Statement from the National Event Advisor about POM 2016 Invacare Preo
The number of entries in Invacare PreO Open Class has risen beyond the best organizing team plans and that is due to the high interest of the athletes.
For that reason, there is a commitment of POM 2016 team in order to allow everyone to participate and not frustrate expectations by limiting entries.
There is a real concern to assure there is enough time for all athletes coming from the Foot-O Middle course to take some rest, eat properly and arrive safely to the PreO competition.
Before this statement, the estimated window of time needed to cue all competitors through a single timed control station may not provide equal daylight conditions for everyone.
In order to overcome this situation and prevent any unfairness concerning the Portuguese Cup and the ETOC2016/WTOC2016 national team qualifying events, the National Advisor decided to allow the following solution:
– The final planning of the course will not be cropped, so all 3 timed control station challenges and 24 course control points will be setup.
– A dual timed station will be held close to each other, with visual and sound interference minimized. Chairs will be apart by some meters.
– The point-of-view viewing angle is similar between stations in order to use the same map and order of challenges.
– The slightly different position of elements and flags viewed from each station chair will not be an issue, because of the closeness of the viewing points, the rounded shape of the timed maps and the nature of PreO timed controls (there is no Zero answer).
– For operational reasons, the spoken procedures will be mainly in Portuguese in one station and English in the other.
– The startlists for Open class will be published by station.
The National Advisor asks to be informed in advance (before the event) if someone is uncomfortable and disagree with this rule deviation, as the Invacare Open Class results will be published independently of the station used by each athlete.
No complains will be accepted about the solution taken of splitting the timed station.
Nuno Pires, on 2016, january 26th
Specifications:
Map: Abelheira (2015)
Mapmaker: Rui Antunes
Course setter: Inês Domingues & Edgar Domingues
Map scale: 1:5 000
Contour interval: 5m
Event Adviser: Nuno Pires
Map Samples:
Photos:
Terrain:
Terrain rich in natural elements, mainly rocks.
The course is all in paved road, with good conditions for wheel chairs, although it has some climb. Leaving the road is not allowed, resulting in the disqualification of the competitor.
Organisers will not provide escorts for paralympic competitors. It is the responsibility of the competitor to bring its own escort.
The minimum threshold to map individual rocks is, at least, 2 meters of height. It is left for the competitor to find out which rocks are mapped.
It is mandatory to keep SILENCE while the competition is taking place. During the competition the navigational aids that competitors may use are only the map and control descriptions provided by the organiser, and a compass. No mechanical or electronic aids, other than an odometer and a watch are allowed. A magnifying glass either incorporated in the compass or separate is allowed. Binoculars and telescopes are prohibited. Telecommunication equipment may not be used in the competition area. Any other use of telecommunication equipment during the competition period may result in disqualification of the competitor.
Complaints must be made, by the athlete, in the secretariat or to the event directors, up to 15 minutes after the course solutions are published.
Rules:
The competition rules of the Portuguese Orienteering Federation (“Regulamento de Competições 2015 da Federação Portuguesa de Orientação (FPO)”) will be fully applied. Any situation not covered by the rules, will be decided by the organizers, taking in consideration the “Competition Rules for IOF trail Orienteering Events” (valid from 1 January 2015).