An insight into the IOF mechanics by Jan

I have to say I am disappointed by the Council's decision here. Everybody I talked to in Vuokatti, except Council members, wanted to have some sort of qualification from 2014 and on - at least for the middle distance. I've talked to officials from several countries, athletes, members of the athletes commission, and so on. I heard that this was also the general opinion in the discussion at the President's conference (although I wasn't there, but I talked to several people being there). As I understood, the Council said that it had to do this based on the decision to remove the qualification races at the General assembly in 2013. However, I am sure there would have been a way around this based on all the feedback received. E.g. removing the qualification races and introducing "low key qualification races" would still be to follow the General assembly's request as I see it. No worse than turning the decision of a mass start from Trondheim in 2010 into a chasing start in the suggested program and later exchanging it for a mixed relay. This is very unfortunate for the development of orienteering, and I think (based on my conversations with athletes) that you will see quite a few athletes from smaller countries giving up high-level elite orienteering rather than becoming sprint specialists - which is what they are forced to now.

 Jan Kocbach on facebook

(Jan did not even mention the shear ignorance the council meet the federations hearing replies, which he wrote about here )