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.
Thierry Gueorgiou is a French orienteer who holds the record for gold medals won at the World Orienteering Championships for a male athlete, with 14 gold medals between 2003 and 2017. Gueorgiou has won more than 20 gold medals in international competitions, including the World Orienteering Championships (WOC) middle distance event a record eight times: 2003–2005, 2007–2009, 2011 and 2017.
Bjørnar Valstad is a Norwegian former orienteering athlete who has won 4 World Orienteering Championships gold medals.
Morten Berglia is a Norwegian orienteering competitor.
Øyvin Thon is a Norwegian orienteering competitor, and has seven gold medals at the World Orienteering Championships.
Pasi Ikonen was a Finnish orienteering competitor, winner of the middle distance at the 2001 World Orienteering Championships. His other achievements include two individual silver medals at the world championships, and medals at the World Games and the European championships.
Janne Juhani Salmi is a Finnish orienteering competitor and world champion. He won the short distance at the 1997 World Orienteering Championships, and a gold medal in the relay at the 2001 World Orienteering Championships. He won a total of three individual world championship medals and four relay medals, and won the Jukola relay three times with the club Turun Suunnistajat.
Daniel Hubmann is a Swiss orienteering competitor. Hubmann is the most successful male Swiss orienteer of all time, with 9 Gold medals at the World Orienteering Championships. In 2023, with his victory in the relay at the 2023 World Orienteering Championships, Hubmann became the oldest competitor to win a gold medal at the World Orienteering Championships, at the age of 40 years and 61 days. Hubmann is currently the third most successful male orienteer of all time, behind Thierry Gueorgiou and Olav Lundanes, and has won more medals in total than any other male orienteer.
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.
Michael Wehlin is a Swedish orienteering competitor. He received silver medals in the relay at the 1985 and 1989 World Orienteering Championships with the Swedish team. He won the Jukola relay in 1986 and 1991.
Niklas Löwegren is a Swedish orienteering competitor.
Carl Henrik Bjørseth is a Norwegian orienteering competitor. He received a silver medal in the classic course at the 1999 World Orienteering Championships, and a bronze medal in 2001. He received a silver medal in the relay event in 2001, together with Bernt Bjørnsgaard, Tore Sandvik and Bjørnar Valstad.
Kjetil Bjørlo is a Norwegian orienteering competitor, individual bronze medalist in the classic course at the 1997 World Orienteering Championships in Grimstad.
Jon Tvedt was a Norwegian orienteering competitor and athlete who specialized in mountain running. He died while still active in his sport.
Bo Engdahl is a Swedish ski-orienteering competitor. He competed at the 1990 World Ski Orienteering Championships in Skellefteå, and won a gold medal in the relay for Sweden, together with Jonas Engdahl, Stig Mattsson and Anders Björkman. He placed overall second in the World Cup in Ski Orienteering in the 1991 season. He won the 1989 and 1999 editions of the Jukola relay.
Eskil Kinneberg is a Norwegian orienteer. In addition to winning individual gold medal at the Orienteering World Championships and individual silver medal at the European championships, he has won eight medals with Norwegian teams in the relays at the world and European championships, including several victories.
Kristian Jones or Kris Jones is a competitor in orienteering and athletics, competing for Great Britain. He also competes for Lillomarka OK in Norway, Forth Valley orienteers and Wales.
Emil Svensk is a Swedish orienteering competitor. His achievements include winning gold medals both in the World Orienteering Championships and the European Orienteering Championships.
Kasper Harlem Fosser is a Norwegian orienteering competitor who represents Norwegian club IL Heming and Swedish club IFK Göteborg.
