Significant changes will be introduced in the WOC program from 2014 – or even earlier – but the only thing which is certain is that more races will have a format in which the first runner to the finish is the winner. During the XXV IOF General Assembly held in conjunction with the WOC in Trondheim, Norway, the IOF presented a report on future directions for WOC – and the IOF Council will now continue to develop a detailed programme. The future WOC program should be important for all orienteers, because it will form orienteering as we see it as a sport.

After the first articles came out after the IOF General Assembly at orientering.no, orientering.se and later also at the IOF website, there have been a lot of speculations and discussions in the orienteering community about the future WOC program (see e.g. alternativet.nu, attackpoint.org, Nopesport, OPN.no). The discussions are partly wild, and partly based on information which is not fully correct. In this article I will summarize the facts, and discuss possible realistic options based on discussions with people close to the matter. At the end of the article I’ll put up my wishes for the future WOC program – and open for discussion.

The facts

At the 2010 IOF General Assembly, the IOF Council presented a report (the content of which has not been published, being one of the reasons for all the speculations) made by a work group emanated from the results of the IOF project “Evaluation of Elite Events” (EEE), which was initiated following the 2008 IOF General Assembly. The topic of the report was the future direction of WOC for 2014 and beyond. This report was not provided for decision making, but to inform the federations of the work done and to get feedback for the continued work. The key points in the report are given at the IOF website,

• The WOC programme should diversify
• The WOC week should remain within 8 days
• A new, mixed, relay should be introduced.

In addition to the Council’s report, the General Assembly agenda also included another item relating to the future WOC programme, namely Norway’s proposal to introduce a mass start and this proposal was decided for. Based on discussions I have had with people close to the process, even if the statement says “mass start”, it could instead be a “chasing start” if that format is better suited based on the considerations to be made.

The Council will now continue to develop a detailed program in the coming year, including in which format the mass start will be introduced. The future of the WOC program will then be decided during the WOC in 2011 in France.

I have received a copy of the report. A central point for  the report is that “events need to be made easier to understand and appreciated and more exciting to watch” in order to further raise the profile and visibility of orienteering and to “gather wider interest from “outsiders” and the larger sports community“. I have also discussed with people close to the process, and can thus elaborate further on the three key points from the report (see below).

Key point 1: The WOC programme should diversify

Behind this statement lies that individual start competitions must be complemented by race formats where first-to-finish is the winner. According to the report, “such development will introduce new challenges to a traditional concept and address the ambition to further raise the spectator and media values of WOC”.

This statement is based on the thought that first-to-finish race formats are easier to understand for the (non-orienteering) viewer, and may be made for interesting for TV.  Today one of four gold medals (i.e. 25% of the medals) is awarded in a race format where the first runner to the finish is the winner.  Based on my discussions with people close to the process – and on the report – there is little doubt that this percentage will be increased in the future WOC program.

My understanding is that there are currently three main ways to introduce first-to-finish winner disciplines,

• A mass start – either replacing the long distance or as a new discipline. The length of the mass start  could be anything from 45 minutes to 90 minutes. If the winning time is significantly more than an hour, it would probably have to replace the long distance. The start field would have to be reduced significantly from the 100+ participants for each sex in the WOC, probably by some kind of qualification race (see discussion below regarding the length of WOC), as a smaller startfield (30-40 starters) gives less demands for the forking system. A forking system would have to (1) be able to split up runners to some extent and (2) be easily understandable by TV/spectator regarding which runners is in the lead – no easy task. Discussions I have had indicate that forked loops would maybe be a viable forking system, but the forked loops would have to be relatively short with a long unforked loop at the end of the race – TV typically starting the broadcast towards the end of the unforked loops
• A chasing start. The most promising candidate for a chasing start might be to have a prologue of around 25 minutes in the morning (all 100+ runners in the same course), and a chasing start of 25-30 minutes based on the results of the prologue with the 30-40 best runners in the afternoon/evening (note that there might be time problems with a 2 minute start interval prologue in the morning for all runners in the same course). The prologue could also be used as a qualification race for the middle distance. A chasing start gives somewhat less demand regarding the forking system, and also gives several advantages for TV as there is (1) interesting TV pictures at the start and at each control for a longer time due to the spreading in the chasing start and (2) possible to use a less complicated forking system.One could also have a chasing start based on results from e.g. the middle distance final, but some do not like to award a gold medal and in addition have a big advantage towards another gold medal. A third option would be to replace the middle distance with a chasing start.
• A KnockOut sprint – similar to the concept introduced in the Nordic Orienteering Tour in Stockholm this spring. With better TV coverage and possibly also with a very simple forking system, this concept could prove very interesting for TV. If a KnockOut sprint is introduced in the WOC program, it is probable that it would replace the sprint as we know it in the WOC program of today.

Based on my understanding, it is improbable that all three first-to-finish winner disciplines will be introduced into the WOC program, but there is a chance that either a mass start or a chasing start is introduced – in addition to replacing today’s sprint with a KnockOut sprint.

Key point 2: The WOC week should remain within 8 days

Based on the report, it is an absolute that the WOC week remains within 8 days, i.e. all finals and qualification races must be held within these 8 days – but the program regarding which day which discipline is organized will have to vary due to local conditions.

The report says nothing about the number of finals / medal disciplines to be included in the future WOC program, but it is my clear understanding that there will be maximum one extra set of gold medals awarded in the WOC week, i.e. maximum one extra final.

Also, it is my understanding that the interest of the smaller nations will be important in forming the future WOC program, i.e. there should probably not be less disciplines to run for runners who today are fighting for a place in the A-finals at WOC. Thus it is improbable that qualification races will be removed in order to use WRE-points or World Cup standings to qualify directly to WOC finals. On the contrary, it is more probable that one will introduce qualification races where all runners run the same course (like in the prologue for chasing start and KnockOut sprint described above) where all runners will get a WOC result in the end rather than only getting a qualification result.

Key point 3: A new, mixed, relay should be introduced

In the report, it is concluded that the relay format used at the World Games, consisting of mixed teams with two women and two men, should be part of the future WOC program. Based on both the report and discussions I have had, it seems clear that if the mixed relay is introduced, it will replace the WOC relay format of today, as there is only room for one team competition at WOC.

The reason for wanting to replace the relay competitions with a mixed relay seems to be based on (1) positive feedback from the IOC after World Games, (2) the format is believed to be TV/media friendly and (3) the mixed relay competition is said to be an advantage for the smaller nations who might not have a good team with 3 women / 3 men, but have better chances in a mixed relay with 2 women + 2 men.

Based on discussions I have had with people close to the TV production, there are three possibilities for the relay competition in the future,

• Introduce the mixed relay (World Games type format or similar)
• Keep todays relay format, but decrease the leg lengths to around 30 minutes for each leg (as in NOC relay last year)
• Keep todays relay format with leg lengths as today

According to what I have been told, only the two first options are realistic alternatives, as the relay format of today with two long legs in the end is not deemed to be TV-friendly as the total time of the relay is too long. It thus seems like either the mixed relay as suggested in the report from the IOF Council or a shorter variant of today’s relay are the realistic options for the future. A change to a mixed relay format might be difficult to “sell” to the orienteering community which is generally quite conservative.

My personal opinions

Above I tried to give some objective insight into the probable future for the WOC program based on discussions with people close to the decision process – and based on the report from the IOF. I will now finish this article with my personal opinions about the WOC of the future – along with some discussions.

First a few words about orienteering as a TV sport based on experience from WOC 2010 in Trondheim – as this is also important for the discussion about the WOC program for the future. I had some interesting discussions with the NRK commentary for WOC 2010, Arild Andersen, who said that  he actually liked the long distance format best for TV, as there is time to explain the route choices and what is happening. However, if the start interval is increased to 3 minutes, the startfield would have to be reduced. The sprint did not work too well – as it was too hectic, and it was difficult to use the GPS tracking. The middle distance was also a bit hectic regarding the possibility to use the GPS tracking actively. Andersen was also a bit skeptical towards how it would be possible to make a mass start interesting TV.  As far as I could understand, you would have to have a lot of cameras to follow the runners in an acceptable part of the course – making it very costly. However, the idea of  a chasing start with a 25 minute prologue in the morning and a 30-35 minute chasing start in the afternoon was met with a very positive attitude by Andersen. I have also heard that NRK has got a lot of positive feedback for the use of GPS tracking in the WOC broadcasts – and I have also got very positive feedback from non-orienteers who I know who have watched part of the WOC broadcasts.

Down to my suggestions for the future WOC program:

• Suggestion 1: Split the WOC into two parts – a “Sprint WOC” and a “Distance WOC” – each organized biennially
  As far as I am aware of, splitting the WOC into two parts has not been part of the discussions within the IOF. In my opinion, there are several advantages by splitting the WOC into two parts. (1) There will be room for both the traditional long distance and a mass start/chasing start event. (2) The mixed relay can be part of the Sprint WOC and one relay for each gender can be part of the “Distance WOC”. (3) Both a KnockOut sprint, a traditional sprint (possibly also both city sprint and forest sprint) and a sprint relay can be introduced into the program – disciplines which are easier to master for the less developed orienteering nations (4) The Sprint WOC will be easier to organize for less developed orienteering nations, making it easier to spread orienteering to new nations.

  I have discussed this suggestion (which is not originally mine) with some who have said that if one should do a splitting into two WOCs, they should both be organized every year. I would rather have them every second year, in order to get full focus on both WOCs by all runners – also from the less developed orienteering nations.

• Suggestion 2: Keep the long distance as it is – change start interval to 2 minutes for first 25 starters
  The long distance discipline has excellent TV potential when the GPS tracking is further developed. A 3 minute start interval for all starters might be a challenge seen from a TV standpoint, but why not use a start interval of 2 minutes for the first 25-30 starters and 3 minutes start interval for the rest of the start field?
• Suggestion 3: The  first-to-finish winner discipline to be introduced should be chasing start
  In my opinion, of the different options for a first-to-finish winner disciplines, the chasing start with a ~25 minute prologue in the morning and a ~25-30 minute chasing start in the afternoon/evening is the best option. It is easier to make to work for TV than the mass start, it is easier to make a forking system which works adequately, and it contains more of the real orienteering element than a mass start.
• Suggestion 4:  Keep the separate gender relays
  I don’t like the idea of removing the separate gender relays. The only good way to introduce the mixed relay would – in my opinion – be to split the WOC in two parts as suggested above.
• Suggestion 5:  Keep the middle distance as it is – or shorten its length down to 25-30 minutes
  Even if the feedback from Andersen was not entirely positive for the middle distance, it has been very tight and exciting the last years – and it should be possible to use the GPS tracking even better to show the excitement in a good way. It could be a possibility to shorten its length somewhat
• Suggestion 6:  The sprint
  The KnockOut sprint is an interesting format, but it is not yet fully developed and ready for prime time. The ideal option would in my opinion to split the WOC in two parts, and have both a traditional sprint and a KnockOut-sprint. However, it this is not possible, I think there is not enough information yet to conclude.

Thanks for reading all the way through until the end. Please use the comments below to discuss my suggestions. I am very open for changing my opinions – the best way to develop the sport is through open discussions about the future, and getting out the opinions of both the elite and the rest of the orienteering community.

As always: A very dramatic WOC relay with France in one of the main roles in the mens class. In the end Russia took the gold medals in the mens class whereas Finland took the gold medals in the womens class. Norway took silver in both mens and womens class.

Maps Relay

• Map men
• Map women

Decided to attack

The big excitement was in the mens class. After 16 controls on the last leg, Thierry Gueorgiou (France) was in the lead ahead of Valentin Novikov (Russia). On the way to control 18, Gueorgiou felt strong, and decided to push hard in order to get a gap to the Russian.

- On the road to 17 I felt very strong, so I decided to attack Valentin (Novikov). I had seen on the GPS that around was very fast.

Then the unbelievable happened. Gueorgiou didn’t see the 17th control on the map as the 16th, 17th and 18th controls were in a row, so he skipped the 17th control and went directly to control number 18. A big “Oh no” went through the crowd, and it was no good feeling standing there beside Francois Gonon – the second leg runner of France – watching it as it unfolded.

When the French runner arrived first at the spectator control, he was told that he had skipped a control, and had to return to the forest and take control number 17.

For the other teams, the excitement continued with Russia now in a lead with less than a minute down to chasing Norway. In the end, Russia with Valentin Novikov was the strongest team, and Russia took gold ahead of Norway and Switzerland.

Again: Andersen against Kauppi

In the womens class, there was also a tight fight on the last leg. Finland (Kauppi), Norway (Andersen) and Sweden (Jansson) were together in the forest when passing the spectator control on the last leg. Jansson had problems keepin the speed of the Finnish and Norwegian runner up the hill, and it was clear that the fight would be between Kauppi and Andersen for gold – just as at the middle distance.

Once again, Minna Kauppi was the strongest – taking the gold medal for Finland ahead of Norway with Sweden on third spot for the bronze medals. Thus Andersen got her fourth medal at this World Championships – none of them a gold medal.

Medal overview

Switzerland was yet again the best nation – just as in the last World Championships and European Champs. Norway was the second best country – with Finland in third spot.

Results women

Results men

Full results available here

Final words

It has been a great championships here in Trondheim. Some compromises have been done regarding the courses to make the races media-friendly, and it can be discussed if this is good or bad for the sport. Both terrain and courses were more interesting in the qualification races than in the finals in my opinion – and in the opinion of most of the runners I have talked to. Still, the runners had tough challenges in all races, and knowing which compromises have been done, the courses were as good as possible as far as I can judge. Which compromises should be done in order to suit TV, media and spectators is another discussion which I will not take here. I will follow up with some thoughts on the future of orienteering and TV in a later post based on discussions with different people I have had this week during WOC.

World of O Ranking and pictures from the relay will be updated in a few days – now it is time to travel back first. Thanks again for all contributing in the LiveBlog, with comments to the posts at WorldofO.com and through comments directly to me here at WOC in Trondheim. Great with all the feedback – keep it coming!

A quick grouping analysis from WOC 2010 Middle Final. See this article for background information and information about the method.

As expected, there is much less grouping in the middle distance – the maximum grouping time in the mens class is of 23 minutes and the maximum time a runner has been behind is 13 minutes. Similar numbers are found in the womens class. A time of around 10-15 minutes might be difficult to avoid when two runners come together, and should normally not be seen as a problem in my opinion.

Very popular victories to Carl Waaler Kaas (NOR) and Minna Kauppi (FIN) in today’s middle distance at the World Champs in Trondheim.  While Kauppi had a clear victory, the mens class was tight all the way until the end – Kaas finishing only a few seconds ahead of Peter Öberg.

The ones following the GPS on the arena or on the web TV could observe how Waaler Kaas was 5 seconds behind Öberg at the top of the hill, but took second by second down the hill and into the finish. There is no better way to show the excitement in orienteering – not even with a mass start race.

Map

• Map WOC Middle final 2010 men
• Map WOC Middle final 2010 women

Routes: Men

Below routechoices of the top runners in the mens class along with split times are shown. Note that the split times might not be 100% correct (official split times not published as of writing this) – it will be updated if I notice any errors – so the short analysis below is therefore also not conclusive. Updated with new figures.

The first route shown is the leg from number 3 to number 4. Here it looks like Gueorgiou lost a bit on his longer route to the right – whereas the other medalists were nearly equal.

The second route shown is the leg from number 6 to number 7. Most approach the control from the left side where the hill is less steep, but Carl Waaler Kaas takes a more direct approach up the steep hill. The ones loosing on this leg are Gueorgiou and Novikov who run in an S-shape.

From 9 to 10 most go left, but Gueorgiou runs more along the road to the right. No big differences in split times among the best, except for Novikov who earns 15 seconds by running speed.

Routes: Women

Below the routes of the best women on the longer legs in the WOC 2010 middle distance are shown. There were quite a few different routechoices, and already to the 4th control Marianne Andersen looses more than a minute. From control 4-5, Fincke takes a long routechoice around to the right which costs here more than a minute to the best – all of the other top runners take variants to the left. The last long leg is 7-8 – here all the top women choose to go left – only Jansson has a more direct approach at the start of the leg, loosing around 50 seconds on this leg.

Statements of the medalists

Below you find statements from the medalists – unedited from the press conference just after the race.

Minna Kauppi:
- My race was really good. Just some small mistakes. This was something I was really after in this world champs
- I was a bit mad before this competition. This was not what I had expected.
- Because of the little fever I have had, I was not really disappointed. I knew that I could fix it today.
- After the sprint, I was slightly ill with some fever for two days.
- I think Simone has taken all gold medals twice, so I think she didn’t need a third.
- The first gold medal was quite weird because I won together with Heli with the same time. I was confused, but it was still special.
- The second time I was too proud of myself.
- Today it was just winning myself to show that I am not such a loosehead – that I could win on my own.
- I think we will fight really hard for the gold tomorrow, but it will be tight

Simone Niggli:
- I am not sad that I can not take all gold medals. A silver medal is also very good.
- I think I lost it on the way to the 15th control. You have to be concentrated all of the way, and I lost concentration for one control
- It was on the top of the hill, so perhaps I lost concentration because I pushed too hard physically
- I think we have a strong team, but I think it will be very tough against the Scandinavian teams. We will fight for the medals.
- For me it is the second silver medal (she has 17 gold medals), so it is also something special.

Marianne Andersen:
- I am very happy that I got three medals, but I am not very happy with my race today. If I was the one giving out medals, I would not have given me a medal today.
- I started well, but then I thought this was not fast enough. Then I increased my speed, and could not orienteer well.
- Perhaps I wanted too much to run a perfect race today.
- All of the Norwegian team is very ready for tomorrow.
- Everyone is just talking about the gold medal. I myself just want to run good races, and the results will show what it is worth afterwards.

Carl Waaler Kaas:
- It was almost a 100% race. Just as planned. Tried to stay focused all the race, and I think I managed very well. I felt I struggled a little on some longer legs, but I think I managed very well.
- About three weeks ago I twisted my ankle very bad. I was afraid it was broken, so I was afraid I would loose all of the championships. I could run after one week, and I understood that I could get into top shape for the championships.
- After the qualification, I felt very secure. But yesterday I got very nervous, and had problems falling asleep. This morning I was much, much calmer.
- It is just an amazing feeling. Three years ago I was so tired that my body could not absorb training. It has been going better an better, and now it is really a dream which has gone through.
- From the second last control to the finish I knew I was in the fight for a good position, but I had no idea how good it was. I knew where to go to the last control
- I nearly didn’t realize I won after crossing the line. I had to
- Petter (Thoresen) told us “If you couldn’t smile at the start, you wouldn’t have a chance.” So I had to smile. I knew that this would be a really amazing race.

Petter Öberg:
- I am very happy with my performance, and I am very happy with a medal.
- I have been aiming for this race for a long time, and am very happy it went well.
- The race was really good. Maybe I could find a few places were I could have made it better. But it was really good. The training has been well, and everything has been good in the preparations.
- Fromt the GPS replay when Carl was live, I saw that I had maybe 5 seconds on the top of the hill, then I hesitated, and Carl was simply faster than me down the ski tracks.
- I heard it was the first time we got a Swedish medal on the middle distance, so it was a good day.

Thierry Gueorgiou:
- I just feel as disappointed as after the long. Of course, after winning 6 times the gold on the middle distance, it is a disappointment with a bronze.
- I did some not so good routes, and some mistakes at the controls. I think I could have won, but I did too many mistakes, and it was not good enough.
- I knew I had to run just perfect as the last time to win, and did not manage.
- I was disappointed by the course and the terrain. I think it has been the worst terrain I have been in in since I have been on training camps in Trondheim. You have to
- Next year it will be much for challenging for sure. Then I will be back.
- It was of course very important to succeed in Trondheim, but I have had WOC in France in my head for 2-3 years, and it is not so easy to have two things in the head at once.

Daniel Hubmann:
- I am really happy that I managed to win a medal today.
- I think my shape is good, but the terrain is of course different than the two last championships. I am not sure if it is because of the terrain or because of my shape.
- Two years until the World Champs in Switzerlands. That is one of my big goals. But now we are here in Trondheim, and will concentrate on the relay.
- We have a good relay team, but I also think that we are not one of the favorite teams. It will be a hard fight for the medals.
- I am not surprised that Carl Waaler Kaas is the World Champion. He won a World Cup race earlier, and was for sure one of the favorites.

Results women

Results men

Full results available here

The middle distance starts at 12:40 CET – with the winner in the mens class in the finish around 16:20 CET. Again the excellent live services including live GPS tracking, video streaming and Live Blog will make this a very interesting day for all orienteering lovers.

The two big favorites in the WOC Middle distance are Simone Niggli and Thierry Gueorgiou – but in any other terrain they would probably both be even bigger favorites. Thus the WOC Middle distance is open – and exciting – in both the mens and womens classes – look out for a real thriller later today!

Important links and information

• The LiveBlog from the WOC Middle is embedded at the bottom of this page (scroll all the way down)
• The WOC 2010 Live center with live results, live GPS tracking and speaker sound is to be found here
• First start: 12:42 CET – Women. 14:17 CET – Men
• Startlist Middle Final with link to runner profiles; men and women
• The course is in two parts, and the competitors need to exchange map for the last part of the course. The exchange takes place when passing the arena.

Favorites: Men

Top Favorites:

• Thierry Gueorgiou: The best middle distance runner in the world – and the biggest favorite in many people´s books. Gueorgiou has been the king of middle for many years, and has shown that he masters the Norwegian terrain well – however so do the best Norwegians and Swedes, and Gueorgiou has not at all been unbeatable in this kind of terrain. He his really hungry for this victory, though.
• Carl Waaler Kaas: Very determined and strong technical runner, and has been extremely strong in tests lately. Some injury problems just ahead of WOC, but not enough to make an impact on his shape. All the three Norwegians – Kaas, Nordberg and Weltzien – are very strong and could turn out as gold medalists at the middle distance, but Kaas is my favorite of them in the Trondheim terrain based on results in local and national races this year.
• David Andersson: Strong middle distance runner, with a breakthrough in WOC 2005 in Japan with a 4th place. This is still his best individual WOC result, but based on results races earlier this year he is among the top favorites for gold in WOC middle. It was difficult choosing between Andersson and Peter Öberg for one Swede on the list of top favorites – both can turn out being the gold medalist in the end.
• Daniel Hubmann: I take the chance of putting Hubmann up on the list of top favorites yet again – even after two 7th places. The middle distance will probably be a bit less Nordic in characteristics, suiting Hubmann better, but is he in his best shape? Due to Gueorgiou missing out on World Cup and EOC races on the middle distance this year, Hubmann is actually on top of the World of O Ranking on the middle distance.
• Anders Nordberg: Nordberg took silver on WOC long, but is just as strong on the middle distance. Knows what is required to win a middle distance race in the Trondheim terrain, and has a bit less pressure on his shoulders after the silver medal on the long distance.

Outsiders:

• Mattias Merz: Did not impress on he long distance, but may still come back to the very top at the middle distance if he has the day. Took the second spot on EOC Middle this year – and has the 4th spot on the World of O Ranking on the middle distance. The key to success for Merz and the other Swiss runners is the Nordic terrain.
• Valentin Novikov: On the list due to his gold medal in EOC Middle distance earlier this year, but probably not strong enough in Nordic terrain. Has surprised earlier though, and can do it again… 3rd spot on the World of O Ranking on middle distance.
• Francois Gonon: Very strong at the long distance, just missing out on a medal by 27 seconds. Showed good orienteering in large parts of the course, especially in the uphills early in the race. Might reach very far with a good race. Only 22nd spot on the World of O Ranking on middle distance, but finished 5th in WOC Middle distance in 2009 and showed his capacity there.
• Peter Öberg: Has not showed earlier this year that he is one of the big favorites for the gold medal in the middle distance, but if he gets close to his capacity from last spring, nobody can beat him. 8th spot on the World of O Ranking on middle distance.
• Audun Weltzien: Won the Nordic Tour, and after having trouble in the important races earlier in his career, has lately shown that he can handle the pressure a lot better. An outsider, but may still be on top of the podium at the end of the day. 5th spot on the World of O Ranking on middle distance.
• Tero Föhr: The Finnish runners have not shown impressive form at this years WOC, but Föhr may still be in on the fight for the medals. 7th spot on the World of O Ranking on middle distance.
• Matthias Müller: The gold medalist from the sprint is in good shape, and has shown earier (4th spot WOC Middle last year) that he can perform very well on the middle distance as well. One to look out for for the medals. 8th spot on the World of O Ranking on middle distance.

Favorites: Women

Top Favorites:

• Simone Niggli: 17 WOC gold medals – and probably the biggest favorite at the WOC middle distance also, even if middle is her “worst” discipline. Will be really difficult to beat also on middle, but this is the big chance of the competitors. On top on the World of O Ranking on the middle distance.
• Marianne Andersen: Running for her first individual WOC gold medal – and the middle distance in Trondheim might be the place where it will finally happen. Silver from WOC Middle 2006 and 2009 and bronze from WOC Middle 2007 – will this finally be the gold medal race for Andersen? The biggest favorite along with Simone Niggli. Number two (shared with Kauppi) on World of O Ranking on the middle distance.
• Helena Jansson: Won NOC Middle last year, and 4th spot in EOC middle earlier this year. Very strong middle distance runner in Nordic terrain – and may be the one to challenge Andersen and Niggli. Missed out on the medals on the long distance. 6th place on the World of O Ranking on the middle distance.
• Minna Kauppi: Has struggled a bit in 2009 and 2010, and been sick on the run-up to the championships. A real fighter, and nobody would be surprised if she took the gold medal despite some problems. Needs to have a good start in the race to keep pushing all the way to the end. Shared 2nd place on the World of O Ranking on the middle distance.
• Signe Söes: Finally a medalist at EOC with her silver medal on the middle distance – despite injury problems all winter. Has taken the steps towards the top one by one the last years, and if everything fits she could be able to take the final step in the middle distance today. More likely that Söes is fighting for the bronze, though.

Outsiders:

• Anne Margrethe Hausken: The big star in 2008 when winning the overall World Cup, but has had some injury problems in 2009 and 2010. Middle is not Hauskens best discipline – she has not made many really good middle distance races. However, if she has the day, notbody can beat her. Only 15th place on World of O Ranking on the middle distance.
• Dana Brozkova: Brozkova is 4th on the World of O Ranking on the middle distance, but has not showed those kind of results in Trondheim yet. Reigning world champion on the middle distance – and has shown good shape in continental terrain earlier this year, and must therefore be counted among the outsiders.
• Merja Rantanen, Lena Eliasson, Vroni König Salmi: These three women are also fighting for the medals at WOC middle distance – being placed 7, 8 and 9 on the World of O Ranking on the middle distance.

Fantasy World Cup

Remember to submit your team to the Fantasy World Cup 2010. All WOC finals are part of the World Cup, and 10 of the 13 World Cup events count in the overall Fantasy World Cup. The last chance to update your Fantasy World Cup team ahead of the middle final is at 12:40 CET – 2 minutes ahead of the first start!

WOC History

Another useful resource is the World of O Runners WOC history page – giving you all the best WOC results for each discipline sorted by country. We will update these pages during the championships.

LiveBlog for WOC 2010

There will be a LiveBlog during all of WOC in a cooperation between WorldofO.com and the WOC organizers in Trondheim. I will be reporting live from the arena/forest via mobile phone. All Tweets from Eliteorienteers go directly into the LiveBlog.

HeadCam videos

HeadCam video through part of the WOC Long Qualification course Women heat B. Get to know the type of terrain the WOC athletes meet in Trondheim by comparing map with terrain as seen through the eyes of a runner with a HeadCam mounted on the head. The runner speed (including some mistakes not shown) is just about what was required to get to an A-final. This video was made on request based on the comments on the World of O Facebook page after the WOC Middle Qual HeadCam video (see below). Longer version coming…

HeadCam video through part of the WOC Middle Qualification course Women heat C. Here the HeadCam footage is combined with 3DRerun visualization which gives an overview of the course. The runner speed here was just inside what was required for an A-final spot (thus some mistakes are allowed in the womens class).

With a GPS on all runners, it is now possible to analyze how the runners interact in the forest – also inbetween the controls. The World Champs in Trondheim is the last(?) WOC Long distance with 2 minute start interval (that is, at least for a while, due to an IOF rule change which now dictates 3 minutes start intervals on WOC Long distance).

The 2 minute start interval brought some groups as expected – as you can see in the analysis below. However, probably due to the many long legs and many routechoice options, no big trains of runners formed. Also, the medals do not seem to have been influenced by grouping at this years WOC.

The analysis is made based on the following assumptions:

• Contact between two runners is defined by the two runners being within a radius of 50 meters based on the GPS data
• Runner A heading in direction 0 degrees is defined to be in front of runner B if runner B is in the sector defined by 135 degrees to 225 degrees. Correspondingly, runner A heading in direction 0 degrees is defined to be behind runner B if runner B is in the sector 315 degrees to 45 degrees. If runner B is outside these sectors, it is defined as contact, but none of the runners is in front.
• In addition to calculating if a runner is behind/in front, the average distance between the runners is calculated. This can indicate if a runner is simply following behind as closely as possible (short distance), or doing separate choices (longer distance).
• Note that there is some GPS inaccuracy, and therefore these numbers can not be fully trusted. However, they give a clear indication, and can be further analyzed by replaying the GPS tracks for selected runners.
• The grouping analysis is made using the analysis tool 3DRerun (which is currently in closed beta – access may be granted if you send a request to jan@kocbach.net). The analysis is quite experimental, and the results must therefore be used with care.

Below, histograms are shown for the men and women categories. In addition, full tables are shown at the bottom of the article.

Histogram: Grouping at WOC 2010 Long distance – Men

From the histogram above you can see which runners have been mostly in contact with other runners during the race (orange = contact, red = behind, blue = in front).  Not surprisingly, Daniel Hubmann has been most in contact with other runners (83 minutes of his race) – being one of the top runners with a very early starting time.  He has mostly been in front (70 minutes), but also been behind or in contact for some time. The average distance is as low as 7 meters for all of the 83 minutes – which means Hubmann has never had peace in his long distance race. Other runners who have been in front for large parts of the race are Nordberg (54 minutes first) and Millegård (37 minutes first).

Looking in the other direction, we have Tambasov (60 minutes behind with an average distance of 7 meters) and Fraser (57 minutes behind with an average distance of 9 meters). Next on the list are Forne and Khramov – but these four runners are the only ones which have been behind for more than 35 minutes according to the GPS data analysis.

Note that it is not forbidden to follow another runner according to my interpretation of the IOF rules, but it is rather the responsibility of the course setter and the organizers to avoid following in order to keep the nature of the sport of orienteering.

Histogram: Grouping at WOC 2010 Long distance – Women

Above you see a similar histogram for the womens class. In the womens class we also have four women who have been behind for more than 35 minutes. Geypen on top with nearly 60 minutes and an average distance of 11 meters, then Dodin with 43 minutes, Novikova with 40 minutes and Prince with 36 minutes.

Looking at who has been most in front, we have Andersen on top with 45 minutes – and Alm on the next place with 36 minutes in front. There has generally been more grouping in the womens class than in the mens class, but there are not many clear followers except the four highlighted above.

Jansson, Fasting and Niggli have been nearly alone throughout all of the course according to the GPS data analysis.

Summary table: Grouping at WOC 2010 Long distance – Men

The complete table of calculated data for all runners is shown below. Looking at who has been lonely in the forest – Merz might be one of them – having been inside of a radius of 50 meters compared to other runners for only about 6 minutes…

Summary table: Grouping at WOC 2010 Long distance – Women

Double Norway with gold for Olav Lundanes and silver for Anders Nordberg. A very disappointed Thierry Gueorgiou (FRA) took the bronze and is very hungry for showing his strength on the middle distance on Saturday. Francois Gonon (FRA) came 27 seconds too late for the bronze medal in 4th.

The WOC Long distance was exactly what the Norwegians needed for their World Championships – now there may be even more spectators for the middle distance in Granåsen on Saturday.

Update! See also grouping analysis WOC Long distance men

- The JWOC medals are just children medals

Olav Lundanes has gold medals from JWOC – but for him those are nothing worth compared to the gold medal he won at the World Champs over the long distance today. – The JWOC medals are just children medals, Lundanes said at the press conference after the race. Read on below to see the runners comments from the race.

Olav Lundanes:
- There were some short legs in the beginning. Not so technical. It gave me some time to read the map, and I could get a fast start.
- I saw Francois one minute ahead of me in the start, so I knew I was going faster than him. But I did not know really how fast I was before passing the spectator control.
- I was really tired on the last loop. But I knew that I had one and a half minute, so I knew that I could use some time to orienteer carefully on the last loop.
- There were no big surprises in the course. We have prepared for this for a year.
- The JWOC medals are just children medals, these are the medals that count. There will maybe be a cake this evening, but the relay is on Sunday, so no celebration until Sunday.

Anders Nordberg:
- It was a very good race. My speed was quite good in the end. I did one small mistake on the 8th control, but I think that was the only mistake today.
- Of course you always win a silver medal, but this is my fourth medal. It is a little bit mixed feelings. But Olav is a very good friend of mine, and it is a very good day for Norwegian orienteering and for the club. It is a very special day for us.
- Olav has prepared for this race the whole year.
- Our level in this kind of terrain is very high. We are quite good on the long distance in this kind of terrain.
- I don’t think there is anything I would have made different today. I was unsure of my speed in the start.

Thierry Gueorgiou:
- I think I might have been in a good position at the third control, but then I did at least 1.15 mistake at the 4th control.
- Of course I am not satisfied with a bronze medal. I was looking for gold at the long distance this year, so now I have to wait a year until the next chance.
- I promise it will not be that easy to beat me next year
- I like Anders and Olav quite much. I spent some training camp with Anders earlier this year. I said earlier that if somebody beat me on the long distance, it should be Anders. Now it was also Olav, but that is also OK. But it still hurts.
- I think it does not matter if it was me or him on bronze. We are both in the same position. None of us are happy with bronze, for both of us we are only happy with gold.
- We are really eager for good results at the relay on Sunday.
- I am looking for the middle distance now.

Map

• Map WOC Long men
• See also map and route-choice analysis WOC Long women

Route choice analysis

We first look at the long leg. Below you see the routes of the best runners on the decisive long leg in the WOC 2010 long distance final. Olav Lundanes is fastest with a direct route, but Millegård going all the way to the right looses only 10-15 seconds to Lundanes. Nordberg and Haldin run to the left, and loose some more seconds – but generally the important thing on this long leg was to make a choice, and keep pushing all the way.

The image below shows routes of all runners colored based on time on the complete leg. Green is fast – red is slow. You can see that going right is generally faster – i.e. few runners loose time when going right, but runners have also achieved good times by going more direct and left.

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The long leg to the third control was the first routechoice challenge in the mens course. Of the top runners, Nordberg was the fastest here by choosing a right variant, but cutting through the marsh in the last part of the leg where others went around either to the left or to the right. Gueorgiou went left and was faster than the rest – but lost 15 seconds to Nordberg. Millegård lost quite a bit on this leg, but not due to his routechoice.

The next challenge was the leg 4-5. Here Gonon was fastest with a left variant – all the fastest runners on this leg of the ones in the top choose some left variant. Gueorgiou and Omdal going right – and Lundanes going more direct – all loose time on this leg. Haldin goes all the way right using the path, and looses more than 40 seconds to Gonon. However, Merz also went right, but run 9:12 and did not loose so much time (thanks to comments for this information).

The leg 6-7 did not offer that many choices, but it is interesting to see how different the routes of the top runners are in the forest. Not a very decisive leg regarding route choice, but Millegård and Nordberg loose quite a bit of time here whereas Gonon runs an exceptional leg up the hill, and seems to be very strong in this part of the course. Looking at the routes, it is quite surprising that there is a minute between Gonon and Nordberg/Millegård. Both Nordberg and Millegård do the same “mistake”: Choosing the steepest approach were they have to climb instead of running – and also are not good enough at keeping the straight compass course. Gonon uses the marshes were he can, and uses that to gain an advantage.

The leg 20-21 is nearly the same as in the womens class – where Simone Niggli and Emma Claesson took a big chunk of time on the other runners by going around the road to the right. In the mens class, Omdal and Millegård go right. Millegård’s time is nearly equal to Lundanes’s best time going direct, while Omdal looses close to a minute. Omdal looses most of this time on the last part into the control where he goes in too early – and Omdal is also not that a strong runner on the road. Gueorgiou and Nordberg loose some time on this leg (30-40 seconds). Nordberg looses at the start of the leg by not running direct enough. Gueorgiou looses most of the time up the steep hill in the middle of the leg.

In the last part of the course there were no bit routechoice problems for the runners. Below the routes for the top runners are shown. Nordberg is fastest – followed closely by Gonon and Gueorgiou. Lundanes looses nearly 50 seconds – but according to his own comment he kept the speed a bit down to concentrate on the orienteering as he knew that he had a 90 seconds advantage – he also took it easy in the final run-in – knowing that he was already a World Champion!

3DRerun of WOC Long distance men

To get a better picture of how the race developed, the following 3DRerun gives you additional information about what happened. This is a simulated mass start of the top runners.

Results

1 Lundanes,Olav NOR 1:32:41 + 00:00
2 Nordberg,Anders NOR 1:33:21 + 00:40
3 Gueorgiou,Thierry FRA 1:36:21 + 03:40
4 Gonon,Franois FRA 1:36:48 + 04:07
5 Millegård,Marcus SWE 1:37:33 + 04:52
6 Fraser,Scott GBR 1:37:36 + 04:55
7 Hubmann,Daniel SUI 1:37:57 + 05:16
8 Haldin,Mats FIN 1:38:25 + 05:44
9 Omdal,Hans Gunnar NOR 1:39:39 + 06:58
10 Tsvetkov,Dmitry RUS 1:40:07 + 07:26

• Full Results

Gold for Simone Niggli ahead of Marianne Andersen in the WOC Long distance in Trondheim, Norway today. The bronze went to Emma Claesson after an impressive last half of the course.

This was Simone Niggli’s 17th WOC gold medal for Simone Niggli – that is a hard one to beat!

- I wanted to beat the Norwegians on their homeground

Simone Niggli was really happy to show that she can beat the Nordic runners in Nordic forest – not only on the sprint. The long distance therefore tastes a lot better than the sprint gold. Read on to read the comments from the three medalists at the press conference.

Simone Niggli:
- It was important for me to show that I could do this only in a Norwegian forest. I wanted to beat the Norwegians on their homeground in the forest.
- The routechoice in the end I could not decide for a long time, but then I decided to take the route in which I could use my strengt (around on the road).
- You never know in this kind of terrain – you have to be very careful all the way. My tactic today was to avoid big mistakes, and that worked very well.
- Until I passed the spectator control I did not think about results, I just concentrated on having a good race.
- You can’t plan a gold medal, and it will be very tough in the middle distance on Saturday.
- We thought that the start would be were it was. Also the long route choices we discussed them in the team, so there were no big surprises. But anyway, you have to be free in your opinion when being on the start.

Marianne Andersen:
- I considered running around on the road on the long leg in the end, but when I saw the leg in the forest, I thought the control was so high up in the forest that it would be better to go more left.
- I enjoyed the course today. It was challenging and good, I think.
- I had one bad route choice on the long leg, and another bad routechoice in the end. If I take all my small mistakes and subtract them, I could come down to Simone’s time. But it was a good race, and I am satisfied.
- I know that my shape is good, but I also know that there are many other girls fighting for the medals, so it will be a tough race on the middle distance on Saturday.

Emma Claesson:
- I did a pretty bad start. I had some problems, especially on the third control. My orienteering up to the fourth control was not good. At the fourth control, I ran back to the control because I thought I had forgot punching after drinking, and lost some time there.
- I tried to think positive, and it was good.
- Simone is fantastic. She is very, very good – but she is not unbeatable.
- The Swedish chances in the relay are good. We have a good team.

Map

• Map WOC Long women

Route choice analysis

Below you see the best routes along with the routes of the medalists on the long legs of todays WOC Long distance for women.

• The first leg we look at is the long leg from the first to the second control. After a very short leg, the women had to make a choice without too much knowledge of the terrain. Based on the split times of the first runners, it looked like the best choice was to run left. However, when the top runners came in the end of the startfield, it turned out that a direct approach as Niggli and Kauppi did (blue/yellow lines below) was the fastest choice. König-Salmi going the long left looses 20 seconds – so does Andersen who runs right. Claesson runs an S by first going left and then joining the direct route of Niggli/Kauppi – and looses more than a minute. The same goes for Jansson.
• The second leg we take a look at is the long leg from 4 to 5. Based on the routes, it is quite clear that the right route choice which Rantanen/Hausken took is the fastest. Niggli looses 1.15 by going direct – Andersen nearly 1.40. Kauppi goes the long way around left, and looses 3 minutes to Rantanen. Note that there is something wrong with Claessons route/time on this leg in the graphics below.
• The third leg we take a look at is the leg from 16 to 17. Here Niggli and Claesson went right onto the road, and earned significant time on that compared to Andersen going left (1.30 behind).  Jansson going direct looses less than 20 seconds. The men had a similar leg – there it was quite equal to go direct or to take the road around to the right.

(Note that there is an error on the route/time for Claesson for 4-5)

Results

1. Niggli, Simone SUI 1:12:49
2. Andersen, Marianne NOR 1:15:02
3. Claesson, Emma SWE 1:15:07
4. Jansson, Helena SWE 1:15:38
5. Kauppi, Minna FIN 1:15:48
6. Koenig‑Salmi, Vroni SUI 1:18:08
7. Dodin, Céline FRA 1:18:27
8. Hausken, Anne Margrethe NOR 1:19:44
9. Fasting, Mari NOR 1:19:57
10. Jurenikova, Eva CZE 1:20:15

• Full Results

The long distance starts at 13:00 CET – with the winner in the mens class in the finish around 18:00 CET. Thus it will be a long day for the spectators both at the venue in Granåsen, Trondheim – and the ones following the race in the Internet. Excellent live services including live GPS tracking, video streaming and Live Blog will make this a very interesting day for all orienteering lovers, though.

The secret to win the long distance sits just as much in the head as in the legs. In the terrain around Granåsen, the runners will get nothing for free. You just have to keep fighting, even if you start getting tired. All the way you have to believe that you have been doing the right choices even if it feels slow at times – that is the only way to keep up the speed and keep yourself in the fight for gold.

The long distance is open in both the mens and the womens classes. There are some big favorites in both the mens and womens classes, but if I should list 5 athletes in each class, I’m not sure I would be able to pinpoint the winner.

Favorites: Men

Top Favorites:

• Daniel Hubmann: The best long distance runner the last years and on a clear top of the World of O Ranking on the long distance. Did not impress on the long qualification, and finished only 7th on the sprint. No top result in O-Ringen – however Hubmann will be very dangerous on the long distance.
• Olav Lundanes: Few runners in the world are better than Olav Lundanes in terrain dominated by marshes – as Lundanes has shown several times. Long distance is his best discipline – a real fighter which will be difficult to beat. All the way down at an 18th place at the World of O Ranking on the long distance, but that does not mean anything today.
• Thierry Gueorgiou: The best middle distance runner in the world – and really hungry to take the gold in the long distance as well. Was close with silver in Hungary last year. Third spot in the World of O Ranking on the long distance.
• Anders Nordberg: Silver in the WOC long distance in 2008 – only 8th in 2009. Skipped the EOC and NORT to concentrate fully on WOC on homeground in Trondheim. Nordberg has shown several times that he can run exceptional long distance races – can he manage when it is most important at the WOC long distance on homeground? Number four on the World of O Ranking on he long distance.
• Mattias Merz: World Champion on the long distance in 2007, silver at the Nordics in 2009 – but no medal races on the long distance in EOC or WOC in 2008 and 2009 where he had better results on the middle distance. However, Merz is fantastic on the long distance when he is in shape, and could be the winner in Trondheim.

Outsiders:

• Hans Gunnar Omdal: Impressive victory in the Norwegian EOC test races this spring – will be fighting for the medals and also for gold if he has a good day.
• Mats Haldin: Unlucky number four with an early start time in 2009 – and will yet again be in the fight for medals.
• Jani Lakanen: Won the long distance on both the World Champs and on the European Champs in 2006. Would be a surprise if he could take a medal again, but he knows what it takes to be up there.
• Francois Gonon: Bronze from 2008 in Czech Republic – and has lived in Trondheim and trained a lot in relevant terrain with focus on this race. Good at hitting his shape for the championships – and showed at the qualification race on Tuesday that he might have done just that again.
• Marc Lauenstein: Silver at WOC Long in both 2005 and 2006 – and confirmed that he is in good shape this year as well with a 5th spot on EOC long earlier this year. Not among the biggest favorites, but one of the runners who could go all the way to the top if he has the day.
• Fabian Hertner: Has shown fantastic shape in the sprints this year – was the fastest runner at the sprint in Trondheim but lost to Matthias Müller due to more mistakes. Won – surprisingly for many – a bronze medal at the EOC long distance, and must therefore be counted in Trondheim as well. Has been training a lot in Trondheim terrain during several visits. Not a top favorite, but also one of the runners who may take gold if he has the top day.
• Emil Wingstedt: His last WOC – nearly on home ground after living in Trondheim for several years during his studies. Was the king of sprint for several years, but always wanted the gold medal on the long distance. May take it in his last chance if he gets the maximum out of his race, but rather an outsider for the medals.
• Philippe Adamski: Number two on the World of O Ranking on the long distance after his silver medal at EOC long distance earlier this year. Not as good in Norwegian terrain as in continental terrain, but may still be in for a fight for the medals.

Favorites: Women

Top Favorites:

• Simone Niggli: 16 WOC gold medals – and probably the biggest favorite at the WOC long distance also. Will be really difficult to beat – but has shown some weaknesses which the competitors might exploit. On top on the World of O Ranking on the long distance.
• Marianne Andersen: Running for her first individual WOC gold medal – and the long distance in Trondheim might very well be her best chance ever to achieve that. Silver from WOC Long 2006, 2008 and 2009 – it would be a surprise if Andersen would not get another medal on the long distance in Trondheim. But will it be gold, silver or bronze? Number two on World of O Ranking on the long distance.
• Anne Margrethe Hausken: The big star in 2008 when winning the overall World Cup, but has had some injury problems in 2009 and 2010. The long distance is probably Hausken´s best chance for winning an individual gold medal in this World Champs – and although her orienteering has not always been stable, there are few who can beat Hausken if she has a good day. 6th place on World of O Ranking on the long distance.
• Helena Jansson: Jansson is still looking for a medal on WOC long distance, but Jansson is still one of the women who may stand on the top of the podium after the WOC long distance later today. Bronze medal from EOC long distance in Bulgaria this year. 5th place on the World of O Ranking on the long distance.
• Minna Kauppi: Has struggled a bit in 2009 and 2010, but the gold medalist on WOC long distance in 2007 is very capable of taking the victory in the long distance in Trondheim if she has a good race. 4th place on the World of O Ranking on the long distance.

Outsiders:

• Dana Brozkova: Brozkova should maybe have been put among the top favorites as she is number two on the World of O Ranking on the long distance, and won the WOC long distance in 2008 and took silver on the EOC long distance in 2010. However, she has not consistently shown the same qualities in Nordic terrain, and is therefore put among the outsiders.
• Annika Billstam: The bronze medalist from WOC 2008 long distance showed good shape at the Nordic Tour this year by finishing second overall. Will also be in on the fight for the medals.
• Emma Claesson: Been away from top orienteering for some time, but back this year and showed an impressive race in the qualification.
• Eva Jurenikova: Number 5 on EOC long distance, and getting closer and closer to the top. Number 7 on the World of O ranking on the long distance. Will be tough to fight for the medals, but has a medal chance on a good day.
• Mari Fasting: The third Norwegian runner in the field – has a medal chance on a good day based on her knowledge of the terrain type.

Important links and information

• The LiveBlog from the WOC Middle is embedded at the bottom of this page (scroll all the way down)
• The WOC 2010 Live center with live results, live GPS tracking and speaker sound is to be found here
• First start: 13:00 CET – Women. 14:50 CET – Men
• Startlist Long Final with link to runner profiles; men and women
• The course is in two parts, and the competitors need to exchange map for the last part of the course. The exchange takes place when passing the arena.
• A forking system will be used in the Long Distance Final.

Fantasy World Cup

Remember to submit your team to the Fantasy World Cup 2010. All WOC finals are part of the World Cup, and 10 of the 13 World Cup events count in the overall Fantasy World Cup. The last chance to update your Fantasy World Cup team ahead of the long final is at 13:00 CET – 2 minutes ahead of the first start!

WOC History

Another useful resource is the World of O Runners WOC history page – giving you all the best WOC results for each discipline sorted by country. We will update these pages during the championships.

LiveBlog for WOC 2010

There will be a LiveBlog during all of WOC in a cooperation between WorldofO.com and the WOC organizers in Trondheim. I will be reporting live from the arena/forest via mobile phone. All Tweets from Eliteorienteers go directly into the LiveBlog.

HeadCam videos

HeadCam video through part of the WOC Long Qualification course Women heat B. Get to know the type of terrain the WOC athletes meet in Trondheim by comparing map with terrain as seen through the eyes of a runner with a HeadCam mounted on the head. The runner speed (including some mistakes not shown) is just about what was required to get to an A-final. This video was made on request based on the comments on the World of O Facebook page after the WOC Middle Qual HeadCam video (see below). Longer version coming…

HeadCam video through part of the WOC Middle Qualification course Women heat C. Here the HeadCam footage is combined with 3DRerun visualization which gives an overview of the course. The runner speed here was just inside what was required for an A-final spot (thus some mistakes are allowed in the womens class).

Pictures for you to use on the Internet from all qualification races and the sprint final are now sorted by runner and country – and are available at the team pages. As long as the source is given as WorldofO.com along with a link back to WorldofO.com, you may use the pictures on webpages (Blogs, Club-pages, etc.). Enjoy!

The World of O Runner profiles are also updated with pictures. Results from all races so far are updated on the WOC 2010 team page.

• Pictures and results from WOC 2010 sorted by country and runner
• Results from WOC 2010 sorted by country and runner

Latest updates about WOC 2010 from WorldofO.com

This list of updates is taken from the “WOC 2010: All you need to know” which is updated during the Championships.

• 10/08/2010: HeadCam-video through the Middle Qualification course – including 3DRerun
• 10/08/2010: Maps long Qualification Women Heat A, Women Heat B, Women Heat C, Men Heat A, Men Heat B, Men Heat C
• 10/08/2010: Results sorted by country – now includes WOC Sprint, WOC Middle Qual and WOC Long Qual. Results are also updated on the picture- and team pages.
• 10/08/2010: Results Long Qual available here
• 09/08/2010: Maps middle Qualification Women A, Women B, Women C, Men A, Men B, Men C.
• 09/08/2010: Results middle qualification
• 08/08/2010: Pictures sorted by country – pictures of almost all starters from the sprint. Also included at the runner profiles at runners.worldofo.com
• 08/08/2010: Results sorted by country – now includes WOC Sprint Qual and Final
• 08/08/2010: World of O Ranking updated with WOC Sprint
• 08/08/2010: Fantasy World Cup updated with WOC Sprint
• 08/08/2010: Startlist Middle Qualification
• 08/08/2010: Maps, results and statements WOC Sprint Final 2010 – direct link to map men and map women
• 08/08/2010: Map Women Qual – A heat
  Map Women Qual – B heat
  Map Women Qual – C heat
  Map Men Qual – A heat
  Map Men Qual – B heat
  Map Men Qual – C heat

• 08/08/2010: Results Qualification Startlist Final
• 07/08/2010: WOC Teams page updated with startlist sprint qualification
• 07/08/2010: Startlist sprint qualification online
• 04/08/2010: WOC Teams for all countries are ready
• 04/08/2010: Historical WOC results sorted by country have been updated
• 31/07/2010: Thierry Gueorgiou is now on Twitter – you find him and other elite orienteers on the @worldofo/eliteorienteers list