100 days to GO

04/01/08 01:54 AM
The counter on the WOC 2008 webpage shows, that we are just 100 days before beginning of this extraordinary event. At this occasion, we asked Mr. Petr Klimpl, executive vice-chairman of the organising committee, for a brief interview, to describe current state of preparation by this jubilee moment.

 

IOF awarded the Czech Republic with organising WOC in the year 2004. From this view, 100 days to go means almost final stage of such long race. So how we are in the moment of almost-final of preparations?

World Orienteering Championships is major event of both sport and social kind. The sport level is on the first place, but following the Leibnitz Convention, it is also important to care about bringing the competitions closer to spectators and media. And this is what we endeavour after. By now, the main portion of preparation is ready. Also maps are finished, course-setter Jaroslav Kačmarčík refines last nuances of particular control points. So far the sport attributes. Concerning the social, I regard highly that the organisers managed to close the agreement with Czech Television on covering all the WOC final events, with the record offered to TV stations from abroad, shown on large screen in competition arenas and also spread by internet. Czech TV viewever will be provided with in total 10 hours of life coverage during the WOC.

The last 100 days will be full of hard work...

For sure. We want to arrange best possible conditions for all participants, competitors, spectators and media members when coming to Olomouc region, where the Championships will take place.  And there is really still lot of work, from tuning the issues of sport-technical matter, accross accommodation, boarding, transportation, up to providing both O-public and wide public with as much information as possible.

How many people will be involved in organising the Event?

Currently, the number of necessary organisers and volunteers is set to 325. Also this item shows, how extensive event WOC is.

Position of general partner and titular sponsor was appointed to CEZ Group, the Czech major electricity producer and distributor and important player on this field within middle and southeastern Europe. How did it come, that this concern decided to become partner of WOC?

WOC has its marketing partner, TK Plus, and this cooperate with CEZ Group on long term basis. Thus it made sense, that CEZ Group was offered with such a possibility and then it was accepted.

Major sport events are usually attended also by important representatives of public administration and important state organisation. What personalities of that kind are invited to come and see WOC ?

Entire Event is organised under patronage of the hejtman of Olomoucký region, Mr. Ivan Kosatík. Attendance of another important politics or members of sport world, such Czech olympic committee (ČOV) or Czech sport association (ČSTV) is in the pipeline. But it is too early to talk about particular names.

During the WOC, Czech Republic will host in July also the IOF congress, the highest body of the federation. How is this arranged ?

Delegates of all IOF member conutries will meet on 18 July in Prostějov. They will be provided with best possible facilities and atmosphere for dealing with all important bargaining points of this congress.

Many of the spectators will be from o-public, so they will be keen to compete too. What possibilities will they be provided with?

We organize not just WOC, but also six-days Orienteering festival, which will enable to everyone to run in the same or similar terrains as those, where the battles for medals will take place. We suppose to invite around 1,500 participants.

Czech Republic is now naturally visited by many top O-runners. What official training possibilities do you offer to them?

The nearest one is Moravian open championship, next weekend, which is composed of four competitions, prologue, sprint, long and relays. Early May, second official training camp will pass at Vizovice. And in late June, lot of national teams will come to Czech terrains to utilize offer of organized nomination events.

We wish all the organisers good luck for their further work. How would you conclude our interview?

I would like to invite all friends of orienteering to Olomouc in July, both to see the battles for world medals and to experience their own battles too. Organisers do their best to arrange their visit at the most satisfactory level.