It’s time for the absolute highlight of the orienteering calendar, the World Orienteering Championships, which this year takes place in Genoa, Italy.
The capital city of the Italian region Liguria offers demanding and scenic terrain for the three sprint disciplines in which world champions will be crowned.
The World Orienteering Championships week begins on Tuesday morning, with qualifying for the individual sprint, followed by finals in the discipline that same afternoon.
After a day of rest, there is qualifying for the Knock-Out Sprint on Thursday morning and the final race in the youngest discipline of the World Championships the following day.
The championships conclude on Saturday with the intense Sprint Relay.
It’s Italy’s second time to host the WOC. The first was in Trentino – Veneto in 2014, where the Sprint Relay was introduced to the WOC programme.
Back in Genoa
242 participants from 45 nations are ready for the championships in the urban terrain of the city overlooking the Mediterranean. Just over two years ago, the city also hosted a World Cup round, where the athletes got a taste of the narrow streets that slope asymmetrically down to the sea.
The World Cup round then started with a challenging sprint that began in intricate and hilly park terrain, before there were difficult route choice legs on the second half of the course.
Kasper Fosser (NOR) won the men’s sprint, while Simona Aebersold (SUI) was fastest in the women’s. The following day, Aebersold also played a leading role, helping to secure a Swiss victory in the Sprint Relay after a phenomenally exciting final run, where she went from third to first place.
Simona Aebersold on her way to the win in the 2024 World Cup Sprint in Genoa. Photo: Kristina Lindgren
This year’s World Cup has already featured six exciting sprint races and victories for Hanna Lundberg (SWE), Simona Aebersold, Hedvig Gydesen (DEN), Tino Polsini (SUI), Kasper Fosser (NOR) and Eirik Langedal Breivik (NOR), while Norway has won the two Sprint Relays.
Reigning champions
The last Sprint WOC was held two years ago in Edinburgh, Scotland with the following winners:
- Sprint: Martin Regborn (SWE), Tove Alexandersson (SWE)
- Sprint Relay: Switzerland (Gemperle, Aebersold, Rancan, Hadorn)
- Knock-Out Sprint: Riccardo Rancan (SUI) and Tove Alexandersson
Rancan is the only individual reigning champion starting in Italy, as Martin Regborn is recovering after an injury and Tove Alexandersson has her sports focus elsewhere this year.
Riccardo Rancan sprints for the WOC-title in Edinburgh in 2024. Photo: Kristina Lindgren
Follow the broadcasts from Genoa
The races can be followed in a high-quality TV production by providers in nine different countries.
On IOF TV you can watch the broadcasts with English Commentary by Katherine Bett and Jonas Merz.
Please note that you need to open a free user account at Eurovision Sport to watch the qualification races
WOC 2026 Programme
All times: CEST (UTC +2)
Tuesday, 7 July
Sprint Qualification + Finals
9:00 First start, Sprint Qual.
9:00 – 11:30 IOF TV / EBU Broadcast
14:05 First start, Sprint Final
14:10 – 17:00 IOF TV Broadcast
Thursday, 9 July
Knock-Out Sprint Qualification
9:00 First start, KO Sprint Qual.
9:00 – 11:30 IOF TV / EBU Broadcast
Friday, 10 July
Knock-Out Sprint Finals
12:55 – 14:20 IOF TV Broadcast
13:00 First start, KO Sprint Quarterfinals
14:50 – 17:00 IOF TV Broadcast
14:58 First start, KO Sprint Semifinals
16:22 First start, KO Sprint Finals
Saturday, 11 July
Sprint Relay
15:30 – 17:00 IOF TV Broadcast
15:40 Mass start, Sprint Relay