The IOF and organisers of the World Mountainbike Orienteering Championships 2021 (WMTBOC), to be held in Kuortane, Finland from June 10-18, have determined that the event can be held as planned. One final approval for the event needs to be given by the Finnish Border Guard, but this was not possible to obtain until the decision about the organisation of the event was final.
At the entry deadline March 28th, 16 national teams had made their entries, including all of the top 10 ranked national teams in MTBO. This met the participation requirements set previously by the IOF Council. Including the Junior World Mountainbike Orienteering Championships (JWMTBOC), the event will welcome just over 200 participants to 5 days of competitions.
The organisers have made preliminary planning for the safe conduct of the event considering the Covid-19 pandemic situation. The event will be held in a competition “bubble” with all teams staying at a common athlete’s village located at the Kuortane Olympic Training Center. The competitions will be held without spectators present, and without any parallel public competitions, to maintain the integrity of the bubble. More details will be communicated as the event approaches and the plans are updated with the then valid information regarding Covid-19 restrictions and precautions.
– The IOF is very pleased and hopeful that our elite MTB Orienteers will be able to compete at the highest level and status at the championships in Finland in June, says Tom Hollowell, IOF Secretary General/CEO. – The organisers in Kuortane have made great efforts in planning for a Covid-19 safe event and we will continue to work with them and the local authorities to fulfill the task.
More information about the event can be found on the WMTBOC 2021 event webpage and on the IOF Eventor event page.