Orienteering is a group of sports that require navigational skills 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.
Winter sports or winter activities are competitive sports or non-competitive recreational activities which are played on snow or ice. Most are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally, such games were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and artificial ice allow more flexibility. Playing areas and fields consist of either snow or ice.
The 2011 Asian Winter Games was a multi-sport event that was held in Astana and Almaty, Kazakhstan, that began on January 30, 2011, and ended on February 6, 2011. It was the first time that Kazakhstan hosted such a large event since independence from the Soviet Union. The documents for the hosting city were signed in Kuwait on March 4, 2006.
The Military World Games is a multi-sport event for military sportspeople, organized by the International Military Sports Council (CISM). They have been held since 1995, although championships for separate sports had been held for some years. A winter edition of the games was subsequently created; the first edition was organized by the Italian region of Aosta Valley from 20 to 25 of March 2010.
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.
Olga Novikova is a Kazakhstani ski-orienteering competitor. She was born in Kazakhstan, and later moved to Russia. She is Junior World Champion from 2004. She won a silver medal at the World Ski Orienteering Championships in 2007, competing for Russia. Competing for Kazakhstan, she placed third overall in the World Cup in 2010, and won four gold medals at the 2011 Asian Winter Games.
Ski orienteering at the 2011 Asian Winter Games was held at Biathlon and Cross-Country Ski Complex in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The eight events were scheduled for January 31– February 5, 2011.
Iran participated in the 2011 Asian Winter Games in Almaty and Astana, Kazakhstan from January 30, 2011 to February 6, 2011.
Kyrgyzstan participated in the 2011 Asian Winter Games in Almaty and Astana, Kazakhstan from January 30, 2011 to February 6, 2011. The bandy team took the country's 1st ever medal at Asian Winter Games.
Mongolia participated in the 2011 Asian Winter Games in Almaty and Astana, Kazakhstan from January 30, 2011 to February 6, 2011. The bandy team took Mongolia's first ever silver medal at Asian Winter Games.
Alexandr Babenko is a ski-orienteering competitor from Kazakhstan. He competed at the 2009 World Ski Orienteering Championships in Rusutsu, where he placed 40th in the sprint, 27th in the middle distance, 36th in the long distance, and 9th in the relay with the Kazakhstani team. He won a silver medal in sprint at the 2011 Asian Winter Games, behind Mikhail Sorokin.
Mikhail Sorokin is a ski-orienteering competitor who has competed for Russia and Kazakhstan. He won a bronze medal at the Junior World Ski Orienteering Championships in 2001. He competed for Russia at the 2009 World Ski Orienteering Championships in Rusutsu, where he placed 12th in the long distance. Competing for Kazakhstan, he won a gold medal in sprint at the 2011 Asian Winter Games, ahead of Alexandr Babenko.
Vitaliy Lilichenko is a ski-orienteering competitor from Kazakhstan. He competed at the 2009 World Ski Orienteering Championships in Rusutsu, where he placed 30th in the sprint, 45th in the middle distance, 35th in the long distance, and 9th in the relay with the Kazakhstani team. He won a silver medal in the middle distance at the 2011 Asian Winter Games, behind Mikhail Sorokin.
Alexey Nemtsev is a ski-orienteering competitor from Kazakhstan. He competed at the 2009 World Ski Orienteering Championships in Rusutsu, where he placed 29th in the long distance, and 9th in the relay with the Kazakhstani team. He won a silver medal in the long distance at the 2011 Asian Winter Games, behind Mikhail Sorokin.
Bayaraagiin Gerelt-Od is a ski-orienteering competitor from Mongolia. At the 2011 Asian Winter Games, he won a bronze medal in the sprint, behind Mikhail Sorokin and Alexandr Babenko, and a bronze medal in the long distance behind Sorokin and Alexey Nemtsev.
Elmira Moldasheva is a ski-orienteering competitor from Kazakhstan. She competed at the 2009 World Ski Orienteering Championships in Rusutsu, where she placed 30th in the sprint, 32nd in the middle distance, 30th in the long distance, and 7th in the relay with the Kazakhstani team. She won a gold medal in the relay at the 2011 Asian Winter Games.
Yevgeniya Kuzmina is a ski-orienteering competitor from Kazakhstan. She won four medals at the 2011 Asian Winter Games, including a gold medal in the relay, silver medals in the middle distance and the long distance, and a bronze medal in the sprint.
Liu Xiaoting is a ski-orienteering competitor from China. She won two medals at the 2011 Asian Winter Games, including a silver medal in the sprint behind Olga Novikova, and a bronze medal in the middle distance, behind Novikova and Yevgeniya Kuzmina.
Ski orienteering has been featured as a sport in the Asian Winter Games since the 7th winter games in 2011.
The 2021 Winter Universiade, officially the XXX Winter Universiade, and commonly known as Lucerne 2021, was a multi-sport event for student and youth athletes that was scheduled to take place from 11 to 21 December 2021 in Lucerne, Switzerland, with preliminary competition in some events beginning 6 December 2021. The Games were to be hosted at venues in cantons of Central Switzerland, including Lucerne, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Schwyz, Uri, and Zug.
Mikhail Sorokin (KAZ)
Bayaraagiin Gerelt-Od (MGL)
Bijan Kangarloo (IRI)
