World Cup 2008

3 more races, At least 6 runners from every nation, Chase start in Norway.
At its recent meeting in Helsinki, the IOF Council decided to implement a number of adjustments to the foot orienteering World Cup 2008. The decision was made on proposal by a Project Group set down to evaluate the 2007 World Cup, with participants from the IOF Council, the Foot Orienteering Commission and the newly formed Athletes’ Commission. The project group made its recommendations after extensive consultation, where national federations, team coaches and athletes were invited to provide input and ideas.

World Cup 2008 Programm

1. 26 May, Sprint distance, EOC, Latvia
2. 28 May, Long distance, EOC, Latvia
3. 31 May, Middle distance, EOC, Latvia
4. 20 Jun, Middle Distance, O-Festival, Norway
5. 21 Jun, Long Distance, Chase start, O-Festival, Norway
6. 13 Jul, Sprint Distance, WOC, Czech Republic
7. 17 Jul, Middle Distance, WOC, Czech Republic
8. 19 Jul, Long Distance, WOC, Czech Republic
9. 22 Jul, Sprint Distance, O-Ringen, Sweden
10. 23 Jul, Middle Distance, O-Ringen, Sweden
11. 24 Jul, Long Distance, Mass Start, O-Ringen, Sweden
12. 4 Oct, Middle Distance, Post Finance Sprint, Switzerland
13. 5 Oct, Sprint Distance , Post Finance Sprint, Switzerland

More races in the programme
The programme will consist of 13 races. News is that all three individual finals in the European Orienteering Championships in Ventspils, Latvia will be included in the World Cup.

Quotas for participation adjusted
The number of athletes that each nation can enter (with the exception of the European Championships and the World Championships) will, as before, be based on the World Ranking List Federation League table. News is that the six best nations (separately for men and women) may enter 8 athletes. All other nations may enter 6 athletes. The reigning World Champions of 2007 have personal free places provided they are selected by their federations. These free places are additional to the national quota. Finally, in World Cup events outside the EOC and WOC, the organising nation (“home nation”) will be given the right to enter an additional 4 athletes of each gender (4 men and 4 women).

Qualification is minimised
The complicated qualification model that was used 2007 has been revised. News is that, with the exception of the European Championships and the World Championships, there will be no separate qualification races. Each round “stands alone”, meaning that participation in finals at a certain round is based on achievement in the same round. In several cases, athletes are allowed direct entry to the finals.


At the European Champs Relay 2006 in Estonia, Thierry Gueorgiou lost in a sprint of David Andersson. In the World Cup final in the same year he tried to revench, but they both mispunched. In the next years world cup, we might see some more of these fights. - Picture: Ruff-o

New format, chase start
World Cup 5, long distance at O-festivalen in Oslo, will be run as a chase start based on the results of World Cup 4, middle distance. The overall programme now has a good balance between formats, with 4 long distance (2 individual, 1 mass start and 1 chase start), 5 middle distance and 4 sprint races.

New model for total scores
The scoring model is changed in comparison to 2007. News is that the final total score is made up of the best 8 scores from the first 11 events, and the two scores from the final round. This means that it will be possible to include scores from all races at the World Championships in the total.

http://www.orienteering.org/