New IOF Competition Rules: Significant changes with some comments

New IOF Competition Rules for 2014 have been published. There are no wild card for current WOC champion in Long and Middle anymore in new rules. What are other innovations?

The last O-competition in 2013

Today I ran my last Orienteering race in the season 2013. That was a local competition in my home-city Barnaul (Siberia) - 7,1 km, 27 controls. Snowfalls are coming. I hope to make 2-3 O-training session more before it should be impossible.

New PB 5000 m 16:56

Today I ran 5000 m at stadium. Time is 16:56. It was just test-race in the beginning of preparation to new season. I ran alone. Time schedule is:

The last season for Matthias Merz, Matthias Leonhardt (Müller) and Simone Niggli

I am really sad when such great runners stop their careers. Of course, it is part of life and new stars are coming. But every top athlete is unique person with unique way in Orienteering. And world Orienteering loses when they retire.