The World Orienteering Championships (the first middle/long only edition under the new system) is over. Forest orienteering is usually not the tenor of Asian orienteers. So how are they doing in the Norwegian terrain?
World Orienteering Championships 2019 took place in the forests near Moss and Sarpsborg, in the Norwegian borderlands next to Sweden.
Advertisements
1. Increased opportunities for Asian orienteers in new system
Since this year, WOC editions will be forest or sprint only, alternating each year. For the forest edition, the extra time means the middle distance qualification is back, and with it all three slots for each country regardless of past results.
(The long distance is still straight final only, and quota distribution following the “division” system which depends on past results. Under this system, orienteers can still get onto the start list by winning a regional championship, such as AsOC.)
Advertisements
In the new system, 15 slots for each gender in the middle distance final goes to countries that don’t have any runners qualified yet by rank. This system is a huge boost for Asian orienteers—Chinese and Japanese orienteers got into the final thanks to this rule.
2. Japan and China the best East Asian countries
As we have seen from the previous point, Japan and China are the best East Asian teams in WOC this year. (Israel is the only Asian country to perform better than both, but only in men’s, since it didn’t field a women’s team.)
However, all of the aforementioned countries finished in the latter half of the results list. Not only do Asians have a relative physical disadvantage, but they also don’t have the right kind of forest terrain to train on (European bias perhaps?).
Advertisements
Way to go, Asians!
3. Where are the other countries?
If you think that high-level orienteering events are a “Club of Europe”, you’re not alone. European (arguably Scandinavian) domination aside, the other continents do have way to go even in terms of participation. Hong Kong and Japan are particularly active, China, South Korea, North Korea (just Kyong-sa Ri this year) and Taiwan (as Chinese Taipei, didn’t send team to WOC this year but did have some spectators having fun) are also quite active, but the rest are still starting.
The summer heat is not over yet—not the orienteering heatwave either. The World Orienteering Championships are upcoming in Norway. Then comes the Asian Junior and Youth Orienteering Championships in Japan. But there are much more going on in Asia just now:
Advertisements
1. Newer orienteering nations step up in national teams
Nations like Malaysia and Singapore are preparing for the Asian Junior and Youth Orienteering Championships. The championships are enjoying an expansion in participation since its inception in 2015.
Orienteering activities in Southeast Asia are increasing thanks to people who are passionate in developing the sport.
Advertisements
Shamsuri Abd Latif, Chairman of the Malaysian Orienteering Federation. His efforts in orienteering development introduced many university students in Malaysia to the sport.
What better way to chill in the summer heat than running a sprint? In fact, by running a sprint, you’ll let your sweat carry the heat away, while not stressing your body too much. What’s more, orienteering trains your brain as well!
Despite the recent troubles Hong Kong is having, orienteering continues to grow strong here with more venues and events:
Advertisements
Don’t forget the upcoming METVIGATOR and training events in Hong Kong, as you head to Foshan, China for the World Cup Finals in October.
3. Prepare for winter, before winter comes…
We’re actually already over halfway through the year, and (northern hemisphere) winter is coming soon. That includes the Asian Trail Orienteering Championships (AsTOC), which will be in Hong Kong in November/December. In fact, the Orienteering Association of Hong Kong is asking for volunteers to help with the AsTOC, and next year’s (2020) World Trail Orienteering Championships as well:
Scandinavians know best: the night is dark and… (sorry for the Game of Thrones quote 😂) but you get the point: winter is high time for an escape to Asia. In fact, besides the usual Hong Kong Annual Orienteering Championships every December, this year you’ve got more options!
Advertisements
Nepal is hosting an 8-day orienteering tour that brings you from Kathmandu to Pokhara and back. The Himalayan Orienteering Championships boast an all-inclusive package, with accommodation, food and outdoor activities included.
But the ultimate surprise is…
…Thailand! The Thai Orienteering Association will be hosting 3 days of orienteering fun in Chiang Mai, the ancient but cool city in Thailand’s upland north. Sure you’d mark that down on your calendar and register straight away?
Advertisements
It goes without saying that Christmas and New Year holidays are high season; it pays to plan early and beat the crowd! Search for flights to Asia with KIWI.COM below, it works even in the absence of same-airline, codeshare or interline connections:
Award ceremony of Points race and Short distance race
Marco Polo Flower Ocean
11:30-14:30
Lunch break and free visiting in scenic area
Marco Polo Flower Ocean
14:30-16:30
100-meter orienteering
Marco Polo Flower Ocean Miracle Tapestry
17:00
Award ceremony of 100-meter orienteering
Marco Polo Flower Ocean
25th Aug.
Whole day
Visiting the six scenic areas of yangzhou
Yangzhou downtown
Events
Points,Sprint, 100-metre orienteering
Grouping
Men’s elite group, Women’s elite group, Men’s open group, Women’s open group, Parent-child group, Parallel group
Number
Events
Groups
Requirement of birth date
1
Sprint, 100-metre orienteering
Men’s elite
January 1, 1969 – December 31, 2005
2
Women’s elite
3
Points orienteering,100-metre orienteering
Men’s open
January 1, 1969 – December 31, 2005
4
Women’s open
5
Points orienteering,100-metre orienteering
Parent-child(for children)
January 1, 2006 – January 1, 2015
8.How to participate:
Advertisements
(1)Qualification for participating:
Athletes in the elite group must have at least one year of training and competition experience
‚To participate in the parent-child group, teams or families should have team names. Each team should consist of 3 persons, including a teenager or child born between January 1, 2006 and January 1, 2015.
ƒ At most 500 athletes( not including those from Yangzhou)
(2)Athletes must have physical and technical ability and adaptability to weather for the competition. Teams and individuals take full responsibility for their own safety.
(3)People with diseases below are not allowed to check in :Hypertension and Cerebrovascular diseases,Heart disease and Myocarditis, diabetes,coronary artery disease,Severe Arrhythmias etc.
(4)Read and print the Declaration of Exemption from Legal Liability and Waiver of Rights (see the attachment for details), sign your name and hand it in at registry.Those who don’t sign names are not allowed to enter the competition.
9.Details and Relevant regulations on competition
(1)Implement Rules of Chinese Hiking Orienteering Competition.
(2)In accordance with International specification for directional movement maps (2017 edition) or International specification for short distance directional movement maps( 2007 edition).
(3)Arbitrators and referees shall be selected by the executor.
(4)This race adopts the Huichang Cross-country Clocking data real-time return system, real-time location tracking and playback comparison system.
(5)Those who appeal against the performance of athletes or decisions of referees have to submit the complaint report with name signed by the team leader to the arbitration committee within one hour after the announcement of results.
rankings and awards
Rankings
Men’s elite group
Women’s elite group
Men’s open group
Women’s open group
Parent-child group
1
RMB 1000
RMB 1000
RMB 600
RMB 600
Lucky draw souvenir
2
RMB 800
RMB 800
RMB 500
RMB 500
3
RMB 500
RMB 500
RMB 300
RMB 300
4
RMB 300
RMB 300
RMB 200
RMB 200
5
RMB 300
RMB 300
RMB 200
RMB 200
6
RMB 300
RMB 300
RMB 200
RMB 200
7
RMB 300
RMB 300
RMB 200
RMB 200
8
RMB 300
RMB 300
RMB 200
RMB 200
*If the number of competitors(teams) is 7-10, the top 6 will be admitted; If the number of competitors(teams) is 5-6, the top 3 will be admitted; If the number of competitors(teams) is 3-4, the top 2 will be admitted; If the number of competitors(teams) is smaller than 2, none will be admitted.
Registration and check-in
(1)The official information release channel of follow-up competition information, catering accommodation and tourism promotion information is the official WeChat of Zizai island, Yangzhou Biodiverse and Sci-Tech City, which you are welcomed to follow.
(2)Please register through mini programs on WeChat and fill in your personal information.
(3)Please contact Mr.Ding to get information of registry.
Phone number:15952787698 18952797444
(4)Email address:2430999674@qq.com
(5)All the athletes should check in from 9:00 to 18:00 on Aug.23 in the lobby of Wangchaolou Hotel (address:Guanchao Road, Guangling District, Yangzhou )which is the official hotel of this competition. Please show your ID and offer other information for registry which after you shall receive the material for entry and sign the declaration of exemption. Each person should pay 100 yuan for finger card for timing and the deposit will be returned with the card after the match.
(6)The participants shall ensure that the personal information provided is true and accurate, and shall be willing to bear all the responsibilities and consequences caused by errors in providing information.
11. Fees, accommodation and transportation
(1)Free of charge for all participants. Please pay your own accommodation and transportation expenses.
(2)Accommodation:Assist of accommodation is offered by organizer to participants from other cities. But you have to book it yourselves.
*We suggest you book the hotel at least one week in advance due to the many Group activities held for Summer Tourist Season in August in Yangzhou.
Since the location of the match (Marco Polo flower Ocean) is a 25-minute drive from the downtown, participants can take buses organized by the organizer to reach the competition site. There is no transportation service within 500 meters from the venue to the hotel. No transport service offered from competition site to hotel due to it’s just 500 meters.
*Transport service only offered to those who check in the hotel recommended by the organizer on 24th Aug.
12.Other information
(1)Characteristics of venue:
name of competition site
Overview of terrain and vegetation types
Marco PoloFlower Ocean
vegetation
White forest, open land, sparse open space and some shrubs, landscape model flower bed
terrain
Typical small southern city park terrains ,small hills in some areas, man-made buildings, artificial features, streams and lakes
More than 700 years ago, Marco Polo traveled thousands of miles to the east and traveled through mountains and rivers in China. He inspected dozens of cities, studied local customs, geography and customs in detail, and experienced the prosperity and prosperity of ChinaUpon his return, he dictated a book, The Travels of Marco Polo. What is more interesting is that Mark Polo worked as an official in Yangzhou for three years and gave a detailed description of Yangzhou and its towns in terms of politics, economy and cultureFor hundreds of years, Marco Polo and his book have been widely spread as a model in the history of world communication.Due to this phenomenon, the study of “Marco Polo” is continuously deepening, and the historical effect of Marco Polo is also continuously extending and developing.
Geographic background
Marco Polo Flower Ocean, the world’s first flower theme park, a 4A national scenic spot, located on Yangzhou Zizai Island, covering an area of 50 hectares。With Marco Polo’s magic journey to the east as the main line, the panorama presents the three theme areas of “Fantasy Europe — Magic Middle East — Paradisiac East”, offering you an amazing flower adventure.A gorgeous sea of artistic flowers made by the Dutch flower art team, as one of the world’s five major flower miracles, with 10 million plants of rare flowers and different plants.The world’s first fantasy flower mound, 16,000 square meters of 3D flower carpet,flower stream from north to south and a creative flower carving from Oscar Award
Technological background
Rich terrain in core area with diverse changes , strong similarity and good vegetation condition which is perfect for route design;The area is rich and exquisite in artificial ground features, buildings, terrain and landscape design, with wide vision and perfection for running. However, there are many choices in point setting, so it is a little difficult to find points.
Summary
The venue of Marco Polo Flower Ocean features in humanity and nature, not only embodying the characteristic of Yangzhou Biodiverse and Sci-Tech City and the characteristics of Yangzhou summer tourist season, but also offering a competition with terrain, vegetation, artificial object in rich high similarity and moderate difficulty and an overall free route choice. The participant running inside will not only show us a flow of visual feast, but also experience a travel of body and spirit by themselves.
(2)During the competition, all participants shall apply for Personal Accident Insurance (the insured amount for adults shall not be less than RMB 200,000 yuan, and the insured amount for minors shall not be less than RMB 100,000 yuan) and Accidental Medical Insurance(the insured amount shall not be less than RMB 20,000)which are handled by the organizing committee uniformly.
After the registration deadline, all participants need to confirm their ID card information by phone after which the organizing committee will handle the insurance uniformly.
(3)Contact person of organizing committee: Mr.ding
Phone number:15952787698 18952797444
13.Participating reward
Students from universities, middle schools and primary schools who take part in this competition can visit six scenic spots of Yangzhou including Slender west lake, Daming temple, Ge garden, He garden, Hanling garden and Yangzhou Eight Eccentric Memorials for free with valid ID.
14.Recommendation of local hotels
Here information of a standard room or a single room in different hotels is provided, choose any of them if you want
Name of hotel
Phone number
Price
Breakfast included
Wangchaolou Hotel（official hotel）
13801453935
RMB 298
Yes
Huameida Hotel
18912137879
RMB 320
Yes
Changqing International Hotel
13160301999
RMB 298
Yes
Huafangli Hotel
18252729988
RMB 298
Yes
OYO Hotel
18796631313
RMB 268
Yes
Green Tree Hotel
15051997616
RMB 150
Yes
Matters not covered herein shall be notified afterwards.
