Orienteering is a group of sports that involve using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain whilst moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points. Originally a training exercise in land navigation for military officers, orienteering has developed many variations. Among these, the oldest and the most popular is foot orienteering. For the purposes of this article, foot orienteering serves as a point of departure for discussion of all other variations, but almost any sport that involves racing against a clock and requires navigation with a map is a type of orienteering.
The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) is the international governing body of the sport of orienteering. The IOF head office is located in Karlstad, Sweden. The IOF governs four orienteering disciplines: foot orienteering, mountain bike orienteering, ski orienteering, and trail orienteering.
Hilde Gjermundshaug Pedersen is a Norwegian cross-country skier. Her first Olympic medal was a silver 4 × 5 km relay at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, she took the bronze medal in the 10 km classical interval start event. Pedersen is the oldest woman ever to win a cross country skiing World Cup race, which she did at age 41 in January 2006 in Otepää, Estonia.
Ski orienteering (SkiO) is a cross-country skiing endurance winter racing sport and one of the four orienteering disciplines recognized by the IOF. A successful ski orienteer combines high physical endurance, strength and excellent technical skiing skills with the ability to navigate and make the best route choices while skiing at a high speed.
Liisa Anttila is a Finnish orienteering and ski-orienteering champion.
Ellen Sofie Olsvik is a Norwegian orienteering competitor, world champion in the relay event, and winner of the first overall Orienteering World Cup. She is also world champion in ski-orienteering.
Tatiana Germanovna Vlasova is a Russian ski-orienteering competitor and world champion. She received nine gold medals at the World Ski Orienteering Championships from 2000 to 2009. She won the overall World Cup in Ski Orienteering in 2007/8, and finished 2nd in 2001, 2003 and 2006.
Natalia Tomilova is a Russian ski-orienteering competitor and winner of the overall world cup, who was suspended for two years for doping.
Lena Hasselström is a Swedish ski-orienteering competitor, world champion and winner of the overall world cup.
Virpi Juutilainen is a Finnish ski-orienteering competitor and world champion.
Raino Pesu is a Finnish ski-orienteering competitor, world champion and winner of the overall world cup.
Matti Keskinarkaus is a Finnish ski-orienteering and mountain bike orienteering competitor. He is ski-O world champion and winner of the overall ski-O world cup year 2001.
The Junior World Ski Orienteering Championships were first held in 1994. Since 1998, competitions have been held annually. Representative countries must be members of the International Orienteering Federation (IOF).
Erik Rost is a Swedish ski-orienteering competitor, winner of the overall world cup, and junior world champion.
Tomas Löfgren is a world champion Swedish ski-orienteering competitor.
Hannu Koponen is a Finnish ski-orienteering competitor and world champion.
Pertti Tikka is a Finnish ski-orienteering competitor and world champion. He received an individual gold medal at the World Ski Orienteering Championships in Avesta in 1980. He received a silver medal in 1982, and a bronze medal in 1984.
Lars Lystad is a Norwegian ski-orienteering competitor and world champion. He won a gold medal in the relay event at the World Ski Orienteering Championships in Batak in 1986, together with Sigurd Dæhli, Audun Knutsen and Vidar Benjaminsen, and again in Val di Non in 1994, with Kjetil Ulven, Harald Svergja and Vidar Benjaminsen. He received a silver medal in the long distance in 1994.
Olga Shevchenko is a Russian ski-orienteering competitor and world champion. She won a gold medal in the relay event at the World Ski Orienteering Championships in Moscow in 2007, together with Natalia Tomilova and Tatiana Vlasova. She received a bronze medal in the long distance in Levi in 2005.
Kirill Vladimirovich Veselov is a Russian ski-orienteering competitor and world champion. He won a gold medal in the relay event at the World Ski Orienteering Championships in Moscow in 2007, together with Andrei Gruzdev and Eduard Khrennikov, and received a silver medal in the long course and a bronze medal in the middle distance.
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