Analysis WOC 2013 Long Final Women (Packfigures & Separation Measure)

Thanks to Jan Kocbach for providing me with the results according to the IOF Data Standard.

Packfigures
Packfigures is perspective on the championships competitions, giving an overview on the number, duration and effect of packs mostly as a result of the organizational measures taken. The concept of the caluclations is described here. There you also find for example figures from all WOC Long Finals since 1999 plus the one from 1995.

Here are the packfigures from the WOC 2013 Long Finals. (scroll down for the women)

fig.1. Screenshot packfigures WOC 2013 Long Finals

Comments Womens Final

fig.2. Phi-Loop with two uneven loops. Separation measure WOC 2013 Long Distance Women

• 2 min. start intervall
• reverse start order based on the qualification results
• the course setting was described as "more intresting than the mens course with some tricky controls" (Lena Eliasson on orienteering.se)
• A separation measure was applied, beginning at the 14 control, after 70% of the course consisting in a Phi-Loop with two wings very different in size (2.20 vs. 15.20 minutes). The phi is resolved at the 21 control after 94% of the course.
• The measure was set up to separate two consecutive runners.
• the first 4 packs build around the 2 control, after around 13% of the course
• 2 runners have over 50% pack time (Sluta, Raaityte)
• Generally there are no bigger gains and no longer cooperation among the top runners. Indeed extraordinary many loose time in packs.
• The phi separated 3 groups, 5 groups persevered and 2 new groups where built.
• An aspect of the small loop is, that there is the risk that runners which ran approx. the same speed until the measure are grouped by the introduced offset of about the start intervall.

Roundup
The womens competition was rather little influenced by packs and extraordinary many packs seem to be linked with time-loss. The reason for that might be, that pack building was related to the partly higher technical difficulty/lower visibility. The separation method worked to separate three rather uneven packs, but was at the same time source of new packs and the potential risk of a top pack was even higher than at the mens class.