This is an updated news article about the JWOC program – see the original article from July 9 below:
The athletes at the Junior World Orienteering Championships in Portugal will run a Sprint Relay in addition to the Individual Sprint in the modified JWOC-program.
On Friday, it was decided to postpone the forest races at the championships due to extreme risk of fires. The risk has led the Portuguese government to issue a total ban on access to its forests starting on Friday 8th July – and so far lasting until Friday 15th July,
Since then, the local organisers have worked closely together with the Internation Orienteering Federation to create an alternative race program. And through a fast, unanimous decision in the IOF Council, the Sprint Relay will be held on Wednesday, July 13 as an official medal race – the first ever Sprint Relay at a JWOC.
IOF Council has furthermore allowed each nation to participate with two teams in the Sprint Relay, which will have the running order Woman-Man-Man-Woman.
Both sprint races will therefore take place at Arena Carapito, where the Individual Sprint is held on Monday.
The existing ban on forest activities is scheduled to expire on Friday, July 15. If it is not extended, one of the forest races will be held on Saturday, July 16. A decision will be taken during the week.
Follow the Junior World Orienteering Championship on IOF LIVE.
Modified JWOC-program:
Monday, July 11: Sprint
Wednesday, July 13: Sprint Relay
(Friday, July 15: Urban Sprint Relay – not official JWOC race)
Original article
Total ban on forest access issued by Portuguese government postpones JWOC2022 Forest distances
Due to extreme risk of fire, that has developed over the last couple of days resulting in multiple
forest fires in various parts of Portugal, the Portuguese government has issued a total ban on access
to its forests starting on Friday 8th July – and so far lasting until Friday 15th July.
This has serious impact on the Junior World Orienteering Championships.
The JWOC organisers and local government, police and firefighters have worked closely together to be allowed to stage the
JWOC forest distances as planned, but unfortunately they have got the final message, that this will not
be allowed.
This means that the JWOC forest distances will be postponed to a time after the above
mentioned period.
The JWOC Sprint will be organised as planned and the IOF and the JWOC organisers are currently
working together to plan an additional JWOC sprint competition during the JWOC week.
Information about this will be given as soon as the IOF Council has made a decision about this.
Press contact: iof@orienteering.sport