GENOA — The presentation of the 2026 Orienteering World Championships (WOC2026) and the accompanying “5 Giorni d’Italia” event, scheduled from July 6 to 11, 2026, took place at the headquarters of Sport e Salute Liguria. Among the speakers at the conference were Lorenzo Garzarelli (City of Genoa sports councillor), Albino Armanino (sports delegate for the Municipality of Sestri Levante), Claudio Montaldo (Mayor of Ceranesi), Antonio Micillo (President of CONI Liguria), and Matteo Campora (regional councillor).
Also attending were several athletes expected to compete at WOC2026: Italians Francesco Mariani and Maddalena De Biasi, currently fighting for national team selection, alongside Hungarian athletes Zoltán Bujdosó and Rita Maramarosi.
Record Participation
The event will feature athletes from 43 nations, with a total of 239 elite competitors: 126 men and 113 women. This marks the edition with the highest number of participating nations in orienteering history. Iraq may also join, although visa-related issues are currently delaying confirmation.
A Long-Term Project
The World Championships are the result of a long process that began in 2022 with the creation of the organizing committee. In 2023, an Italian Cup event in Bolzaneto helped establish the organizational core, which later managed World Cup rounds in Voltri and Nervi in June 2024. In March 2025, another Italian Cup weekend was held in Arenzano and Voltri, followed by a pre-WOC event in October. These competitions were supported by numerous official and unofficial training camps, attracting over 10,000 athletes to Ligurian terrain. Activities will continue through June with the “WOC Simulation Week” test event.
The Favorites
All the world’s top athletes are expected to compete. Italy’s main hope is Francesco Mariani, coming off a top-10 finish at the World Cup in Locarno. Key contenders include Norway’s Kasper Fosser, Switzerland’s Tino Polsini, Czech athlete Tomáš Křivda, and Finland’s Tuomas Heikkilä. On the women’s side, favorites include Switzerland’s Simona Aebersold, Sweden’s Tove Alexandersson and Sanna Fast, Hungary’s Rita Maramarosi, Norway’s Pia Young Vik, and Denmark’s Hedvig Gydesen.
Sprint races are extremely fast competitions and can still produce major surprises.
Statements
Gianluca Carbone, speaking on behalf of the organizing team composed of technicians from several Italian regions, said:
“We are pleased with the positive response from so many nations. I believe Genoa has a unique appeal, and we will also have live RAI television coverage. We are working to make the World Championships spectacular and accessible even to people outside the orienteering community. It will be a major promotion for our sport, while the territory will benefit from visibility, millions of viewers, and positive economic impact. We also have a five-day side event with around 500 participants. I would like to thank FISO and President Alfio Giomi for their support.”
Francesco Mariani stated:
“I am preparing very carefully for these WOC races, with targeted training sessions. Having the World Championships in Italy gives us special motivation and emotions. We know the world’s best athletes are very close in level, but we approach the challenge with confidence and with the joy of competing against the strongest athletes in the world.”
Maddalena De Biasi added:
“Having the World Championships in Italy is certainly a unique and very special opportunity. Racing at home would be an incredible emotion and an extra source of motivation. That is why I am preparing at my best, working every day with great commitment and focus, with the goal of earning selection and being ready to give everything I have.”
The WOC technical director is Alessio Tenani, while Emiliano Corona is responsible for the “5 Giorni d’Italia.”
Additional statements included:
Garzarelli:
“Beyond the sporting event itself, the impact in terms of visibility for the territory is extremely important. As a municipality, we are investing heavily in this direction because we believe events of this level can represent a major opportunity for promotion and growth.”
Micillo:
“As CONI, we are delighted to host such an important event in Liguria. As a Ligurian citizen, I am also pleased to see a project that has embraced the entire region, promoting even the valleys and lesser-known areas.”
Campora:
“Events of this level are a great opportunity not only for sport, but also for promotion and collaboration between territories, institutions, and the sporting movement. Liguria has demonstrated its ability to host top-level international events while showcasing its sporting, environmental, and organizational excellence.”
Alessio Tenani and Marcello Lambertini:
“An enormous amount of work has gone into these years leading up to the World Championships, with many events organized and numerous new maps created across Liguria, with training opportunities stretching from inland Imperia to the coast near La Spezia. It has been a wonderful adventure.”
Urban Race Program — Genoa
- Tuesday, July 7: Sprint qualifications and finals — Sestri Ponente, Piazza Baracca
- Wednesday, July 8: IOF Electoral Assembly
- Thursday, July 9: Knock-Out qualifications
- Friday, July 10: Knock-Out finals — Genoa city centre, Piazza Matteotti
- Saturday, July 11: Sprint Relay — Genoa, Piazza Matteotti
