The World Orienteering Championships is an international orienteering competition which has been organized by the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) since 1966. The World Orienteering Championships is considered to be the most prestigious competition in competitive orienteering. The races are contested between members of the IOF, which are each aligned to a National Olympic Committee.
Egil Johansen is a Norwegian orienteering competitor and coach. He was two times individual world champion in orienteering, and later coached the Norwegian national team.
Bernt Frilén was a Swedish orienteering competitor, winner of the 1974 Individual World Orienteering Championships. He also has an individual bronze medal from 1972. He was two times Relay World Champion, as a member of the Swedish winning teams in 1972 and 1974, as well as having a silver medal from 1970.
Ingrid Hadler is a former orienteering competitor and cross-country skier from Norway. She is individual world champion in orienteering, as well as relay champion.
Liisa Kaarina Peltola is a Finnish orienteering competitor. She won the 1976 Individual World Orienteering Championships, and took silver medal 1978 and 1979. She is also three times Relay World Champion, as a member of the Finnish winning team 1972, 1978 and 1979.
Outi Borgenström is a Finnish orienteering competitor. She won the 1979 Individual World Orienteering Championships, and took bronze medal 1974. She is also Relay World Champion, as a member of the Finnish winning team 1978.
Anne Berit Eid is a Norwegian orienteering competitor. Her achievements include winning an individual world championship gold medal in 1978, and a silver medal in the relay in 1979.
Rolf Pettersson is a Swedish orienteering competitor. He is a four-time Relay World Champion as a member of the winning Swedish team in 1972, 1974, 1976 and 1979, and was runner-up in 1978. He won silver in the Individual World Championship in 1976.
Birgitta Larsson is a Swedish orienteering competitor. She won two world titles as a member of Swedish relay teams in 1970 and 1974; in 1972 she won an individual bronze and a team silver medal. She continued winning medals at world championships through the 2000s in the masters category.
Arne Johansson is a Swedish orienteering competitor. He is three times Relay World Champion as a member of the Swedish winning teams in 1972, 1974 and 1976.
Jan Fjærestad is a retired Norwegian orienteering competitor and athlete. His achievements in orienteering include an individual silver medal at the 1974 World Orienteering Championships and a world championship title in the relay in 1978. He won three national titles in marathon.
Kjell Lauri was a Swedish orienteering competitor. His achievements include winning a world championship gold medal in the relay with the Swedish team, and three more medals in relay.
Lars Lönnkvist is a Swedish orienteering competitor. He is Relay World Champion from 1979, as a member of the Swedish winning team, along with Rolf Pettersson, Kjell Lauri, and Bjorn Rosendahl. He also won silver medals in the 1978 and 1981 relays, and a bronze medal in 1983 and 1987. He placed fifth in the individual contest in the 1979 World Championships, and fourth in 1981. He won the Jukola relay in 1980 and 1982.
Svein Jacobsen is a Norwegian orienteering competitor. He is Relay World Champion from 1978, as a member of the Norwegian winning team. He also has a silver medal from 1976, and a bronze medal from 1974. He obtained bronze in the 1976 Individual World Championship.
Sinikka Kukkonen was a Finnish orienteering competitor. She is World Champion in both orienteering and ski orienteering. She became the first World Champion in ski orienteering, in 1975.
Risto Nuuros is a Finnish orienteering competitor, individual silver medalist at the 1978 World Orienteering Championships in Kongsberg.
Markku Salminen was a Finnish orienteering competitor. He received a silver medal in the relay event and finished 13th in the individual event at the 1968 World Orienteering Championships in Linköping. In 1970 he finished 4th with the Finnish relay team. In 1974 he finished 16th in the individual event, and received a silver medal in the relay with the Finnish team. In 1976 he finished 5th in the individual event, and received a bronze in the relay. Salminen won the 1970 and 1978 Jukola relay.
Ruth Humbel is a Swiss politician (CVP) who was a member of the Federal Assembly from 2003 to 2023. She is also an orienteering competitor at international level. She won bronze medals in the relay at the World Orienteering Championships in 1978, 1981 and 1985. She placed fourth in the individual event at the 1981 World Championships, and fifth in the relay in 1979.
Ida Bobach is a Danish orienteering competitor who was Junior World Champion in 2009, and became triple Junior World Champion from 2010, when she won the sprint, long distance and the relay. She represents the club OK Pan Århus, and since 2007, has received training from Danish national coach Lars Lindstrøm. In 2015 she won gold medals at the World Championships in the long and Relay.
Tove Alexandersson is a Swedish foot orienteer, ski orienteer, skyrunner, trail runner, ski mountaineer and skysnow runner. Alexandersson has won gold medals at world championships in five different sports plus a silver medal in a sixth sport, and has won a total of 21 gold medals at the World Orienteering Championships, making her the second most successful orienteer in history by number of gold medals at World Championships, behind Simone Niggli-Luder. Alexandersson holds the record for the number of gold medals in a row at the World Orienteering Championships, winning 11 in a row between 2018 and 2022.
Sweden 
