JWOC Middle Quali

Today was middle qualification day. We knew that top 20 was required to qualify for the final and that's what we all aimed to get.

After a 30 minute bus journey from the hotel we got picked up by military vehicles to take us along the sandy dirt roads to the quarantine. After about a 45 minute bumpy, dusty journey we arrived.

There was a warm up map just off from the quarantine which after a bit of sitting around I went to find some controls on this map. This was a chance to just get a bit of last minute knowledge of the area and also to get back into the map. Then it was time for me to start.

We all knew that a clean run would be a good chance at qualifying and that's all that I wanted to do. I set off from the start steady so that I didn't loose time early in the course. This worked and I started to pick up the pace a bit at the end in the white, more open bit of woodland. Only 1 slight wobble on the last control and the next thing I know I'm running my hardest down the run in! I knew when I'd finished I'd had a good, clean run and was feeling confident that I was going to be in the running for qualification.

I went back to the team's meeting place and asked Paul what place I was in - I'd finished in 7th so knew if made the final (as I was a late starter). I was very pleased - qualifying for the middle was one of my main aims for my first JWOC.

In the end i finished 9th, Alastair also qualified for the final coming in 18th. Daniel just missed out of the final (he placed 28th). The closely packed heats made it a tough competition for final places!

Anyway...Now time to get mentally prepared to tackle the bushy tomorrow!