New faces in the talent group.

Machine-translated from Faroese and not yet reviewed. Read the original.

From the Saturday morning training session. Getting ready for technique training.

For the past two years, no new athletes have joined the talent group. Now that Jóan Karl Joensen, Jan Elmar Sørensen and Bjørk Herup Olsen have all outgrown the talent group, and Rannvá Djurholm is no longer focusing as much on running, it is very welcome that we now have new blood again. The requirements for getting into the talent group are very demanding, and talent alone is often not enough. Our new members are very talented, but hard work out in the clubs has also helped them earn a place in the talent group.

All the new members of the talent group belong to Bragdið, which has developed and coached them. Dánjal Jákup Niclasen (1995) is strongest in the longer sprints. Dánjal Jákup has good results to show, especially over 200 m. Elsa Berg (1996) is also fast in the sprints, but is fully capable over the middle distances too. For example, she has run faster 600 m times in Girls 13 than Bjørk did. So that should certainly bode well! Then there is Fríði Hammer (1996), who is above all a sprinter. Although he has run some good 800 m races, his strength lies in the very short distances from 60 to 200 m. Hans Jacobsen is also a sprinter with a strong competitive spirit, and he can be expected to make his mark most likely in the longer sprints.

The first three have all achieved FÍF’s net qualification standards, and are therefore in the squad travelling to Iceland in January for the annual Stórmót IR meet. Those who have achieved the gross standards train with the talent group and have the spring and the first part of the summer to qualify for Vårlds Ungdomsspelen, which will be held in Gothenburg on the first weekend of July.

In addition to these are the middle-distance runners Regin Joensen, Rúni Seloy and Rebekka Fuglø. Rúni and Rebekka have been part of the youth national team since 2004, when they were 10 and 11 years old respectively. Despite their young age, they already have an Island Games behind them. Regin, who will also be going to Stórmót IR, has been in the talent group for a good two years. Rúni and Rebekka are going with Bjørk Herup Olsen to Reykjavík International, which takes place a week before Stórmót IR.

On Friday 6 and Saturday 7 November, the talent group gathered for the first time in this new competition year. This time we had chosen to stay at the Kerjalon hostel on Oyggjarvegur. We met at 19:00, and at around 20:00 the first training session began, which was 30 minutes of easy running.

On Saturday morning breakfast was on the programme as early as 07:00, as the first training session of the day was at 09:00. This was technique training, held at Tórsbreyt. We tried to learn the importance of good running form, and to notice what various faults do to us. For example, running with strides that are too long or too short. Using the arms too much or too little, and so on. We also had to observe one another and then imitate each other’s running style. Finally we ran 8 × 150 m, with the emphasis on running with as good form as possible.

The second training session on Saturday took place in Viðarlundin. Here we first did strength running in various ways on a steep hill. Among other things, this was to show how you can train the strength needed for running with good form. Afterwards we ran up all the steps to the statue 5 times, jogging very gently back round. A lot of effort went in, and there was plenty of heavy breathing to be heard in Viðarlundin that afternoon. Super effort!!

This first training camp ended with everyone being invited home to Dánjal Jákup’s birthday party, as he had turned 14 the day before. Here we got a much-needed meat sauce with heaps of spaghetti from Lovisa and Heri. Many, many thanks!

The next training camp will be on 11–13 December. It has not been finally decided yet, but this camp will most likely be in Mikladalur.