Orienteer fanatics are up for the cup
Forth Valley club host double-header of top events
Forth Valley Orienteers play host to two major events this weekend as athletes jostle for positions in the key championship races over the summer.
On Saturday, the Scottish Sprint Championships will take place at Stirling University, while Sunday sees the Scottish round of the Compass Sport Cup – orienteering’s equivalent of the FA Cup – being staged in Linlithgow’s Beecraigs Country Park.
In the Men’s Sprint competition, the title is expected to be a battle between FVO duo Chris Smithard and Kris Jones as they seek to establish form ahead of the World Championships in Latvia.
Smithard, the world No 20, has been in excellent racing form over the winter, including fifth place in the Chinese Championships in December.
Jones, who has seen his world ranking slip to 117th from eighth after a long spell of injury, captured the Scottish Cross Country title recently to show he is back to his best.
Fanni Gyurko starts as clear favourite in the Women’s competition, but will face pressure from GB athlete Kirstin Maxwell (Roxburgh Reivers), as well as Morayshire twins Eilidh and Kirsty Campbell, who move up from the junior class which they dominated last year.
FVO has a proud record in the Compass Sport Cup, having won the trophy in the Small Clubs Division seven times between 2007 and 2014, before claiming the overall title in 2015 and 2016. Runners-up to Bristol OK last time out, FVO will be looking for strong performances across the board, particularly in the Men’s and Women’s 40-plus classes, to cement a return to the final, which will be held in the West Midlands this year.
As well as the championship events, there are “come and try” opportunities on both days for local orienteering fans to have a go at the sport, with the Saturday one starting from the University Medical Centre from 11am.