WOC-WTOC 2014 – ITALY LAND OF ORIENTEERING – Less than five months to the 2014 World Orienteering and Trail Orienteering Championships

Maps and compasses set to navigate towards Italy. In less than five months – from 5 to 12 July, 2014 – the 2014 World Orienteering (WOC) and Trail Orienteering Championships (WTOC) will take place in Trentino and Veneto regions, in the north-eastern part of the country, and it will be the first time ever that Italy hosts the Worlds.

The cities of Venice and Trento plus the Folgaria, Lavarone, Luserna and Asiago mountainous and hilly plateaus have already set courses and they have been embargoed. Sprint, the debuting Sprint Relay, Long and Middle distance and Relay are the five competitions scheduled next July. The WTOC events are all scheduled in the same days.

In conjunction with the World Championships, the Italian OC set the ‘5 Days of Italy', a hugely exciting and top quality event with thousands of runners expected. For the many competitors wishing to run and compete in the 5 Days of Italy on World Championships terrain, the third entry deadline has been moved to 28 February, 2014.

The Trentino and Veneto areas represent the heart of Orienteering disciplines in Italy. The National Orienteering Federation (FISO) is based in Trento and the first ever orienteering competition in the country took place in Trentino region in 1974. Today, FISO counts over 10.000 active members and several big events have taken place on these terrains in the past 30 years, regarding all the four official Orienteering disciplines. Lavarone hosted the 1984 World Ski-O Championships and the same series took place in the Val di Non area ten years afterward.

In 2001 the Trentino region organised the Junior & Master World Ski-O Championships, while the city of Vicenza in Veneto region staged the 2011 Elite & Junior World MTB-O Championships. Concerning the Foot-O events, the city of Asiago hosted the 2004 Master World Championships, while the Junior Worlds were staged in the Primiero area. Some of the athletes who took part in the latter tournament, such as Ida Bobach of Denmark and Swiss Matthias Kyburz and Martin Hubmann, are among the candidates – if confirmed – for 2014 medals.

After a school contest that involved several secondary schools in both Trentino and Veneto regions, the official 2014 WOC – WTOC mascot has been unveiled, a funny howl representing the relationship between orienteering and local environment and wildlife.

All the 30 selected drawings will be exhibited during the World Championships.

Info: www.woc2014.info