The sprint race was set in a very small area of forest with the start, finish and spectator control area centred on a rowing club, complete with a grandstand overlooking the finish straight. I was allocated a very late start just before the ‘red’ seeded start list began which I was pleased with. I spent quite a time in the warm up area tuning in and practicing from standing punches before queuing up for the start.
I started strongly and nearly missed the first track junction but nailed the first two controls. Then came my disaster. There was an area on the map which we had been told had more tracks than marked, and I failed to recognise I was in it and hoofed off on a track in the wrong direction. It took me a while to relocate, eventually finding I had made a classic parallel error. Looking at the splits I lost approx 2.5 to 3 mins, which is enormous in sprint racing and has left me a bit disappointed as it is an error I should not had made. I was quite scrappy for the next two but re focused and put the hammer back down and got some good splits and was very pleased with my control flow, particularly at the map exchange where I got fastest Brit split by a few seconds. I made one other error, again in the dense track network around the kids bonfire area and perhaps lost another 1min – 1.5 mins but I really pulled it back overtaking a Spaniard who had caught me on the last few controls and getting fastest Brit finish split = with Jimmy.
Although I am disapointed with 64th and 10mins down I can see that extra fitness would not have counted for much today and it is really lack of MTBO practice which is the problem and we just do not have enough events on in the UK.
results available here
GB Team results
Under 20 Women
Emily Benham 4th
Helen Clayton 24th
Under 20 Men
Chris Brand Barker 29th
M21 Men
Killian Lomas 50th
Jimmy Taylor – 63rd
Mark Stodgell – 64th
W21 Women
Charlotte Summers Cocks 30th
Sarah Bayliss 41st