True story: A few years ago, I was in Helsinki for a conference. My wife and I walked by the beautiful Helsinki Senate Square which was packed with hundreds of spectators watching the finish of some running event. I joked that is was likely an orienteering event: It was! It was a World Cup Sprint Orienteering event, much to my surprise.
While we haven’t quite transformed orienteering into a spectator sport in Anchorage – only a handful of spectators watched – we did enjoy our now annual sprint pursuit final at Bartlett, despite some showers.
Scott Patterson won the final, holding off upstart Vebjorn Flagstad. In hot pursuit was Ian Moore. For the women, Jen Jolliff won the sprint series, followed by Lindsey Flagstad and Jamie Shearer. In order, the following club orienteers finished the pursuit in the same order they started: Scott Patterson, Vebjorn Flagstad, Ian Moore, Cory Smith, Springer Moore, Jen Jolliff, Mike Robinson, and Lindsey Flagstad.
While Scott won the pursuit final, Vebjorn posted the best time for the men in the Long, with Jen Jolliff winning it for the women. The mother-daughter team of Lindsey and Niva Flagstad posted the best team time. In the Short course a number of teams participated. Families stuck it out, despite the downpour, during the Open event. You can explore all of the times from the event at SPORTident
https://center.sportident.com/results/orienteering/aoc/2023/bartlett-sprint/overview/1
Also check out RouteGadget to share your route and see what routes others took.
Here are the Sprint Champions as determined by both the pursuit final and the open:
Overall Women’s champion: Jen Jolliff
Women 40-49: Lindsey Flagstad
Overall Men’s champion: Scott Patterson
Men under 18: Vebjorn Flagstad
Men 40-49: Cory Smith
Men 50-59: Ian Moore
Men 60-69: Mark Findlay (in a close race with Steeve McKeever!)
Men 70-79: Peter Johnson
Many thanks to all those who helped me out. Peter Hinds was my assistant. He helped with site set-up, registration – and handled the grill and brought the music! Not only did he pull controls and clean up, he brought friends to pitch in. Scott Patterson won the pursuit and then stayed to help take the course down. Frank Witmer vetted the courses. Diane Van Dommelen did the Costco run and helped with registration. She had a hot beverage waiting for me when I got home.
-Dorn