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.
Thierry Gueorgiou is a French orienteer who has won more than 20 gold medals in international competitions, including the World Orienteering Championships (WOC) middle distance event eight times: 2003–2005, 2007–2009, 2011 and 2017. In November 2016 it was announced he will become the Swedish national team head coach following the 2017 World Championships.
Ivar Formo was a Norwegian cross-country skier and orienteer who competed during the 1970s.
Espoon Suunta (EsSu) is an orienteering club based in Espoo, Finland with a strong interest in advancing the elite orienteering as well as youth orienteering and adult fitness orienteering in the western Helsinki capital area. Espoon Suunta is one of biggest Finnish orienteering clubs having 680 members (2013).
Valentin Yuryevich Novikov is a Russian orienteering competitor. He is the brother of Leonid Novikov.
Daniel Hubmann is a Swiss orienteering competitor, world champion in all three individual disciplines and multiple winner of the overall Orienteering World Cup. He is the brother of Martin Hubmann. Daniel also has his own fan club which is run by New Zealand Orienteer Joseph Lynch.
Tore Sandvik is a Norwegian orienteering competitor and World champion. He won a gold medal in the 1999 World Orienteering Championships in Inverness with the Norwegian Relay team.
Olav Lundanes is a Norwegian orienteering competitor, hailing from Ålesund. He has won gold medal at the World Orienteering Championships ten times and the European Orienteering Championships four times. He competes for Halden SK.
Magne Dæhli is a Norwegian orienteering competitor, ski-orienteer, and cross-country skier. His achievements include five medals in the relay at the World Orienteering Championships, of which three are gold medals. His best individual performances include a silver medal in the long distance from the European Orienteering Championships, and a bronze medal in the middle distance from the 2019 World Orienteering Championships.
Damien Renard is a French orienteering competitor. He has received silver medals with the French relay team in both world championships and European championships. He won Swedish middle distance championship in 2005.
Maja Møller Alm is a Danish orienteering and Athletics competitor who has won seven World Championships and two World Games titles. She is especially known for her four gold medals on the sprint distance, where she has won the title four years in a row: 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. She is also a medalist from the Junior World Championships. Since 2006 she has been coached by Danish national coach Lars Lindstrøm. Alm is remarkable for her dominant running speed, which gives her a great advantage over other competitors at the sprint distance.
Jon Duncan is a British orienteering competitor and world champion.
Grant Bluett is an Australian orienteering competitor.
Mika Tervala is a Finnish mountain bike orienteering competitor, World Champion and European Champion. He won individual gold medals at the 2002, 2006 and 2007 World Championships, and a gold medal in the relay in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Mika coaches the Finnish national mountain bike orienteering teams since spring 2008.
Adrian Jackson is an Australian mountain bike orienteering competitor and World Champion. He has won individual gold medals at the 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2010 World MTB Orienteering Championships.
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. He was born in Borlänge. He won a gold medal in the middle distance at the 2013 Junior World Orienteering Championships. At the 2018 European Orienteering Championships in Cadempino he won a silver medal in the mixed sprint relay with the Swedish team. He competed at the 2018 World Orienteering Championships in Latvia, where he placed sixth in the sprint final, and won a gold medal in the mixed sprint relay, together with Karolin Ohlsson, Jonas Leandersson and Tove Alexandersson. In the 2019 World Orienteering Championships in Norway he participated in the winning Swedish relay team. His biggest individual success was the gold medal in the sprint distance at the 2021 European Orienteering Championships in Neuchâtel
Turun Suunnistajat is a Finnish orienteering club, located in Turku. The club was established in 1954.
Ralph Street is a British orienteering competitor. He was part of the British team that came second in the sprint relay at the 2022 World Orienteering Championships. His team included Megan Carter Davies, Kris Jones and Charlotte Ward.
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