International Orienteering Federation - New World Championships Programme to be Introduced
The General Assembly of the International Orienteering Federation, meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland this week, has decided to introduce changes to the World Orienteering Championships events programme. The changes will take effect from 2017, or earlier if already appointed organisers agree.
The new programme includes a Mixed Sprint Relay, with 2 women and 2 men in each national team, for the first time. A Mixed Sprint Relay has proved to be a very successful component of the orienteering module of The World Games. The standard men’s and women’s Relays will continue as now.
The three individual formats – Sprint, Middle distance and Long distance – will have interval start Final races as now, but qualification races for the Middle and Long formats, a part of the present programme, will be discontinued. Instead, the number of runners per nation allowed in these Finals will be according to a nation’s strength, all nations being guaranteed one starting place. The reigning World Champion will have a guaranteed place in addition.
The Sprint format will have a qualification race at the Championships as now, the Final taking place later the same day.
The new programme includes a Mixed Sprint Relay, with 2 women and 2 men in each national team, for the first time. A Mixed Sprint Relay has proved to be a very successful component of the orienteering module of The World Games. The standard men’s and women’s Relays will continue as now.
The three individual formats – Sprint, Middle distance and Long distance – will have interval start Final races as now, but qualification races for the Middle and Long formats, a part of the present programme, will be discontinued. Instead, the number of runners per nation allowed in these Finals will be according to a nation’s strength, all nations being guaranteed one starting place. The reigning World Champion will have a guaranteed place in addition.
The Sprint format will have a qualification race at the Championships as now, the Final taking place later the same day.