The middle distance final starts at 9.31pm AEST for the women’s race where Grace Crane and Vanessa Round will represent Australia. They are both keen to do well and they are aiming to improve on their previous results at WOC middle distance. Grace is aiming for a top 30 placing and if everything goes well for Vanessa she is working towards a top 20 placing.
In the long distance Minna Kauppi from Finland resigned from her race after becoming totally bamboozled going to the first control. Even the best can come unstuck in the terrain of the Savoie Grand Revard, so it will be an interesting race for all to watch.
The women’s final is 3.8km 260m climb with 16 controls with an expected 31 minutes winning time and the men’s race is 5.4km, 315m climb with 21 controls with an expected 33 minutes winning time.
Grace Crane starts at 9.45pm AEST and Vanessa Round starts at 10.13pm AEST.
Our Antipodean friends Lizzie Ingham (starts at 10.17pm) and Chris Forne (starts at 11.10pm) are both running in the middle final. Lizzie Ingham has recently joined the Canberra Cockatoos and has run very well finishing 11th in the women’s long final on Wednesday.
In the men’s final the question is: will Thierry Gueorgiou win again or will another such as Sweden’s Peter Oberg be able to beat the reigning World Champion?
From the Australian WOC 2011 media team.