At the 24th IOF Ordinary General Assembly held in conjunction with the World Orienteering Championships in the Czech Republic, Panama was admitted to associate membership of the IOF. Panama included, the IOF now has 70 members on all continents.

Council elections

The General Assembly re-elected Åke Jacobson (SWE) President of the IOF for the Congress period 2008-2010. Hugh Cameron (AUS), Marcel Schiess (SUI) and Brian Porteous (GBR) were elected Vice Presidents. Vincent Frey (FRA), Leho Haldna (EST), Jaeyoung ‘Eliot’ Lee (KOR), Timo Ritakallio (FIN), Astrid Waaler Kaas (NOR), Maria Silvia Viti (ITA) and Laszlo Zentai (HUN) were appointed Council members.

At the 24th IOF Ordinary General Assembly held 18.7.2008 in Prostejov, Czech Republic, Switzerland was appointed organiser of the 2012 World Orienteering Championships, and the 2011 World Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships were awarded to Italy.

Seven competitors at this year’s World Masters Orienteering Championships, held recently in Portugal, won gold medals in both the sprint and the long distance events. This is the first year that a sprint race has been included in the programme.

The sport is developing! Even if the terrain in the Junior World Orienteering Championships suited runners from the Nordic countries, also athletes from other countries did very well in Gothenburg.

Jenny Lönnkvist won her second individual gold and exacted revenge on the long distance and the relay. The Swede is a triple JWOC gold champion.