Svetlana Mironova | Elite Orienteering Technique

The evolution of SPRINT from EOC 2023 no final to 12th place at WOC 2024 and 7th place at EOC 2025
The evolution of KO Sprint from Q at EOC 2023 to 10th at WOC 2024 and 8th at EOC 2025

“At every step you have done, your should first stop and look around” – I don’t remember where I have heard that, but this is definitely a big meaning under this.

Reaching top 10 at the races of world level is always a very desirable target, and the way to it is never a straight road. The process – that’s what’s the most exciting (and challenging) part. As an orienteering runner and coach I always value the process the most.

Looking back to recent years of work, we have been going through the very different steps from improving the base of orienteering system to working on a mental aspects of competing at elite level where every second matters, and during the short days of end of autumn and beginning of winter it is nice to step backwards and feel joy of the hard work that has been done in the season 2025 before we go into 2026.

A couple of years ago, the decision to specialize was taken, and so it was time to focus on improving the particular skills for sprint orienteering. Sprint demands different skills than forest racing — rapid terrain changes and navigation between clearly defined objects, with large variations in detail from leg to leg, require focused adaptation of the orienteering system. Forest training remains essential, but as a way to support the development of sprint-specific skills.

As always, what matters the most is the consistency of work. I’m impressed of the hard work Maёlle did over the past years. Looking into the very small details of thinking process in orienteering can open the doors into opportunity to make changes in “orienteering habits” we have from the past and establish effective skills and implement new patterns. The further you go, the more opportunities open up, and there is still huge potential for growth in the coming years.

And of course, it was a pleasure to see a huge growth and so bright success of the whole French team in 2025! Feeling really happy about well deserved 5th place diploma at the World Cup final in SPRINT RELAY, together with teammates Guilhem Verove, Mathias Barros Vallet and Cecile Calandry.

It always gives a big motivation to move forward when you feel how the hard work can transform you and how it makes you closer to your dreams! And so, let’s go forward!

Photos by: Christophe Amerijckx, Silvan Schletti, Frank Weyler