The World Cup 2022 will include a round in Rakvere in Estonia. The event will also have the status of European World Championships and will include long distance, middle distance and a relay. The event was originally planned for 2020.
Event Director Raido Jaan Rei is already planning for the event and has some input to share:
You had to postpone the 2020 World Cup round and it was early decided that the round will take place 2022 instead. What are the thoughts of the organizing team today; disappointment to have to postpone or enthusiasm for arranging 2022?
– It is a little bit of both. A lot of work was already done to organize the event this summer, but as it seems now, it was the right call to make this hard decision. Of course, some of the work is lost, but most of it will serve us for 2022. And now we have two extra years to organize even better competition!
Will the event largely follow the plans for 2020 or will you have to make a lot of changes?
– The big plan – the programme, the competition area and the terrain – will stay the same. We just moved the dates a little – instead of late August, it’s now 3rd-7th August.
Estonian terrain is known for being rough, tough and demanding. Can we expect typical Estonian terrain?
– Of course, we have chosen one of the best examples of Estonian terrain, so all our guests can enjoy and have fun!
The Põlula-Miila terrain is largely covered with forest and there are some beautiful and fast parts of spruce forest. On the other hand, some parts of the terrain are very slow and demanding as the logging areas can be overgrown and the grass is high in the second half of the summer. Add some wet marshes and some nice detailed relief and you’ll get the perfect terrain for the forest championships.
Besides the terrain and the elite competitions, what else can athletes, teams and fans expect from the Estonian weekend in 2022?
– In parallel with the elite competition, there will be a spectator race called Estonian weekend. This gives spectators and fans the change to try their orienteering skills and compete on the very same terrain as the top athletes. Estonian weekend consists of four competition days – two middle distances, a long distance and a sprint. The long distance is the famous 100CP Run that has taken place already 15 years – M21 class competitors have to catch 100 control points in one race. Something worth trying!
There is also plenty of time to discover the Estonian culture and nature. Competition centre Rakvere is a nice cosy town with a medieval castle. Not far from Rakvere, you can find something for everyone – starting from historical manors and fisherman villages in Estonian biggest national park Lahemaa till 20th-century military and industrial history in Ida-Viru county. We really recommend to spend more time in Estonia than just one weekend and enjoy all the different aspects Estonia has to offer you!