Ski Orienteering Bids For 2018 Winter Games

According to a press release, ski orienteering has grown considerably in terms of global spread in the past few years, boosted by the inclusion of the sport into the Asian Winter Games and the CISM World Military Winter Games. About 35 nations are expected to participate in the World Ski Orienteering Championships to be held in Sweden in March.

IOC President Ake Jacobson said, "we have developed and tested new spectator and media friendly formats. Sprint and sprint relay are intensive competition formats and very well suited for TV broadcast. We have also addressed other development aspects such as the universality of the sport. Today the geographical footprint of ski orienteering is comparable to most other sports on the program of the Olympic Winter Games".

Eivind Tonna, Chairman of the Athlete's Commission said, "ski orienteering requires the combination of ultimate physical and mental performance - endurance, speed and skiing technique, navigation and route choice - which is quite exceptional. I believe that, given the opportunity, we will show that ski orienteering provides added value to the Olympic Winter Games".