World Orienteering Championships

The World Orienteering Championships (or WOC for short) is an annual orienteering event organized by the International Orienteering Federation. The first World Championships was held in Fiskars, Finland in 1966. They were held biennially up to 2003 (with the exception of 1978 and 1979). Since 2003, competitions have been held annually. Participating nations have to be members of the International Orienteering Federation (IOF).

World Orienteering Championships
Statusactive
Genresporting event
Date(s)July–August
Frequencyannual
Location(s)various
Inaugurated1966
Previous event2019
Next event2020
Organised byIOF

Originally, there were only two competitions: an individual race and a relay. In 1991, a short distance race (roughly 20–25 minutes) was added and a sprint race was added in 2001. The middle distance (roughly 30–35 minutes) replaced the short distance in 2003. In 2014, a sprint relay was added with two men and two women participating and with starting order woman-man-man-woman.

History

The IOF was founded on 21 May 1961 at a Congress held in Copenhagen, Denmark by the orienteering national federations of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, Finland, Hungary, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.[1] Their main goal was to standardize the sport and streamline international competition rules. A group of people work with these tasks, and at the 1963 IOF Congress, the work was approved and a technical committee was created. This led to the first international orienteering competition; the 1962 European Championships in Løten, Norway. The first European Orienteering Championships (EOC) consisted of only one competition; individual. In the following EOC, in Le Brassus, Switzerland, the relay event was added to the competition program. These two EOCs are considered forerunners to the first World Orienteering Championships in 1966.

Change of concept

Starting from 2019, the World Orienteering Championships will be split into two events: Urban WOC in even-numbered years (consisting of sprint events only) and Forest WOC in odd-numbered years (consisting of forest events only).

Format

The competition format has changed several times. From the beginning in 1966, the World Championships consisted of only two competitions: an individual race and a relay. In 1991, a short distance race (roughly 20–25 minutes) was added and a sprint race was added in 2001. The middle distance (roughly 30–35 minutes) replaced the short distance in 2003. On IOF's 23rd congress in Lausanne in 2012, it was decided that a sprint relay event would be added in the 2014 World Championships in Italy.[2] The sprint relay is competed in urban areas and consists of four-orienteer mixed-gender teams with starting order woman-man-man-woman.

Current competition format

The current championship events are:

Forest WOC (odd years)
Distance Winning Time Notes
Long distance90–100 minPreviously called classic distance
Middle distance30–35 minReplaced short distance (20–25 min) in 2003
Relay3 × 40 minThree-person teams
Urban WOC (even years)
Distance Winning Time Notes
Sprint12–15 min
Knock-out sprint5–8 minFirst held in 2020
Sprint relay4 × 12–15 minFour-person teams, two men and two women.

Event timeline

Venues
YearDatesLocation[3]
19661–2 October Fiskars, Finland[4]
196828–29 September Linköping, Sweden[5]
197027–29 September Friedrichroda, German Democratic Republic[6]
197214–16 September Staré Splavy, Czechoslovakia[7]
197420–22 September Viborg, Denmark[8]
197624–26 September Aviemore, United Kingdom[9]
197815–17 September Kongsberg, Norway[10]
19792–4 September Tampere, Finland[11]
19814–6 September Thun, Switzerland[12]
19831–4 September Zalaegerszeg, Hungary[13]
19854–6 September Bendigo, Australia[14]
19873–5 September Gérardmer, France[15]
198917–20 August Skövde, Sweden[16]
199121–25 August Mariánské Lázně, Czechoslovakia[17]
19939–14 October West Point, United States[18]
199515–20 August Detmold, Germany[19]
199711–16 August Grimstad, Norway[20]
19991–8 August Inverness, United Kingdom[21]
200129 July – 4 August Tampere, Finland[22]
20033–9 August Rapperswil/Jona, Switzerland[23]
200411–19 September Västerås, Sweden[24]
20059–15 August Aichi, Japan[25]
20061–5 August Århus, Denmark[26]
200718–26 August Kiev, Ukraine[27]
200810–20 July Olomouc, Czech Republic[28]
200916–23 August Miskolc, Hungary[29]
20108–15 August Trondheim, Norway[30]
201113–20 August Savoie, France[31]
201214–22 July Lausanne, Switzerland[32]
20136–14 July Vuokatti, Finland[33]
20145–13 July Trentino-Veneto, Italy[34]
20151–7 August Inverness, United Kingdom[35]
201620–28 August Strömstad-Tanum, Sweden[36]
20171–7 July Tartu, Estonia[37]
20184–11 August Riga, Latvia[38]
201913–17 August Østfold, Norway
20207–11 July Triangle Region, Denmark
20214–9 July Doksy, Czech Republic
20229–13 July Edinburgh, United Kingdom
2023mid-July Graubünden, Switzerland[39]
2024TBA TBA
2025early to mid-July Kuopio, Finland[39]

Multiple winners

Men
Main article: List of World Orienteering Championships medalists (men)

Boldface denotes active athletes and highest medal count among all athletes (including these who not included in these tables) per type.

Rank Athlete From To Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Thierry Gueorgiou20032017145423
2 Olav Lundanes20102019104317
3 Daniel Hubmann20052019811928
4 Øyvin Thon197919897108
5 Andrey Khramov2005201563312
6 Petter Thoresen198919975128
7 Valentin Novikov2004201345211
8 Matthias Kyburz201220184408
9 Bjørnar Valstad1991200443310
10 Tore Sagvolden197919874318
11 Rolf Pettersson197219794206
12 Jonas Leandersson201220184037
13 Morten Berglia198119874015
Jørgen Rostrup199920054015
15 Thomas Bührer199120034004
16 Magne Dæhli201220193216
17 Egil Johansen197619793205
18 Emil Wingstedt200320073137
19 Bernt Frilén197019743115
20 Søren Bobach201420163104
21 Åge Hadler196619723036
22 Christian Aebersold199119953003
Arne Johansson197219763003
Karl Johansson196619703003
Eskil Kinneberg201720183003
26 Jörgen Mårtensson1981199726210
27 Jani Lakanen19992013 2518
28 Janne Salmi199520012417
29 Carl Godager Kaas20102016 2406
30 Matthias Merz200520122349
31 Gustav Bergman201220192248
32 Emil Svensk201820192002

Women
Main article: List of World Orienteering Championships medalists (women)

Boldface denotes active athletes and highest medal count among all athletes (including these who not included in these tables) per type.

Rank Athlete From To Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Simone Niggli-Luder20012013232631
2 Tove Alexandersson20112019108321
3 Minna Kauppi2004201395317
4 Maja Alm2012201877216
5 Marita Skogum1983199363110
6 Annichen Kringstad198119856006
7 Judith Wyder2011201853412
8 Helena Bergman2012201846818
9 Hanne Staff1997200444412
10 Liisa Veijalainen197219814408
11 Karin Rabe197819894329
12 Arja Hannus198119914105
13 Anne Margrethe Hausken2005201635311
14 Annika Billstam2007201533814
15 Heli Jukkola200320073328
16 Ulla Lindkvist196619723306
17 Merja Rantanen200820173148
18 Vroni König-Salmi199720083137
19 Marlena Jansson199119993126
20 Anna Bogren199319973115
21 Karolina A. Højsgaard200320092518
22 Ida Bobach201120162406
23 Natalia Gemperle2016201923510
24 Kristin Cullman197419782305
25 Gunilla Svärd199720042226
26 Outi Borgenström197419812215
Dana Brožková200620112215
Ingrid Hadler196619742215
29 Kirsi Boström (Tiira)199319992204
Emma Klingenberg201420152204
31 Lina Strand201620192114
32 Karolin Ohlsson201820192103

Mixed
Main article: List of World Orienteering Championships medalists (mixed events)
Sprint Relay
YearGoldSilverBronze
2014  Switzerland Denmark Russia
2015 Denmark Norway Russia
2016 Denmark  Switzerland Sweden
2017 Sweden Denmark  Switzerland
2018 Sweden  Switzerland Denmark

All-time medal table

(Updated after WOC 2019)

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Sweden (SWE)595656171
2 Norway (NOR)504743140
3  Switzerland (SUI)453539119
4 Finland (FIN)24433299
5 France (FRA)1471132
6 Denmark (DEN)1210628
7 Russia (RUS)11121538
8 Czech Republic (CZE)34512
9 Great Britain (GBR)34411
10 Hungary (HUN)3126
11 Czechoslovakia (TCH)25815
12 Ukraine (UKR)1348
13 Austria (AUT)1102
14 Latvia (LAT)1023
15 Australia (AUS)1001
16 New Zealand (NZL)0101
17 Soviet Union (URS)0022
18 Belarus (BLR)0011
 Germany (GER)0011
 Italy (ITA)0011
Totals (20 nations)230229232691

See also

References
  1. "History". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2011-08-02.
  2. "Sprint Relay in the World Orienteering Championships from 2014". International Orienteering Federation. 19 November 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  3. "World Orienteering Championships". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  4. "World Orienteering Championships 1966". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  5. "World Orienteering Championships 1968". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  6. "World Orienteering Championships 1970". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  7. "World Orienteering Championships 1972". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  8. "World Orienteering Championships 1974". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  9. "World Orienteering Championships 1976". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  10. "World Orienteering Championships 1978". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  11. "World Orienteering Championships 1979". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  12. "World Orienteering Championships 1981". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  13. "World Orienteering Championships 1983". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  14. "World Orienteering Championships 1985". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  15. "World Orienteering Championships 1987". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  16. "World Orienteering Championships 1989". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  17. "World Orienteering Championships 1991". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  18. "World Orienteering Championships 1993". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  19. "World Orienteering Championships 1995". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  20. "World Orienteering Championships 1997". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  21. "World Orienteering Championships 1999". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  22. "World Orienteering Championships 2001". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  23. "World Orienteering Championships 2003". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  24. "World Orienteering Championships 2004". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  25. "World Orienteering Championships 2005". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  26. "World Orienteering Championships 2006". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  27. "World Orienteering Championships 2007". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  28. "World Orienteering Championships 2008". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  29. "World Orienteering Championships 2009". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  30. "World Orienteering Championships 2010". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  31. "World Orienteering Championships 2011". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  32. "World Orienteering Championships 2012". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  33. "World Orienteering Championships 2013". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  34. "World Orienteering Championships 2014". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  35. "World Orienteering Championships 2015". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  36. "World Orienteering Championships 2016". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  37. "World Orienteering Championships 2017". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  38. "World Orienteering Championships 2018". International Orienteering Federation. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  39. "World Orienteering Championships 2023 awarded to Switzerland and WOC 2025 to Finland". International Orienteering Federation. 2019-08-08.
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