Championships began with the long distance race. Tereza Smelikova, running also for Helsingin Suunnistajat, represents the Team Slovakia in JWOC 2018.
Tereza, can you tell us, what are your feelings after the long distance race and how did you succeed with your orienteering skills and technique?
Actually, I expected a bit more.
Before my start, I was a bit stressed and was trying to be concentrated as much as possible. Our coach draw us a small warm up training on the warm-up-map and so I was 100% sure that I understood the map and was ready. However, in the starting corridor I felt my legs shaking.
I started quite well. I know that the first control is the key to a good race, but I think I could have been more confident and could have gone straight ahead. Especially on the 4th control which was a really long leg. I thought that under the line I wouldn’t be so fast but it was and it cost me some time.
Anyway, till the 7th control I was quite satisfied with my map technique. However, it wasn’t enough cause the course was technically easy for everybody. I just wasn’t used to take straight route choices cause I wasn’t confident of myself and wasn’t sure that I would be able not to make any mistake.
In the last loop, my head was off and I was feeling like a snail and made some small mistakes. I really do like long distances and think sometimes I’m pretty good the longer the course is – two weeks ago I was 2nd on the French championships at the long distance – but actually I prefer terrains which are more hilly.
I had hoped to make it into the top 20. Maybe it would have been my performance without counting some stupid mistakes which cost me about 5 min.
Your next race in JWOC?
Now I aim at the middle distance and concentrate all my energy on that.
See more:
JWOC2018. Long (video, facebook)
JWOC Maps, long distance