One podium place, one top 10, two top 20: that was the target set for Team GB at the Championships just held in northern Czechia. And the outcome? Two podium places and two top 20!
The World Trail O Championships 2023 took place last week from 1–7 July in Zákupy, Czechia. The two relay teams, the Physically Challenged class: Peter Roberts (EBOrienteers), Graham Urquhart (Octavian Droobers), and Colin Duckworth (Thames Valley Orienteering Club) and the Open class: John Kewley (Manchester and District Orienteering Club), Tom Dobra (TVOC) and Ben Kyd (MDOC/Oxford University Orienteering Club) both ended in 6th place, in the Open class equal with Finland out of 19 teams. If the total team time had been only 1 second shorter, the team would have beaten Sweden and ended fifth.
Ben Kyd achieved a fine 16th place out of 36 in the TempO Final, a good improvement on his 22nd place last year. And Graham Urquhart was 11th (out of 42) in the Physically Challenged class PreO competition over two days, including 6th place on Day 2. So the two top 20s were achieved as well.
Both John Kewley and Tom Dobra were desperately unlucky in the TempO Qualification. Both ended one position down from qualifying in their respective heats, Kewley by 4 seconds and Dobra by just 1½ seconds. Three in the Final would have been a new record for Team GB. But John Kewley had a highly impressive PreO Day 2 where he solved all the course problems correctly, making mistakes only at the timed controls, and ended 4th on the day – out of 106.
A very well organised championships held in spectacular terrain – massive sandstone cliffs, deep ravines with masses of rock and contour detail, and at the end of the TempO Final a complete contrast – an area with good reason described to tourists as an ‘English park’!
Huge congratulations go to the team on beating their target and for all their efforts at the competition!
With thanks to WTOC2023 Official Media 2023 and Dan Dvoracek for the featured photos of the event.