PROGRAMME

Fri 29th June 9.30-11.30 Cross-Country, Holstebro Barracks 17.15 Award Ceremony, Pa-rade Ground 18.15 Banquet, Dining Hall

Sat 30th June 7-9.30 Breakfast, Dining Hall -12 Departure of Missions

Nordic Military Championship 2012 Military Pentathlon

Holstebro, Denmark 25th - 29th June 2012

Competition News 04

Local Time

Temp °C

Hum %

Weather Friday the 29th

Holstebro

08:00

15.7 °C

97 Rain and possible

thunder

11:00

16.5 °C

97 Light rain

14:00

17.5 °C

80 Cloudy skies

17:00

16.1 °C

75 Few clouds

20:00

15.1 °C

85 Partly cloudy skies

Throwing for medals

Early Thursday morning the com-petitors met up in main swimming facility in Holstebro. Here it was time for the third challenge of the Military pentathlon, the obstacle swimming competition. The question of the was whether the ruling Nordic Champion The Dane Brian Dåsbjerg who was currently in a third place would reclaim the lead as after the obsta-cle swimming as he has done be-fore in earlier championships. It took however some time to get an answer. First the competition were delayed for one hour and later the lead competitors had to do their regular waiting time, since the favourites

always starts last. The obstacle Swim is more about technique than pure speed and endurance. The swimming dis-tance is a mere 50 metres and to short to put a serious strain on the well trained Titans of the national teams. There is however a series of ob-stacles which have to be passed without the slightest delay. One wrongly placed foot could easily do the outcome. Brian Dåsbjerg didn’t place any feet wrong and ended up second in the obstacle swimming. This result put him in lead of the overall competition. The male winner of the obstacle swimming was Captain Igor Egorov from Russia. The Female winner of the obstacle swimming was Warrant Officer Liudmila Egorova. This earned her an overall second place.

The lead Female competitor is Warrant Officer Irina Pavlova also from Russia.

Turning Up the Heat

In the afternoon time had come for the hand-grenade throwing com-petition. The art of precision and distance throwing with dummy hand-grenades. The German Andrej Sonnenberg were only a couple of points be-hind the competition leader Danish

Brian Dåsbjerg, and now it was the moment of truth. Unfortunately for the Germans, Andrej Sonnenberg made a cou-ple of misses in the precision con-test. This gave Brian Dåsbjerg a comfortable distance to Sonnen-berg in the overall competition, but know the Finnish team is begin-ning to show teeth. The male winner of the hand gre-nade throwing was Staff Sergeant Nicky Jankowiak from Finland. The Female winner of the hand grenade throwing was Captain Liina Vartia. In the overall international compe-tition Danish Lance Corporal Brian Dåsbjerg is in the lead closely fol-lowed by Lieutenant Juha Hirsi-maki from Finland leaving the end-game totally open before tomor-rows cross country run.

A Throw away from victory

Editorial Press & Information Center Army Operational Command Denmark Editor Captain Jesper Toft Journalists Major Michael Christiansen Major Kim Vibe Michelsen Photographer Warrant Officer I Per A. Rasmussen

ORGANIZATION

Leader of Organization: Athletics Director Christina Hedegård Leader of Competition: Warrant Officer II Henning Juhl Leader Shooting: Warrant Officer II Torben Steensgaard Leader Obstacle Run: Athletics Director Aksel Nielsen Leader obstacle Swimming: First Lieutenant Søren Behrndtz Judge Swimming: Christian Stræde Leader Grenade Throwing: First Lieutenant Thomas Lund Leader Cross Country: Warrant Officer II Henrik Schmidt Leader ADMIN office: Lance Corporal Mette Bach Leader Time control: Lance Corporal Benny Berg Kristensen Leader Computing: Civilian Frank Damgaard Leader Press & INFO: Captain Jesper Toft

By Hans-Christian Lauritzen Sports Editor at TV/MIDT-VEST and commentator of the 51th. Nordic Championship

Sometimes you make a decision so stupid that the only right thing to do is to kick yourself in your rear end. I have made one of those decisions and it stills haunts me today. It all started in 2004. I convinced my boss at TV/MIDT-VEST to send me to Chile to follow the Danish athlete Brian Dåsbjerg at the world champi-onship. It was a big success. Dåsbjerg won a silver medal. The next world championship was in 2006 in Austria, and again I convinced my boss to let me go. “This time it is going to be a gold medal,” I told him. But the competition in Austria ended up with a bronze medal because Brian Dåsbjerg lost crucial time when he was stocked in the pit on the ob-stacle course. In 2007 I gave it another try. This time in India. Here I spent a lot of time

at the toilet, and so did a big part of the Danish national team. Any chance of a gold medal was flushed away. I tried again in Turkey 2008 and Germany 2009. Still no medal to Brian Dåsbjerg. Then in 2010 I decided NOT to go to the World Championship in Holland. I was busy at work, and my boss did not believe in the chances of a Dan-ish gold medal. Then what hap-pened? Brian Dåsbjerg was crowned world champion. He finally got his gold and I was not there. I do not know who cried the most, when we talked on the phone shortly after his victory. Dåsbjerg was thrilled and I was beat-ing myself. So of course I had to god to the world championship in Brazil in 2011. It all ended with Brian Dåsbjerg col-lapsed one kilometre before the finish line. The question is: Will I ever see Dåsbjerg win a gold medal at the world championship, or will I forever be haunted by my mistake from 2010?

One mistake – Years of agony