British Orienteering celebrates 50 Years!

On the 17 June this year it is exactly 50 years since the British Orienteering Federation came into being. The occasion is being marked by the cutting of a celebratory cake, production of a short film, and a special multi-page feature in British Orienteering’s member magazine Focus.

Organised orienteering started in Scotland in the early 1960s with the help in particular of the Swede Baron CA Lagerfelt from Stockholm. The Scottish Orienteering Association was founded on 24 June 1962, with the first Scottish Championships held on the same weekend at Craig a’ Barns (Dunkeld) as part of a ‘demonstration event’ by visiting Swedes. Over the following couple of years, growth of the sport in the south-east of Scotland was particularly strong.

In 1964 orienteering was featured in a 7-minute film on Scottish TV. The book ‘Know the Game: Orienteering’ was first published in 1965; it ran to several editions and, updated, was still on bookshop shelves in the early 1980s.

First steps in England

In England, the West Midlands Orienteering Association was set up on 13 October 1963 following a ‘practice race’ in the Wyre Forest. The first orienteering club in England was South Ribble OC in the north-west, in 1964. This followed closely on the first ‘proper’ o-event in England, held at Whitewell near Clitheroe in late 1963.

In the south of England, a group of well-known ex-athletes – Roger Bannister, Chris Brasher, John Disley, Martin Hyman, Gordon Pirie and Bruce Tulloh – started orienteering after attending a training course led by Disley, who had first taken part himself in Sweden. They soon found that speed and fitness alone didn’t bring success! Southern Navigators was the first southern club, formed in 1965.

Scots and English collaborate – but process is slow

The next big step was the formation of the English Orienteering Association in October 1965. The Scottish Orienteering Association’s suggestion to have a joint meeting in Edinburgh with the new English OA, to consider affiliation to the International Orienteering Federation (IOF), was welcomed. However, for one reason or another it was not held until March 1967, in conjunction with the 1966 Scottish Championships which had been deferred, from the autumn before, because of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

The joint meeting agreed on the need to form a British Orienteering Federation, because “it had been made abundantly clear that membership of the IOF could only be obtained through British membership”. A meeting of the English Orienteering Association in April 1967 recommended the change and agreed to the disbanding of the English Orienteering Association at the time British Orienteering Federation was formed.

First World Orienteering Championship participation in 1966

Enthusiasm for competing abroad was high, and the main goal was participation in the World Orienteering Championships. In May 1966 the IOF Council accepted both England and Scotland as temporary members, pending the formation of a British federation. The English Orienteering Association paid an IOF affiliation fee of 400 Swedish Crowns, and selected a team of ten athletes to take part in the World Orienteering Championship.

The team was astonished to find, on arrival at the venue in Finland, that the Relay team had to be selected from amongst the six participating in the Individual race, as opposed to being four additional athletes. It seems that a vital Bulletin giving this information failed to reach the team beforehand. After much representation it was accepted, on the basis of giving more runners some international experience, that the rule could be broken in the circumstances. However in the end, two of the team, Toby Norris and Chris James who were down to run third and fourth leg respectively, never got a competitive run because the team was timed out at the end of the second leg.

“Within 50 miles of Kendal”

The ground was laid for the formation of the British Orienteering Federation. Tony Chapman and Chris Brasher, Chairmen of the Scottish and English Orienteering Associations respectively, began the invitation to the first British Orienteering Federation Championships and Annual General Meeting with the words: “This is the preliminary announcement and entry form for a championship, run by an organisation that does not exist. So let us explain.”

Intending participants were told that the Championships “will be held within 50 miles of the town of Kendal, Westmorland on Sunday 18 June 1967” and that “the inaugural meeting of the British Orienteering Federation will be held at 7.30 p.m. on Saturday 17 June 1967 at a venue within ten miles of the Championship area.” The Annual General Meeting venue, revealed just a week beforehand, proved to be in Barnard Castle, 45 miles from Kendal, with the Championships venue, Hamsterley Forest, the full 50 miles away. Such was the secrecy felt to be required at that time!

Early days of the British Orienteering Federation

The new Federation soon found its feet, led by Brasher and Disley. Whereas Brasher managed things, Disley was the technical and ‘field’ expert, and moderator of some of Brasher’s wilder ideas. “Brasher lit fires; Disley dampened them down,” as the obituary for Disley in the British newspaper The Guardian put it.

Brasher led the team that took part in the 1966 World Orienteering Championships, and was the Event Director for the World Orienteering Championships (WOC) in Scotland in 1976. His influence was immense in all aspects of orienteering’s development in its early days in the UK. Hugh Brasher, son of Chris Brasher, says: “My father loved orienteering; he called it like car rallying without a car, the best sport so far invented by man and the only sport that keeps you completely and utterly stretched both mentally and physically.”

Disley worked hard to develop course planning, mapping and training standards. Highly respected the world over, he was a member of the International Orienteering Federation Council from 1973 to 1984.

Through the 80s and 90s

Helped greatly by the publicity gained from WOC 1976, orienteering grew rapidly in the subsequent years, and became firmly established in all parts of the UK. In Scotland, helped by the ever-growing Scottish 6-Days event held every other year, but also in many other areas, the standards of competitors and competition increased immensely. Competitors such as Geoff Peck and Carol McNeill were showing the way, and it was in 1993 that Great Britain won its first World Orienteering Championship medals in Foot Orienteering, with a bronze for Yvette Baker (née Hague) and silver for the men’s relay team. Yvette went on to win two silver medals in 1995 and then the gold medal in Short Distance at the next World Orienteering Championships held on home soil, in 1999.

Great Britain also contributed much to IOF work, in Council, on various Committees and in other ways. Sue Harvey became the IOF Secretary General in 1983, working from home. She held this role until 1986. In 1988 she was elected as an IOF Vice President and then from 1994 to 2004 she was IOF President, and is now IOF Honorary President for Life.

Growth and development in the new century

British Orienteering Federation moved with the times: it is now known as British Orienteering and has changed its logo to a more modern design. Domestic championship events have grown in number as in the IOF, and urban orienteering has become a popular alternative to outings in forest and open terrain. The number of clubs has remained much the same for a long time now, and the average age of competitors is getting steadily higher, but a number of initiatives have been introduced to create new forms of competition and bring new people into the sport, and these are beginning to bear fruit.

More World Orienteering Championship medals have come Britain’s way, including Gold for Jamie Stevenson (Sprint, 2003), the Men’s Relay team in 2008, Dave Gittus in TrailO in 2006 and the TrailO team in 2004 and 2005. Most recently, in 2016, Emily Benham won two gold medals in the MTBO World Championships.

GBR staged the World TrailO Championships in Scotland in 2012 and then the World Orienteering Championships, for the third time, in 2015. Here the same assembly area as in 1976, a field in front of Darnaway Castle in NE Scotland, was used for the Middle and Relay races.

Brian Porteous became the second IOF President from Great Britain and held the office from 2012 to 2016, having been a member of IOF Council from 2004.

Looking forward

Over the last 20 years British Orienteering has benefited greatly from government and National Lottery funding, but unfortunately as with many other sports, British Orienteering has recently lost a lot of the financial support it has had from government agencies. British Orienteering has had to trim its cloth accordingly, and become more self-supporting. This is particularly affecting international preparation for the top athletes. Sponsorship too is proving extremely hard to come by. However, there are many positive signs too, and with several top athletes on the fringe of World Orienteering Championship medal standard, Great Britain orienteering moves into its next half-century in good shape.

Text: Clive Allen

[See the original article at http://orienteering.org/british-orienteering-celebrates-50-years/. Published with permission from the International Orienteering Federation]

 

New IOF branding

The new International Orienteering Federation branding has been published. The branding consists of a brand book with guidelines, logos, a visual toolkit and several useful templates.

The new IOF branding has been made to simplify graphical work and to help spread a unified image of the IOF.The IOF branding is based on the fundamental values of orienteering and is developed to fulfil the aims of the IOF.

The most significant news are the new general Orienteering logo, the new discipline logos/symbols and the new World Cup logos. The other logos are unchanged but user guidelines are included in the IOF Brand Book. All the templates are new and besides useful templates for Word, Powerpoint, a cover page for official documents, a template for advertising roll ups and a letterhead, the IOF Brand Book also gives examples of designed materials.

The IOF Brand Book and new logos are found here: http://orienteering.org/resources/communication/.

Leho Haldna: "Every small orienteering event contributes on 24th May 2017!"

World Orienteering Day 2016 was a great success, achieving and surpassing our goals and expectations. The fact did not go unnoticed and many eyes have been opened to orienteering as a truly global sport for lifelong participation.

However, this does not mean at all that World Orienteering Day 2017 will be a success again. Together, we have set an ambitious target – 500 000 participants. The target is very high and looking at the pre-registrations on worldorienteeringday.com we still have some work to do to make 2017 a similar success.

World Orienteering Day is an important event for all of us. WOD has really gotten media attention plus the support of the IOC and a growing number of sponsors. It is a unique opportunity to market orienteering to new participants and partners and to show the strength of our global community of orienteers.

On behalf of the IOF I’m asking for your personal support for World Orienteering Day 2017. We know there are a lot of enthusiasts developing our sport in schools, clubs, regions and federations. Please participate, and ask and motivate others, in organising events especially in schools but also local orienteering events on May 24th!

It’s not too late to start preparing an event. Every small orienteering event contributes on 24th May 2017!

Leho Haldna
IOF President

[http://orienteering.org/world-orienteering-day-2017-a-letter-from-the-iof-president/]

Two or three things I know about it...

1. The England team came first in both the overall and Junior Cup competitions at Interland 2017. The event took place on the 2nd April in the Herbeumont Forest, in the Ardennes, southern Belgium. The English Fiona Bunn and Peter Bray, got comfortable victories in the M21 classes, respectively Women and Men. Bunn finished his race with a three-minute advantage over Greet Oeyen, Belgium, while Bray's advantage over the second placed, the French Benjamin Lepoutre, was of five minutes. Overall, England got the first place with 202, Belgium was second with 158 points and France third, with 132 points. The Interland Cup is England’s only international competition outside the British Isles. England competes annually in this five-cornered match against two Belgian teams (Flemish and French speaking), the Netherlands, and the French Ligue des Hauts de France de Course d’Orientation (LHFCO) . The competition is truly a team effort spanning age groups from W and M14 to W and M60+: 42 team members in all. Complete results and further information at http://orienteeringengland.org.uk/2017/04/04/interland-2017-win-for-england-team/.

2. OK Vihor Zagreb organized, on 2nd April, the Vihor TempO Challenge, event that called to the beautiful Bundek Park, in Zagreb, 30 competitors from Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia. Third stage of 2017 Croatia-Italy-Slovenia Trophy, the event consisted in six timed stations with five tasks each and was dominated by the Slovakian Ján Furucz (Farmaceut Bratislava), the winner of the Trophy's last edition. Furucz finished with 305 seconds, corresponding to 185 seconds of answering time and 120 seconds of penalty (four incorrect answers). Slower and less accurate than Furucz, the Croatian Ivo Tišljar (OK Orion) got the second position with 350 seconds. The Slovenian Krešo Keresteš (OK Trzin) was third with 357 seconds. Ján Furucz is now the leader of 2017 Croatia-Italy-Slovenia Trophy with 288,5 points, nine points ahead of Ivica Bertol and fifteen points ahead of Tomislav Varnica, both form OK Vihor, Croatia. The results can be seen at http://www.trailo.it/Classifiche%20internazionali/CIS.asp.

3. Would you like to know who are the top 10 most popular orienteering races in the world, open to everyone? The answer is at ALL4orienteering blog [HERE] https://www.all4o.com/orienteering-blog/top-10-orienteering-races-in-the-world. The number of participants it's, surely, an important issue, but it's not the most important. That's why Jukola / Venla Relay (Finland) cames first and O-ringen (Sweden), world's biggest orienteering festival, stands on the second place. Events like Scottish Six Days (Scotland), FIN5 orienteering week (Finland) and Jan Kjellström International Festival of Orienteering (United Kingdom) are also on the list. Probably other events, like Portugal O' Meeting (Portugal) or MTBO 5 Days Plzeň (Czech Republic), would deserve a place on the list, but the presented events can be a good starting point for knowing and living wonderful and exciting orienteering moments.

4. IOF Newsletter of April is now published and there's lots of interesting reading on it. The eyes of the orienteering world turn to Oceania for the next few weeks, to follow the action at the Oceania Orienteering Championships and the World Masters Orienteering Championships, both taking place in New Zealand. An interview with IOF FootO Athletes’ Commission member Lizzie Ingham will get you excited to follow the Oceania Champs this weekend. Excellent terrains, a great atmosphere and fierce rivalry await the Oceania orienteers who will fight for regional titles and bonus WOC spots. Of course, the newsletter also includes important news from the IOF. The IOF Council had a meeting recently, and a summary of the most notable decisions makes it easy to follow the development of orienteering. Most notable from this council meeting is perhaps the approval of the long awaited International Specification for Orienteering Maps. The IOF is also very active on the international sports scene. Make sure to read about what we got up to at this year’s SportAccord Convention. For TrailO enthusiasts, the newsletter offers interesting reading on the European Cup in TrailO. Not heard of it? Dive in and find out all about the exciting competition. Are you missing out? Find out more and subscribe here. Happy reading!

Joaquim Margarido

Two or three things I know about it...

1. Six intense orienteering days, two days of training, 6 stages of competition, 169 different courses, 365 controls placed on the terrain, 51 competition and open classes, three municipalities involved and a total of 2,467 participants from 36 countries. These are the final numbers of the biggest Portugal O' Meeting ever. For those who haven't been in Alter do Chão, Crato and Portalegre, from February 25th to 28th, here is the extended summary, in a 25-minute film that was broadcasted on the Portuguese public television last Sunday. A great way to revisit the dream terrains of Alto Alentejo and to re-vibrate intensely with the best that Orienteering has to give us. Everything to see at https://youtu.be/I-VImO1A4_g.

2. It wasn't only in Portugal that MTB Orienteering was in focus last weekend. In Hungary, too, took place the Balaton MTBO, an event organized by the Hangya SZKE club, which brought together to Csopak, on the northern shore of Lake Balaton, almost 100 riders from Hungary, Austria, France and Slovakia. The French Yoann Garde and Hana Garde, both representing Team Elite MTBO, were the big winners in the Elite category in both stages, a Middle Distance on the first day and a Free Order stage on the second day. The fight for the immediate places in the Men's class was tough, particularly on the second day, in which the Hungarians Csaba Bedö, László Rózsa and András Holluby occupied by this order the immediate positions, with only 6 seconds of difference between each other. Hana Garde had an apparently simpler task, winning comfortably both stages, with the veteran Hungarian Veronika Cseh taking the second place, with disadvantages over than three minutes in the Middle Distance stage and eight minutes in the Free Order stage. Results and other information can be seen at http://mtbo.hu/balatonmtbo/en/.

3. With the presence of President Leho Haldna and the counselors, the International Orienteering Federation joined in Madrid, last weekend, having approved a set of measures with effect as of this year. Is in this case the approval of the International Specification for Orienteering Maps ISOM 2017. For IOF events between 1 May and 31 December 2017, both ISOM 2000 and ISOM 2017 could be accepted, but which map standard is used at the event must be clearly stated in the Bulletin(s) for the event. For all events after 1 January 2018, ISOM 2017 should be used unless there are contractual limitations which would prevent this. The Council also approved the program proposed by the IOF Foot Orienteering Commission regarding WOC from 2019 and the proposal from the IOF Ski Orienteering Commission to appoint the European Ski Orienteering Championships (ESOC) 2019 to Turkey during the dates 4–12 February 2019. Other subject discussed by the Council was a positive doping case in an athlete participating in a Foot Orienteering World Ranking Event in Brasília, Brazil, in September 2016. When charged with the Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV), the athlete accepted a provisional suspension whilst awaiting the decision of the hearing body of the CBO. They determined that the athlete had not committed the ADRV willfully, and therefore sanctioned them with a period of ineligibility of six months, starting on 24 November 2016, and the athlete’s results connected to the event at which the ADRV occurred have been disqualified. The council decided not to appeal the decision in this case. The IOF will work with the CBO to offer support in the Anti-Doping education of its athletes. The minutes of IOF Council Meeting can be seen HERE.

4. A new Nokian Tyres World Orienteering Championships WOC 2017 web page was launched a week ago, with an in-depth interview of the Long Distance course-setter Tõnis Erm. So far, you can also read interviews with top athletes Oleksandr Kratov and Marika Teini, Evely Kaasiku, one of the best Estonian orienteers and Meelis Mälberg, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Member of the Parliament of Estonia. Take a look at http://woc2017.ee/ and see by yourself!

Joaquim Margarido

Two or three things I know about it...

1. Santiago do Cacém, one of the five Municipalities of Alentejo Coast, hosts this weekend the third edition of the Costa Alentejana MTBO Trophy. Organized by the Clube de Orientação e Aventura do Litoral Alentejano, Clube da Natureza de Alvito, Santiago do Cacém Municipality, Portuguese Orienteering Federation and International Orienteering Federation, the event has to offer a Middle Distance stage and a Long Distance stage, both scoring for the IOF World MTB Orienteering Ranking, and also a Sprint race (Open) along with the National Championships of Relay. This will be the second round of the 2016/2017 World Masters Series and the 2017 Women Iberian Championships. The start field promises an interesting duel between the best Portuguese and Spanish MTBO'ers. The Portuguese Davide Machado, João Ferreira and Luís Barreiro will face the Spanish Ángel Garcia Garcia, David Toll Clos and David Tarres, in the Men Elite. In the Women Elite, the fight will be between Susana Pontes, Ana Filipa Silva, Diana Moreira and Noémia Magalhães, from the Portuguese side, against the Spanish Maria del Mara Delgado Gonzalez, Luisa Felpeto Gonzalez and Ana Varela. The British Keith Dawson, the Danish Joergen Nielsen or the Estonain Riivo Roose are also names that will attend the event. Further information can be found at http://iiicamtbo.coala.com.pt.

2. Representatives of the different regions of France met last weekend in Paris to elect the new Direction team of the French Orienteering Federation for the next four years. After having voted the members of the director committee, the representatives validated their new President (on the proposal of the Director Committee). Michel Ediar was re-elected for four years as President of the FFCO. Yves Boehm, Agnes Eudier, Marie-Claudine Perrin and Jean-Philippe Stefanini, who followed Bernard Mortellier as Secretary-General. After the announcement of the results, Michel Ediar thanked the representatives of the regional leagues for their confidence and took the opportunity to express his wish to continue his collaboration with the current National Technical Director Marie-Violaine Palcau before to specify the strategic axes of the new four-year term that will be built around high level, youth and development, as well as events, the main objective being to further develop the activity of the Federation throughout the National territory.

3. Orienteering is a sport that Canadians know and are excited about. Knowing this, the Canadian Orienteering Federation has presented his Vision, Mission and Core Objectives in order to develop, promote and coordinate the sport of orienteering in Canada for all ages and at all levels of participation. Inspiring Canadians to embrace the joy of orienteering is the vision, which lies driving growth through innovation, quality programming and partnerships; leading and governing through organizational excellence and sound business practices; developing and delivering high quality events and competitions at all levels; having active, engaged and well-trained officials, coaches, and other volunteers; having viable and active provincial and territorial associations and clubs and supporting the elite athletes in pursuing their goals while they support orienteering as ambassadors and role models for our sport. The full document can be read at http://www.orienteering.ca/2017/03/orienteering-canada-vision-mission-and-core-objectives/.

4. With the accomplishment of the 2017 Lipica TrailO, the first Ranking of 2017 Croatia-Italy-Slovenia TrailO Cup is published. The Swedish Lennart Wahlgren (Rehns BK) leads the standings with a total of 193.05 points. The Italian Remo Madella (ASD Vivaio) follows in the second place with 192.84 points, while the third place is occupied by another Italian, Alessio Tenani (Polisportiva G. Masi), with 188.90 points. Last year's winner of CRO-ITA-SLO, the Slovak Ján Furucz (Farmaceut Bratislava), is in the fifth place with 188.50 points. With a total of 75 competitors, the standings include athletes from Sweden, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Portugal, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Lithuania, Hungary, Great Britain and Spain, as well as the organizing countries Croatia, Italy and Slovenia. It should also be noted that, this year, Cro-Ita-Slo TrailO Cup is made up of 15 stages, four in Italy, five in Croatia and six in Slovenia. The complete Ranking can be found HERE.

Joaquim Margarido

Ten years after...

Back home. The weekend is about to end and the journey home is done quietly, no hurry, as if, instinctively, I refused to leave the Alentejo. I dip in my thoughts and remain in silence as the afternoon falls. Hanged in the rearview mirror, the little orange-and-white flag swings in front of me, beckoning me. I fix it absently and sketch a nostalgic smile. Then I look at it carefully and my thoughts go back in time...

Friday morning. It's a cold and rainy day. I leave to Nisa and to the North Alentejo O' Meeting. “We are children of the dawn”. The words of the singer Zeca Afonso come to mind, so today it has been 20 years since he left. I want to get to Amieira do Tejo quickly, but the thick drops of water advise caution. I must curb my enthusiasm and wait for the time it takes to open this “little box of surprises” called Orienteering.

I know it's principles, but I know that I am only at the tip of the iceberg. I need to understand what makes it so special, how magic is the potion that gives the gift of eloquence to those who live in it and who turns every conversation into a huge source of exciting discovery. I want to dive into that fountain too, to suck its substance, to drink its soul.

“Here it is the River”. The Tejo River, I mean. From the North bank, I see my beloved Alentejo, land of dreams where I lose and rediscover myself. For now, I'm lost. Dam, EN 359, nothing ... Return to starting point. Another dam, again the EN 359 (!) and the result returns to be negative. Another reversal and again at the starting point. The third time is for good. There I go with the right dam, with the right road, and I reach Amieira. So much mistakes for someone who's heading an Orienteering event can only be harbinger of “disaster”. However, I was just putting into practice one of the basic principles of the sport: “If you're lost, do not persevere in the error. Go back to the start and reorient yourself”. As everything in life!

It's lunch time. In the “epicenter” of this fantastic organization, a man deserves a special mention. It's Fernando Costa and it's him who welcomes me with open arms, introducing me to the “hard core” (and “less hard”), who makes a point of joining me to this fantastic “family” that is Grupo Desportivo dos Quatro Caminhos. But now, the lunch is served. I sit down at the table, “cuddle” my stomach with a divine homemade chicken soup and indulge myself in sliced pork with black beans.

In addition to the delicious palette of flavors that makes my body satisfied, the lunch serves to feed the spirit as well. I get to know how important is the compass, I get acquainted with the signs, I get in touch with terms such as cartography, bearings, spurs. And I get a more precise idea of the heavy organizational machine. From logistics to course setting. “Seven thousand souls worked seriously”, Zeca Afonso and his music again in my mind. Everything seems to be set in detail, the hypothetical flaws identified and the corresponding alternatives properly equated.

Now it is time to leave for Nisa, to visit the Event Centre and then to Arez, for a demonstration course. It will be a debut, but there's a first time for everything. I don't know what's expecting me but the afternoon is promising!

[23.Feb.2007 - 23.Feb.2017. I was introduced to Orienteering ten years ago in Nisa, for the NAOM's first edition. The first flag I photographed is here, illustrating this message. The prose is the first chapter of my book, “Crónicas Norte Alentejano O' Meeting 2007 / 2008”, reporting the start of a beautiful friendship. This way, I wanted to point out a decade of passion for Orienteering and to thank all those who, every day, give me the strength and courage to continue this way.]

Joaquim Margarido

... For those who LIVE Orienteering

For those who LIVE Orienteering, International Orienteering Federation has just launched LIVE Orienteering, a replacement and upgrade of the IOF Livecenter which has been used for streaming of live video, GPS tracking and results from IOF major events over the past two and a half years.

“Livecenter has proven that there is a true interest in following major orienteering events. But there has been a need both to upgrade and improve the current toolset represented by Livecenter, and also to enhance the site to become the IOFs future platform for external communication”, explains Tom Hollowel, IOF's Secretary General/CEO, adding that “the development of LIVE Orienteering has been going on for the past few months and we are now ready to launch the new site. The launch is being done just prior to the first IOF major event of 2017, the European Ski Orienteering Championships in Imatra, Finland and we will be following closely the use of the site during the event”, he says.

“The long term strategy for LIVE Orienteering is that this will be the primary platform for IOF external communications and orienteering fan engagement, and a portal for orienteering news and discussions”, says Tom Hollowel. In this first version of the site, IOF external news articles are displayed and the site also integrates social media content. Through cooperation with worldofo.com, LIVE Orienteering also displays blog content and news sources from around the orienteering world. The site also integrates advertising opportunities where the income will be used to fund IOF activities. In the calendar it's possible to find events and visit the event’s own page. Links are provided to the Event pages in IOF Eventor and to an own homepage for the event if one exists, and event organisers can display their own sponsors on the event page. “The idea is to have a one-stop portal to find information and follow all IOF major events and we believe this will be a major enhancement for organisers of IOF events”, Hollowel says.

The introduction of LIVE Orienteering also means changes on the IOF homepage - www.orienteering.org. Hollowel says that “Orienteering.org will, in the future, be focused on internal communications and be the repository of all reference materials, for example about the IOF organisation, rules, guidelines, etc. Initially we will publish external articles on both pages but you will certainly notice changes at orienteering.org as the year goes on. We are hoping to be able to simplify the access to the information on orienteering.org in the process.”

Set LIVE Orienteering as a bookmark in your browser and visit every day to see what is happening in the orienteering world.

Joaquim Margarido

Is Trail Running killing Orienteering?

The word “choice” is one of the most employed in the Orienteering lexicon, being part of its essence as a sport. On the 14th and 15th January, in the opening round of the Vitalis Portuguese Foot Orienteering League 2017, several of the best portuguese orienteers made the “choice” to miss the event at Lagoon of Ervedeira. Let's try to know why.

Held in Lagoon of Ervedeira, Leiria, the first round of the Vitalis Portuguese Foot Orienteering League 2017 attracted nearly six hundred participants, a number that should be considered excellent compared to the current panorama of the sport in Portugal. Contrasting with these numbers, however, the Elite category registered a competitiveness index lower than expected, with the best national orienteers missing the event. In order to find a reason why, we talked to Tiago Martins Aires, Miguel Reis e Silva and Leonel Vieito, trying to answer some pressing questions that arise the Portuguese Orienteering currently.

Surely, it was not the lack of organizational quality that motivated such absence. The Clube de Orientação do Centro has always been an organizational bastion in Portugal and its events have the “seal of quality”. The coastal terrains, the micro-relief and vegetation of the Atlantic Forest and the challenge of the courses are enough reasons to attract the best athletes in the World, especially in the Winter. The accessibilities also aren't an excuse to miss the event, since this is one of the areas of this country that can please “Greeks and Trojans”, that is to say, people from the North and from the South of the country. So, what led Tiago Aires and Mariana Moreira, Raquel Costa and Tiago Romão, among others, to not attend the event in Leiria? We might find the answer in Portalegre, in the so called “Trail of the Kings / Delta Cafés”, a Trail Running event framed in the National Circuit of the Trail Running Portugal Association.

“Orienteering has no fashion, style, color”

Recognized by many as the best Portuguese orienteer ever, Tiago Aires joined to the first place in the Vitalis Portuguese Foot Orienteering League 2016 the title of National Trail Running Champion, also becoming the best Portuguese athlete in the recent Trail Running World Championships, after finishing in the 13th position. Speaking to the Portuguese Orienteering Blog about his “polyvalence”, he immediately ends all speculation: “Orienteering is, and will always be, the best sport in the World”, he says. But adds: “I think it's too simplistic to look at the Orienteering crisis as a duel with Trail Running, anyway. Orienteering's problems are, in its core, the lack of publicity and the inability to attract new people to practise this sport.”

Analysing what happened at Lagoa da Ervedeira, Tiago Aires notes that “six orienteers were present at Trail of the Kings, in Portalegre, but many others are in Athletics, Triathlon or simply moved away for other reasons. At a time when running is at its peak, associated to the open air and the wide natural spaces, what's happening in Orienteering is obviously our fault. We should, from my point of view, look at Trail as an opportunity to conquer new audiences. It's people that already are in our intervention area who only need to entrench the map reading as something cool, adventurous, challenging, epic, mental resilient, etc. ... all viral expressions”. Tiago Aires explains that “for getting the 'crest of the wave' it's necessary to be in social media networking sites, to have a 'show off' image. Many athletes from the Trail come to ask for information about Orienteering but, as soon as they check the Portuguese Orienteering Federation's site, the will disappears”. For Tiago Aires, “Orienteering has no fashion, style, color; for this reason, the sporting goods companies don't associate to us”. And he warns: “Not to accept these facts is to die alone.”

“Many see Trail runners as traitors”

Keeping the criticism tone, Tiago Aires adds: “Whenever I have a chance, I speak of Orienteering, I'm recognized in the world of Trail Running as an orienteer but, unfortunately, Orienteering doesn't take any advantage of this and is increasingly closed in itself. Many see Trail runners as traitors, which is quite representative of the old-fashioned and unrealistic mentality that hovers over some of the decision makers of our sport”. And again: “This is undoubtedly a very relevant subject, but also, to the same extent, difficult to approach. You can always count on me to work for Orienteering, but not in this line, aimlessly, without purpose, without ambition. We've been sailing rudderlessly for too long”, he concludes.

“It has never been a priority of the Federation to have a good image”

Miguel Reis e Silva is one of the “traitors” who Tiago Aires refers to, having been out of the team for the WOC 2014, because of being “interested in mountain races only” (see HERE the Interview to the Portuguese Orienteering Blog). But that is in the past and, for him, there's nothing that Trail Running has that Orienteering doesn't: “These are similar sports, which are practised in the same environment, with Orienteering having the additional challenge of navigation”, he says. Miguel Silva started practising Orienteering at the age of 10 and continues to practise it whenever he can, but ... “Orienteering requires intense navigational training and, living in Lisbon, this means traveling at least 100 km to get it done with quality”, he acknowledges. With Trail Running, everything is different and much simpler: “In the Trail, I just need to run, training specifically from the moment I leave home, which gives me a greater satisfaction. In addition, I don't need to travel constantly to practise on relevant terrains, which simplifies the articulation with the less free time I have now”. In brief, Miguel Silva continues to practice Orienteering, but “less competitively, for pure pleasure”, he says.

Addressing specially to the Orienteering crisis, Miguel Silva recalls that his generation came from School Sports. “It was a time when there was an investment from the Government in School Sports, with multiple camps and competitions”, remembers the athlete. The truth is that economic crisis led to a large disinvestment in School Sports and “the main source of athletes for the Federation has dried up and there isn't still a generation to replace us in the Elite level”, he adds. On the other hand, the athlete believes that “it has never been a priority of the Federation to have a good image and to know how to sell it, investing in a serious marketing strategy. This is fundamental, according to the rules of contemporary society and, unlike Trail, the Portuguese Orienteering Federation didn't follow them”, he says. With a long-term investment, Miguel Reis e Silva believes that it's possible to reverse things, because “there are lots of potential orienteers, being the Trail athletes, all without exception, in the first line”, he says.

“The numbers are clearly insufficient to sustain a Federation with a minimum of quality”

The Portuguese Orienteering Blog also wanted to hear the thoughts of the events's organizers, that is, the clubs, after all the most penalized ones by the situation. Leonel Vieito is the President of Clube de Orientação do Centro, the club which organized the event on 14th and 15th January, and starts reminding that “for some years now I've been warning for this situation. According to my predictions, we would close the year of 2016 with an average participation of about 300 athletes per event which was not far from the reality. The numbers are clearly insufficient to sustain a Federation with a minimum of quality.”

Like other orienteering clubs in Portugal, Clube de Orientação do Centro has been organizing Trail Running events in recent years. Leonel Vieito doesn't find any contradiction in this “duality”, because “the public of Trail is completely different” and “a Trail Running event is a good source of income for the sustainability of the club”, remembering that “COC's annual budget exceeds 15,000 euros in expenses with Orienteering and it's not organizing one or two Orienteering events a year - not counting those we organize, knowing that will be detrimental, such as MTB Orienteering and Trail Orienteering - that you can sustain a club of this magnitude”.

“We continue to neglect the formation and captivation of new people”

Considering that the crisis in Orienteering “has to do with countless small factors that, added to each other, are tiring people, taking them to give up”, Vieito notes that “this sport isn't easy and it takes time to take some pleasure of it. You don't become an Orienteering fan with a couple of participations and if, during this learning process, you're facing obstacles that makes you feel bad, you easily turn off”, he says. “Much more remains to be said, and this is really a subject that must be discussed by all stakeholders. But, from my point of view, we remain very involved with Elite and World teams and athletes and we continue to neglect the formation and captivation of new people to practise the sport”, he concludes.

Photo: Miro Cerqueira / Prozis

Joaquim Margarido

[The Portuguese Orienteering Blog tried to know the position on this matters of the President of the Portuguese Orienteering Federation, Marco Póvoa, but didn't receive any answer to the submitted questions so far]

IOF Athlete of the Month: Franciely Chiles

Franciely Chiles discovered orienteering a decade ago, and hasn’t stopped since then. Today, at the age of 24, she is a successful orienteer in her country, current South American Champion in Middle and Sprint distances and with two Brazilian Championships titles in the last three years. Despite this, she is aware of her limitations and doesn’t hide her great dream: “One day, to be able to compete at the same level as European athletes.”

Name: Franciely Chiles
Country: Brazil
Date of Birth: 26th February 1992
Place of Birth: Santana do Livramento
Work: Brazilian Air Force, 3rd Sergeant
Hobbies: drinking cimarrón (a traditional beverage taken from the gauchos or vaqueros), spending time with with her fiancé, family, friends and pets, listening to music, watching movies and eating candy
Discipline: Foot Orienteering
Club: COSM – Clube de Orientação de Santa Maria
Career Highlights: Brazilian Champion in 2014 and 2016; South American Champion in 2014 (Middle Distance) and in 2016 (Sprint and Middle Distance); silver medallist in South American Championships in 2015 (Sprint) and in 2016 (Long Distance)
IOF World Ranking: 197th

Franciely de Siqueira Chiles was born on 26 February 1992, in the city of Santana do Livramento in the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul. She was born in the peak of the summer and in the Carnival season, in a time of “batuque” and “pandeiro”. Maybe that’s why she’s such a special, communicative person who loves to laugh. But she is also a determined woman who likes simple things, and who can stay indifferent when it’s a matter of helping those in need. Today, at the age of 24 and with a degree in Public Management from the Federal University of Pampa, she is a 3rd Sergeant in the Brazilian Air Force, connected with the Armed Forces High Performance Athlete Program.

But let’s go back to 2006, a time when the Brazilian Orienteering Confederation was just 6 years old. Practically unknown in most of Brazil, Orienteering has always had one of its most active roots in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The Confederation’s headquarters were located there for fifteen years, and cities such as Santa Maria or Porto Alegre were regular venues for important events. “Disseminating the Sport” was a major slogan, and Orienteering was reaching into schools. It was there that Franciely had her first contact with the sport in the classes of Dejair Barreto, a lover of Orienteering and mentor of a project in Escola Agrícola of Santana do Livramento. “It was fascinating, despite being quite complicated at first; I didn’t know anything about Orienteering and I had never heard of it, but my interest grew as I learnt more about the sport,” she recalls.

A wise decision

Orienteering is a demanding sport and Franciely knows it: “In the first training sessions, everything was difficult. Memorising the symbols, understanding the signs, knowing how to read the map and having notions of distance were aspects that I took a while to understand.” In this adaptive process there was an element that turned out to be more complicated than any other. Franciely recalls: “It took me a long time to understand the contour lines and what they represented on the terrain.” Her first races with map and compass were in the Gaúcho League, and her first experience wasn’t much different from that of many other young orienteers: “I remember being very nervous at the beginning of the course and I ended up getting lost; it took me a long time to finish the race but I didn’t give up,” she says.

Gradually, Franciely imposed herself on the competitive Gaúcho League and the results appeared naturally. It was at this point that the great decision was taken: “To see the satisfaction and pride in my mother’s face, her eyes gleaming with joy when I showed her my first medal: it was one of the happiest moments of my life. I was sure then that Orienteering was what I wanted to do with my life,” she says. And it seems that she wasn’t mistaken, otherwise we wouldn’t see her today, so committed to the sport, Orienteering being the subject of all conversations.

“Friends are the most important”

– How do you evaluate your evolution in Orienteering?

“I know that I have been able to get better, but I also know that I have a lot to improve. Each race is an opportunity to learn.”

– What qualities do you recognise in yourself as an orienteer? What are your weaknesses?

“The ability to focus on the race and being good at reading maps are my greatest qualities. My weaknesses and where I have to improve are interpreting the contours in very detailed terrain and finding the best routes on the long legs.”

– What is the best advice you have been given so far?

“Like any orienteer, I have had some really important advice. But the advice I bear in mind the most is what my fiancé, Cleber Baratto Vidal, gave me at the end of a frustrating course: “Although we keep them in our memory, victories and defeats are transient. Friends are the most important.”

Course of the Year 2016

The fact that Brazil is a huge country – it’s the fifth largest country in the world – makes national competitions very different from each other, not only in terms of vegetation and terrain, but also in climate conditions. Aware of this reality, Franciely has no doubt in saying that it is in the South where the best conditions for competition are found. And she explains why: “In addition to pleasanter weather, the areas are more interesting and detailed here.” From her point of view “this is the region most similar to Europe.”

Although her preference is the South, Franciely focuses her attention on a different region in choosing her Course of the Year 2016: “This year I ran several courses that I loved. But what stood out for me was the Long Distance stage of the third and final round of the Brazilian Orienteering Championships, held in Brasilia, in the Federal District. It was a really challenging course, with lots of detailed vegetation and high temperatures. I knew I would have to raise my focus to the maximum and take the best options and, despite some small mistakes, I managed to control myself,” she says.

Training and support

Franciely runs with a map whenever possible, but her main target is to enhance her physical shape. The athlete has always liked to run, but it was only in 2013 that she started to take training seriously, doing it in a regular and consistent way. This new attitude towards training and competition coincided with her entry into COSM – Clube de Orientação de Santa Maria – the first Orienteering club to be founded in Brazil 25 years ago – and Franciely speaks proudly of her club: “The club shows concern for the athletes and seeks to support them with training and with incentives to enter events. It is also the club with the most Elite athletes, thanks to a series of good Presidents, not least the current one, Vitor Ribeiro Dias.”

In addition to the club’s support, Franciely is supported by Loja Orientista, and she is part of the Armed Forces High Performance Athlete Program, without which it would be very difficult to continue to compete: “This is where I find the support of dedicated professionals: the Nutritionist, the Physiotherapist, the Psychologist. It’s also an incentive for the growth of Orienteering, as many athletes dedicate themselves and train hard, dreaming of the possibility of entering the Program. From my viewpoint, the evolution of Orienteering over the years owes a lot to this program,” she says.

Achievements

Repeating the achievement of 2014, Franciely has become Brazilian Orienteering Champion again this season. This is a title that the athlete considers to be “the result of great dedication and training, both physical and technical.” She also says that “the title was strongly contested, especially by Letícia Saltori, and it was only decided on the last stage.” In fact, it was not only in the Women’s Elite that the fight kept alive throughout the Championships. Also in the Men’s Elite there was a battle going on until the end, and this competitiveness fills the athlete with satisfaction: “I believe this competitiveness will help our country to get better results,” she predicts.

Two other highlights of the season took place in Chile and Brazil, where the South American Orienteering Championship and the CISM World Military Orienteering Championships respectively took place. Two major events, with very different vegetation and weather, something that Franciely clearly values: “It was great to be able to participate in both events. Chile organised an international event for the first time, and in the World Military Championships it was possible to race alongside the best in the world,” Franciely says. And she adds: “I knew I would find it difficult, but I did my best and I’m very proud of my performances.” It is in fact in Valparaiso, Chile, that Franciely places the happiest moment of her Orienteering career so far: “I ran calmly and I had an almost perfect race,” she says.

Orienteering in Brazil

Looking at the state of Brazilian Orienteering, where the impact of a little peaceful change in its governing body has been overcome, Franciely says: “The Brazilian Orienteering Confederation is doing a good job, looking for a way to better support the athletes. The Technical Commission is composed of former Elite athletes who have already competed in Europe, so our sport is improving even more with their expertise,” she says. Franciely adds that “the great difficulties are inevitably financial, and many young orienteers don’t have any support.”

The fact that Orienteering is little-known in Brazil, with just a few events being broadcast, doesn’t help in attracting potential sponsors. But Franciely sees in each adversity a challenge to overcome, and knows that Brazil won’t give up, even in its role in Regional development: “Brazil’s role is very important, mainly because it’s an Orienteering pioneer in South America. We have given and will continue to give South American countries our support in running competitions, mapmaking and training,” she says.

Daniel Hubmann and Simone Niggli the greatest influences

Speaking of her big role models, Franciely Chiles doesn’t hesitate in naming Daniel Hubmann and Simone Niggli. She bases her admiration for these two Orienteering stars in “their ability to recover and their determination”. Franciely explains: “Daniel went through injury and yet returned at the highest level, and Simone after pregnancy was soon running and, more impressive still, winning everything there was to be won.”

– In recent times, what news has caught your attention the most?

“It was, of course, the news that the Brazilian Orienteering Confederation is trying to attract support to present their application for the organisation of the World Orienteering Championships in 2021. Being able to organize WOC 2021 would be great for Brazil, especially because of the media impact, enabling us to attract new people and contribute to the growth of the sport in our country. The Confederation elected the South region of Brazil to carry out WOC and, as I said before, this is the best region for the practice of Orienteering. The European athletes can stay calm, because I know there will be plenty of dedication and professionalism in the organising team.”

Thinking of 2017

Thinking about the season that is starting now, Franciely speaks of a year full of great events. “For the next season I intend to present myself in the best physical shape ever. I’m planning to participate in the Brazilian Orienteering Championships and in The World Games, and I hope to be able to qualify for the CISM – Military World Championships in Finland,” she says.

– Imagine that you had entered a six-month programme to prepare for the World Championships in a country of your choice. Where would you go, and who would you like to see in your training group?

“I would like to go to Sweden. I think the maps are perfect, very technical, very difficult. I wish I could take Cleber with me because he’s a precious help in training, always supporting me and helping me to improve. As for the training group, I would like to count on Simone Niggli; she is an inspiration to me, and it would be the opportunity to meet her in person.”

Franciely leaves some advice to all young orienteers that are starting out now: “We all have difficult times but we must never give up. Always believe in yourself and in your ability to turn your dreams into reality. Prevail, insist and never give up.” Finally, she shares her greatest wish, that “one day I am able to compete at the same level as the European athletes,” she concludes.

Text: Joaquim Margarido

Photo: SO BFT Armando

[See the original article at http://orienteering.org/final-iof-athlete-of-the-month-for-2016/. Published with permission from the International Orienteering Federation]

2016 in Review: The 20 most popular!

1. Bruno Nazário: "We want to be Leicester"

2. Thierry Gueorgiou: "There's a constant need to find new solutions to reach the same result"

3. WMTBOC 2016: All the Sprint maps

4. Stanimir Belomazhev: "2015/2016 was one of my best seasons ever"

5. Erik Rost: "I should be able to fight for the gold"

6. Iberian MTB Orienteering Championships 2016: Two giants named David(e)

7. MCO 2016: Turkish stronger in the Sprint

8. Porto City Race 2016: Maps

9. ETOC 2016: Analyzing the TempO

10. 10th Quijotes Orienteering Trophy: Eduardo Gil Marcos and Amparo Gil Brotons were the best

11. Tuscany Sprint Tour: Overall victories of Rjabyshkin and Kadan

12. Roman Ciobanu: "My main goal for 2017 is the WOC Sprint"

13. Anna Dvorianskaia: "I just want to compete more and improve my results"

14. CamBOr Itamar Torrezam 2016: Pasturiza wins in Rio Quente

15. Artūrs Pauliņš: "This was my worst WOC ever"

16. Two or three things I know about it...

17. Keith Dawson: "Life is not a dress rehearsal"

18. MCO 2016: Spain and Turkey share victories in the Long Distance

19. NAOM 2016: Gueorgiou and Alexandersson won Middle Distance WRE

20. Tamer Mehanna: "Orienteering in Egypt has a short time but a long story"

Joaquim Margarido

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Merry Christmas to all the Portuguese Orienteering Blog's followers hoping 2017 brings you and your Loved ones all you wish for!

Joaquim Margarido

Doping scandal: "Russian orienteering athletes participation in IOF events is not restricted and is welcomed", the IOF says

Part two of Richard McLaren's report for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) into doping problems in Russian sport, which was released on 9th December, has clarified the conclusions reached in part one, which was made public in July. Analyzed the new release, IOF keeps its statement on the case and “has full confidence in Russian orienteering athletes and IOF event organizers”.

A second investigation commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency has revealed that more than 1,000 athletes were involved in a state-run doping system in Russia. The findings come in the second part of an investigation by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren, who announced the results of his inquiry in London on Friday. His second report – which comes after WADA extended his mandate in July – confirmed the findings of the first report while revealing more about a system of covering up tests that was refined over time.

“The results of the forensic and laboratory analysis initiated by my team established the conspiracy that was perpetrated between 2011 and 2015,” McLaren said. “It is impossible to know how deep and how far back a conspiracy goes. For years, international sports competitions have unknowingly been hijacked by the Russians. Coaches and athletes have been playing on an uneven field. Sports fans and spectators have been deceived.” Most notably, he said more than 1,000 Russian Olympians and Paralympians – in summer and winter sports – were identified “as being involved in or benefiting from manipulation to conceal positive doping tests.”

How did it start?

Yuliya Stepanova, a Russian middle-distance runner, together with her husband, Vitaly Stepanov, who worked for Russia’s anti-doping agency from 2008 to 2011, spoke out in 2014 about a sophisticated, state-run doping system within Russia. The couple’s detailed accusations set off a series of investigations and additional whistle-blower accounts that have roiled global sports. She told the German public broadcaster ARD that she had been extorted and pressured to take drugs, and she provided recordings suggesting she was far from alone. The Stepanovs fled Russia in 2014, and they are living in the United States. The report also follows on charges made by Grigory Rodchenkov, a laboratory director in Sochi. Rodchenkov told the New York Times that he was ordered to replace tainted urine samples provided by top Russian competitors with clean ones.

The World Anti-Doping Agency was created in 1999 through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Its mandate is to promote, co-ordinate and monitor the fight against drugs in sports. It is headquartered in Montreal with regional offices in Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and Latin America. It receives half of its funding from the IOC and the rest from various national governments. The agency is responsible for the World Anti-Doping Code, a document that aims to harmonize anti-doping regulations in all sports and countries. It has been adopted by more than 600 sports organizations as well as the IOC and International Paralympic Committee. The code embodies an annually updated list of prohibited substances. The agency has 34 WADA-accredited labs across the globe to conduct human doping-control sample analyses. It also operates a centralized Web-based Anti-Doping Administration & Management System that stores each athlete’s lab results, whereabouts, therapeutic-use exemptions and rule violations history.

Orienteering, a close-knit family

Immediately following the report, WADA notified the International Federations that they would be receiving gathered evidence for any cases pertaining to athletes within their testing jurisdiction. The respective International Federations would then take over the cases for potential disciplinary actions. On Friday, 16th December, the International Orienteering Federation made clear its position, sustaining its full confidence in both Russian orienteering athletes and Russian IOF event organizers regarding these matters: “Based upon the information received from WADA, the IOF concludes that there is currently no evidence which indicates that orienteering is involved in systematic doping in Russia as reported by the McLaren report, and therefore sees no reason to change the statements made in July/August 2016. Russian orienteering athletes participation in IOF events is not restricted and is welcomed”, can be read at the “IOF Statement regarding the McLaren report part 2” [HERE].

On Monday, 12th December, the International Orienteering Federation had already made public the Anti-Doping Report 2016, making clear that “during 2016, a total of 102 In-Competition Doping Controls were performed by the IOF. The tests were spread over 10 different IOF Major Events in SkiO, FootO, MTBO and TrailO. A total of 84 individual athletes were tested, representing 22 different Nationalities. All but one of these tests produced a negative result. This one test produced an Adverse Analytical Finding for a substance which was covered by a Therapeutic Use Exemption granted to the athlete in question by the IOF Medical Commission, and is therefore not regarded as an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.”

WSOC 2017 in Krasnoyarsk is out of risk

The possibility of withdrawing Krasnoyarsk from the World Ski Orienteering Championships' organization left the Ski Orienteering family on a verge of a nervous breakdown. Also here, the IOF statement is quite clear: “IOF Events planned to be organized in Russia will be completed as planned, and applications for future events from organizers in Russia are welcomed by the IOF. This decision means that the currently planned World Ski Orienteering Championships in Krasnoyarsk, Russia 7th -12th March, 2017 will go ahead as planned.” On Facebook, the American Alexandra Jospe's expressed her satisfaction by the way IOF is dealing with the case: “I really appreciate the IOF doing everything it can to make this a fair sport. You are not facing an easy decision here, and hopefully whatever decision is made is not met with Internet-venom. Thank you for your work!”, she said.

Looking on the subject also on Facebook, the Former European and World Champion in Ski Orienteering, the Russian Tatiana Rvacheva, goes even further: “I think that the only thing that saves our sport from doping in Russia is that we are not an Olympic sport. That's why athletes do orienteering, only because they really love it, not because of money and something else. During all my sport career I was really proud of our international sport-family and our sport, because in Orienteering we don't have doping, we can enjoy and win without it. All members from Russian national team are training separately, we have never been part of the system. I am pretty sure that McLaren report is a half truth and there are a lot of politics, but I hope that this report will initiate great changes in all Russian sport, and government will allocate money for healthy way of life and opportunities to do sport, not only for professional sport. I hope that this situation will change mind of big amount of coaches and athletes who think about which doping is more efficient but don't work too much to find efficient methods of training. But the main thing for us is that McLaren report is far away from the Orienteering World, really far away. I hope we remain the same family with our principals of fair play, our love to what we are doing. And I'm sure in Krasnoyarsk everything will be in high level with fair winners. With a great love to our sport.”

The McLaren Independent Investigation Report (Part I and Part II) can be downloaded from the World Anti-Doping Agency's website at https://www.wada-ama.org/en/resources/doping-control-process/mclaren-independent-investigation-report-part-i and https://www.wada-ama.org/en/resources/doping-control-process/mclaren-independent-investigation-report-part-ii

Joaquim Margarido