IOF´s seneste pressemeddelelse

9. januar 2017 | Administrator | Nyheder 2000

IOF har netop rundsendt deres seneste pressemeddelelse, som kan læses på IOF´s hjemmeside og nedenfor. Jeg erindrer om, at DOF gerne hører kommentarer, jfr. http://www.dk.orienteering.org/nyheder/vismedd.cgi?gb=&fn=data/20000624.130823

"The IOF Council proposes new elite events concept:

NEW WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS PROGRAMME

The goal of the IOF is to spread orienteering to more people and to new areas, and to get the sport included in the programme of the Olympic Games. To achieve this goal, it is of vital importance to raise the profile of the sport.

This is the starting point for Council's various proposals to the XX IOF Congress being held in Leibnitz, Austria, in the first week of August 2000. The proposals include Event Quality Improvement, Orienteering on TV, and a new Concept for Development of IOF Elite Events. New forms of races are proposed and a new World Championships Programme is outlined.

- Action, excitement, and atmosphere are essential ingredients in making orienteering events more spectator and media friendly and, in particular, TV friendly. To achieve this, new events and new forms of competitions have to be developed at the same time as the fundamental spirit of the sport is maintained, says the IOF President Sue Harvey.

- The IOF Elite Events Programme must meet a number of objectives. It shall provide the best runners in the world with an opportunity to meet and compete for titles and honour and it shall attract public and media interest, and hence the interest of sponsors and new recruits. The programme shall also give member federations the possibility to show to their domestic public and media the best orienteers in the world, thus promoting national development. And it is of vital importance that emerging elite runners are given the possibility to develop their skills in international competition, says Sue Harvey.

To meet these objectives, Council proposes that the basic structure of the future Elite Events programme be based on a series of World Events and a series of Regional Events. The World Events are organized under the auspices of the IOF (World Championships, World Cups, Multi-sport Games) and these events are meant for the top elite and require competing on a world wide basis.

The proposed series of Regional Events are meant to be planned by the IOF and carried out in co-operation between member federations concerned (Regional World Class Events). These events are planned to allow wider international participation from member countries. It is also intended to establish Continental Championships on all continents.

Only finals at World Championships

According to Council's proposal, the future WOC programme shall include only finals. Qualifications shall be made prior to the WOC, or in qualification events prior to, but in conjunction with, the WOC. A system limiting the number of runners from any one country should be maintained.

The World Championships week is proposed to include more races, which allows for more different types of events during the week and aims at promoting greater specialization. The programme is meant to focus on four basic types of races, namely sprint (10-15 min), short distance (30-35 min), classic distance (60-95 min), and relay events (for classic and mixed team).

The World Cup may comprise a mixture of separate World Cup events and other high status events. The Cup should include a maximum of 12 individual and 3 relay events. The integration of the World Cup into existing high status and high quality events will ensure that the Cup receives maximum attention from media and from the public and sponsors.

- The Congress delegates will also be invited to support a convention on some important measures with regard to improving the quality, in particular the spectator and media friendliness, of orienteering events. By working together we can create a change, Sue Harvey concludes.

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The IOF Congress Programme in brief

Wednesday 2nd August:
18.00 Opening Ceremony

Thursday 3rd August:
09.00-14.00 IOF Seminar on the theme "Elite Events, Event Quality and Orienteering on TV"

Friday 4th August:
09.00-17.00 IOF General Assembly
20.00 Closing Ceremony"