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.
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.
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.
Heli Jukkola is a Finnish orienteering competitor. She won the Long Distance World Orienteering Championships in 2007, and achieved second place in 2005. In the Middle Distance category, she finished second in 2007 and third in both 2003 and 2004. Jukkola is a two-time Relay World Champion, winning in 2006 and 2007 as a member of the Finnish team. She also earned a silver medal in 2004.
Valentin Yuryevich Novikov is a Russian orienteering competitor. He is the brother of Leonid Novikov.
Anne Margrethe Hausken Nordberg is a Norwegian orienteering competitor, World champion and European champion. She took the overall victory in the 2008 World Cup.
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.
The European Orienteering Championships were first held in 1962. They have been held biennially since 2000. From 2020, the European Orienteering Championships will be held annually, with sprint events and forest events in alternate years.
Dmitriy Alexandrovich Tsvetkov is a Russian orienteering competitor and past European champion. He received a gold medal in the long distance at the 2008 European Orienteering Championships in Ventspils, and also a gold medal in the relay event, together with Andrey Khramov and Valentin Novikov. Dmitry also won two gold medals at JWOC 2003 in Estonia in a classic distance and relay. On March 5, 2022, Dmitry Tsvetkov supported the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Mārtiņš Sirmais is a Latvian orienteering competitor. He received a silver medal in the middle distance at the 2006 European Orienteering Championships in Otepää, and again at the 2008 European Orienteering Championships in Ventspils.
Tatiana Ryabkina is a Russian orienteering competitor. She won the O-Ringen in 2012 and had international success.
Lina Persson is a Swedish orienteering competitor and European champion. She received a gold medal in the relay event at the 2008 European Orienteering Championships in Ventspils, together with Emma Engstrand and Helena Jansson. She qualified for the finals and finished 10th in the long distance and 12th in the middle distance at the 2008 European championships.
Julia Sergeyevna Novikova is a Russian orienteering competitor. She was member of the Russian relay team that received a silver medal in the 2008 European Orienteering Championships, together with Natalia Korzhova and Tatiana Ryabkina.
Natalia Efimova is a Russian orienteering competitor. She was member of the Russian relay team that received a silver medal in the 2008 European Orienteering Championships, together with Yulia Novikova and Tatiana Ryabkina. She competed at the 2008 World Orienteering Championships in Olomouc, where she qualified for the finals in the sprint and in the long distance.
Mari Fasting is a Norwegian orienteering competitor and ski mountaineer. She is a two-time Junior World Orienteering Champion. She represents the club NTNUI of Trondheim, and is related to the ski mountaineer Ola Berger.
Virpi Juutilainen is a Finnish ski-orienteering competitor and world champion.
Martin Johansson is a Swedish orienteering, ski-orienteering, and cross-country skiing competitor, a medallist at the orienteering world championships, and a 2004 Junior World Champion in relay. He received bronze medals in sprint at the World Orienteering Championships in Kyiv 2007 and Olomouc 2008. His brother, Lars, is a member of the Rockford Icehogs
Katri Lindeqvist is a Finnish orienteering competitor and world champion.
Emil Svensk is a Swedish orienteering competitor. His achievements include winning gold medals both in the World Orienteering Championships and the European Orienteering Championships.
Finland 
