okansas.blogspot.com

okansas.blogspot.com
Occassional thoughts about orienteering

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Portugal and the peer nations

The 4 Portuguese WOC runners had a winning record (14 wins, 6 losses) against my list of peer nations in today's middle qualification races. The peer nations for Portugal are: Belgium, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Ireland and Japan.

To calculate a record, I look at each runner from Portugal and give them a win when the finish ahead of a runner from a peer nation. I give them a loss when they finish behind a runner from a peer nation. It it a quick way to evaluate how a nation performed.

Portugal's 14-6 record looks pretty good. But no runners qualified for the middle final. Tiago Romao was the closest. Tiago is still a junior, so that bodes well for the future. And for Portugal, the future is tomorrow's long qualifier.

As I look at the peer nation list, I think Portugal is different in one key way. I think the other nations all have a longer orienteering history. I haven't looked a the results, but I'm guessing Portugal didn't have any runners at the WOC back in 1981, while I'm guessing all of the others did have runners in Switzerland in 1981 (though Belgium might not). If I had a bit more interest, I'd look it up.

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posted by Michael | 8:07 PM

2 comments

Comments:

Hello,
Portugal have no woc runners untill 1981 but sine 10 years ago thre are a lot competitions. European winter training area is there and France, Swiss or Norway national teams go there every years. I think this has grow up the level of iberian (Portugal and Spain) runnres more than we never can dream.
Regaerds from Spain, Tono Leon

# posted by

Toño : 2:46 AM

Good point about the European winter training. That has to help develop the sport in a nation.

# posted by

Anonymous : 7:13 AM

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