Lucka 23 – A quiet WOC relay…

“For sure this competition has been definitely the easiest course of my entire career.

Fabrice Guy, Olympic champion 1992 (Nordic combined).

“

I read last week an interesting interview of Fabrice Guy, French athlete, “local legend”, who is living in Jura. Fabrice Guy was competing in Nordic combined and became Olympic champion 20 years ago in Albertville. That’s what he says about his gold medal during Winter Olympics 1992: “For sure this competition has been definitely the easiest course of my entire career. I can remember everything […], an unique moment where you are not yourself anymore, basically you don’t control anything… just like an automatic machine who give the best answer to each different random questions…”

Interesting and weird comments… somehow (and after all) everything was “quite easy” as well the last 20th of august. For sure I can understand that some of you may have been a bit frustrated, since we manage to provide such a good excitement and drama the last 3 years… you were most probably waiting for a thrilling final firework here in France, isn’t it ?! “What a hell the French are going to prepare for this relay world champs…?”

Well, nothing happened.

… Hmmm, pretty boring, isn’t it?!

From my point of view the feeling was a bit different 🙂 but it’s probably a typical egocentric top-athlete opinion. No drama, no tragedy, nothing like playing guitar with our nerves, just an easy course, where everything is going according to our plans. Peaceful. A quiet world champs relay! Exactly what I was dreaming about. And after all it’s quite much enjoyable like this as well (once in a life time).

If you should make a wish: being world champion in orienteering, how would it be?

I should confess that the scenario of this journey was pretty well written. Pretty close to the scenario we are all dreaming about: world championships organized in your home country, in front of your friends, your family, mostly all the persons who have been close to you as an athlete the last 20 years. For sure the atmosphere can’t be better. Then you have a nice and technical map, a nice and technical course, together with your team-mates you have been preparing this single race for a while, the last 6 weeks, the last 12 months, the last 5 years, you have been dreaming about this moment almost every day… This make you feel strong and confident and make you feel as a big favorite as well. You notice that some of the audience have the same feeling :), they are supporting! From the first second of your race you find the FLOW, your technique is solid, it’s not difficult or easy, it’s just the next control to find, it’s just about to find the best answer to the specific problem. The best guys in the world are in the same position, they try to solve the problem as well, the same specific questions, try to find the best answers… Every control is an unique adventure. You are definitely alone in this dense forest but yeah you feel the excitement and the positive pressure behind every single tree. You are IN: the forest, you and your map. And after 40’ you notice that you already finish the game.

For sure the most exciting orienteering experience of your life! And finally it was not a dream anymore, just for real. Magic. Something likes the easiest course of your entire career 🙂

During this “magic” Saturday, it was lot of kids as well in the arena. Those kids who secretly ask themselves: if I should make a wish, being world champion in orienteering, how should it be?

This could looks like a happy end?! The favorite story I will tell and describe again and again to my grandchildren when I will be soon 80 years old… 🙂

Luckily not!

Check out yesterday’s “lucka 22”: TIOmila-GULD scenario is coming, and an interesting Jukola scenario as well, a challenging world champs long distance too… yop, still a lot of potential candidate of the “easiest course of our career” to come in 2012!

Stay fit, train hard and god jul 🙂 !!

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