Scotland, Edinburgh will host the Sprint World Orienteering Championships 2022. The IOF Council made its decision at its meeting in connection with the ongoing World Orienteering Championships in Latvia.
– The IOF vision for the Sprint World Orienteering Championships, of bringing it to exciting international venues, is coming true, says Tom Hollowell IOF CEO.
Scotland has extensive experience in organising high-level events. The World Orienteering Championships in Inverness 2015 was the latest major IOF event held in the country. The bid was partly initiated by EventScotland, which is involved in delivering major sporting and cultural events in Scotland.
– The support being provided by the City of Edinburgh Council and EventScotland was a key factor in awarding Sprint WOC 2022. We look forward to showing orienteering and Edinburgh to the world.
The proposed venue for the Event Centre is the University of Edinburgh’s Pollock Halls of Residence campus. Preferred dates are in the middle of July. The idea is to have the three televised finals in Edinburgh’s iconic locations.
– Through their bid, we expect that Edinburgh will first and foremost provide exciting competitions where the world’s best sprint orienteers will be awarded their medals. But we also expect to increase the visibility of orienteering both locally and globally against the palette of the iconic landmarks of Edinburgh, says Tom Hollowell.
There were two bidders for WOC 2022; Edinburgh and Paris.
– Both had excellent bids regarding technical aspects. The Edinburgh bid was strengthened by the excellent support being provided by EventScotland and the City of Edinburgh Council, and by their overall concept for visibility and promotion, says Tom Hollowell.