Poll: Orienteering Achievement of 2011 - Men

» Runner profile Daniel Hubmann

    Vote for Daniel Hubmann

Story
After an operation in October 2010, the improvements went very slowly for Daniel Hubmann. 6 hours of running in January and 12 hours of running February - slowly increasing up to an acceptable level during the spring season. 2011 gave 50% less running than earlier seasons without injuries. Still Hubmann managed to find the shape to win the Nordic Orienteering Tour in June, to win a WOC gold medal in sprint in August, and to crown the season with the win of the overall World Cup. Except for the 12 most important races of the season, there wasn’t too much in the 2011-season for Hubmann though - no Swiss Champs victories for example. A true example of a man who can get out the best when it really counts.

» Runner profile Thierry Gueorgiou

    Vote for Thierry Gueorgiou

Story
With 7 WOC gold medals ahead of the World Championships on home ground in France, Thierry Gueorgiou was already one of the biggest heroes of orienteering, ever. He missed two things though: The relay gold medal for France, which he lost under big drama from pole position three times in a row between 2008 and 2010 - and the long distance gold medal. In Savoie this summer he got them both in a very convincing way - and of course he continued his subscription on the middle distance gold medal which he missed in Trondheim the year before. Countless hours in the technical French terrain type made Gueorgiou invincible at WOC in France.

» Runner profile Matthias Kyburz

    Vote for Matthias Kyburz

Story
Matthias Kyburz had a poor start of the season on home ground in Switzerland in his first senior season, but then managed to qualify for the first World Cup round after good selection races. Still his victory at the first World Cup race in the 2011-season in Porvoo - ahead of four other Swiss runners - came out of the blue! Kybutz continued his succesful World Cup debut with a 3rd spot in the next World Cup race in Sweden and a 6th place overall in Nordic Tour. Kyburz got a disappointing 20th spot in the WOC sprint after having won his qualification heat - but came back in the World Cup final with a 3rd spot and a fantastic 4th spot in the overall World Cup. Kyburz didn’t really come from nowhere - the talented Swiss runner has a gold medal from JWOC sprint in 2009 - but the great season was still a giant surprise.

» Runner profile Pasi Ikonen

    Vote for Pasi Ikonen

Story
This is what Pasi Ikonen’s runner profile told about him ahead of the 2011 season: "A major breakthrough in his first senior season by taking the gold medal in Finland 2001 on the short distance. Well known for never using a compass. Never back on the very top in the World Cup since 2002 - stabilizing in the top 10 but seldom getting in the top 6." In 2011 Ikonen has done the comeback of the year after 10 years: His silver medal in the World Championships long distance was very impressive - so was the victory in the World Cup race over middle distance in Liberec in September. And guess what: Ikonen isusing a compass again, although he said he never would again back in the good old times.

» Runner profile Ionut Zinca

    Vote for Ionut Zinca

Story
Ionut Zinca has shown throughout the years that he is a man for the big championships; a 12th place in WOC long in 2007 and an 8th place in WOC middle in 2009 were the only World Cup results inside the Top 20 for the Romanian ahead of the 2011 season. But a Top 6 place had been the big goal for years - and so the 5th place in the World Champs sprint in France this year felt like a victory for Zinka. - At the moment I crossed the finish line, I had the feeling that I had won, Zinca says about the race.

» Runner profile Marc Lauenstein

    Vote for Marc Lauenstein

Story
Marc Lauenstein is one of the few real long distance specialists left in the orienteering world - and thus his chances to make the headlines have been sinking along with the number of long distance races. Lauenstein had his big breakthrough in the World Champs in Japan in 2005 with silver on the long distance and took another silver medal at the long distance in Denmark in 2006. Since 2006 there has been a long time between each podium place, and at the start of 2011 Lauenstein was still waiting for his first World Cup victory. In Liberec in September this year Lauenstein finally made it to the uppermost step of the podium, winning the World Cup race in Liberec.

» Runner profile Francois Gonon

    Vote for Francois Gonon

Story
In 2008 in Czech Republic Francois Gonon came back first on the first leg for France in the WOC relay. In 2009 in Hungary Gonon ran the second leg, and was again the first runner back. In the WOC relay in Trondheim in 2010 Gonon was yet again the first runner back after two legs. All three times France lost the medals after a lot of drama involving Thierry Gueorgiou on the last leg. In 2011 in France Francois Gonon served Gueorgiou the match ball for the fourth time is a row - and this time it was finally gold for Gonon and the French team. What an extraordinary achievement by the French relay specialist - finding the best in himself every time as the pressure gets bigger and bigger. Gonon and Gueorgiou are the only ones which have been part of the French relay team all four times - Damien Renard was part of the 2008 team whereas Adamski was in the team in 2009, 2010 and 2011.