York orienteer David Jenkins is turning up the heat on his rivals in a cool climate.

The 22-year-old, a member of the British team for five years, now lives in Sweden and has set his sights on a good performance in next year's World Championships.

He is currently battling back from injury which has put him out of action for four months.

The former Archbishop Holgate's School and York College student said: "I moved to Sweden in 1998 and live in Gothenburg and run for the IFK club, who are among the best in Sweden.

"It is the same club as the football team so we use the same training facilities. Sometimes I do strength training with the football team but they don't come out on two hour runs in the forest with me."

The club is full of world class orienteers - including the 1997 world champion - and no less than seven elite men who have run for Sweden at senior international level.

"When I first came to Sweden I worked part-time for IFK Gothenburg but since the start of 1999 I have worked as a part-time teacher at the English School in Gothenburg - mainly teaching and coaching sport.

"The part-time job is perfect as I can train in the morning then go to work for a few hours then come home and train again while it is still daylight. The school is very understanding when I need to take time off to go to international competitions."

Jenkins, who is still registered with the British CLARO club, damaged his quadricep muscles after

training and competing too much. Luckily the British team has a sports doctor and physiologist based in Sweden, who has been able to monitor and plan his recovery.

"My goal for this year is the European championship, which takes place in the

Ukraine in the Summer and take a top 25 placing.

"While I was a little disappointed to be the reserve for the World Cup in

Australia and Japan it does now mean I can fully focus on the European

Championships and the World Cup races in the summer. My long-term goal is the World Championships next year in Tampere, Finland."

In 1998 Jenkins spent a month there training with some of the best Finns and he has already planned four training camps to Finland this year.

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