Discussion: WRE numbers for 2014

Any Red or Blue Elite runners who plan to run in the WRE races at the US Nationals and NAOC or any other WRE event should get a a WRE # if they are not already registered with the IOF.

Anyone on the US Team should have a number as well. See the link below to check you status and to enroll.

Rick Worner & Linda Kohn

Subject: IOF ID for all athletes aiming to compete at World Ranking Events

Dear member federations,
Please remind your clubs and/or athletes about the importance of getting an IOF World Ranking ID before they participate in their first World Ranking Event.

This form: http://orienteering.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03...
should be sent to the address: new_AthleteID@orienteering.org

Here you can check if the athlete already has an ID: http://iofranking.osport.ee/iofranking/Athletes

For more information, please see:
http://orienteering.org/all-wre-participants-need-...


Thanks a lot for your help!

Best regards,
Anna Jacobson

Anna Jacobson
Assistant Secretary General
International Orienteering Federation IOF
Radiokatu 20
00093 VALO, FINLAND
Tel. +358 40 5583 731
www.orienteering.org

Follow us on Twitter: @IOFOrienteering

Did they scrap the old numbers along with the old rankings?

Yes, the new numbers are numeric only. Now there are three number systems. Old IOF numbers, new IOF numbers, and the new numbers that osport.6prog.org are using, which are an update to the old numbers.

Not in my case. Maybe they retired numbers that hadn't been active in some threshold amount of time?

Edit: to be clear, I got issued a new number but it looks as if anyone who had a ranking before should still have a WRE ID now. Not necessarily what TD was asking.

All the existing IDs were migrated to the new system and assigned new numbers. It used to be that we submitted results, and anyone who didn't have an ID would then be assigned one. Now they want everyone to have an ID before entering a WRE.

... shifting work to the organisers.

It is naive to think that everyone will have an ID before the race starts, unless there is a penalty for not, like not getting a ranking from that event. If they go that far, then I don't think it will solve the problem of people not getting IDs before the event, but instead will just keep the less frequent competitors from being included in the system.

Rats. My old number was really easy to remember. Now I would have to write it down somewhere... if I needed to know it.

Weren't you usa1, Mitch?

Can one opt out of the rankings?

I was. Though I never quite figured out how that happened. I didn't even know I had a number until I ran the NAOC sprint in Hamilton in 2006.

They didn't seem to have any kind of logical order. I was USA15 but there were many people with three digit numbers who would have been in WREs long before me.

You have to have the last name "Aarhus" to get ID #1. Alphabetical by last name, ladies before gentlemen.

I assume you can now "opt out" by simply not requesting a WRE ID (probably only works if you don't already have an ID).

It is naive to think that everyone will have an ID before the race starts, unless there is a penalty for not, like not getting a ranking from that event. If they go that far, then I don't think it will solve the problem of people not getting IDs before the event, but instead will just keep the less frequent competitors from being included in the system.

I think it's quite reasonable that this is the way it will work. If you want a ranking, sign up for a WRE ID. Want an event to count for your ranking, then sign up before the event.

In some ways, I think this may improve the integrity of the system as the nationality can be specified by the applicant rather than the race organizer. In the old system, competitors without pre-existing WRE # would be assigned nationality of the host country of the event (which in many cases was not an appropriate assignment).

shifting work to the organisers.
and delay in opening event entries while the online entries providers update their systems. Thanks guys

Note that if registration is "free", then it's a bargain. In order to get an international ski license, you need to buy a national license ($65 in Canada), plus an FIS license ($45).

IOF already work on proposal to introduce licensing model. I assume that when licensing will be part of the rules that this will be official procedure for athletes competing at WC, ROC & WOC level. I hope that they will be smarth enough an exclude local WRE events or have more flexible approach on this level. Maybe there will be a rule that organizers could have the right (obligated) to reject entries from athletes without WRE IDs. Today organizers simply do two classes: super elite and elite in case of too many entries for elite course. I hope that licensing will not be obligatory for organizers if someone wants to run elite course at local WRE event and doesn't want to be included in the rankings.

25.5.1
http://orienteering.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02...

10.2
http://orienteering.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01...

So let me rephrase the question. Suppose a bumbling schmoe like myself wants to enter M21E at the North American Orienteering Championships. The schmoe is well qualified to finish well under the time limit. How far are we from the schmoe not being able to enter due to lack of (a) WRE ID or (b) some kind of international license?

@TD: I think we're quite far from that problem.

It seems the problem is that the IOF have managed to p*ss off the previous (volunteer) WR provider who was capable of recognising a schmoe called "Wladimir Gustianikov" (or similar) at NAOC as you. Presumably the new (paid for) provider can't do that, so to avoid a proliferation of Gustianikovs, Gusiatnikovs, Gusianikovs and Gusitanikovs in the system the IOF now require event organisers to collect your unique ID for them.

Buy a crap system - fob the work off on someone else...

Well, I just don't want to play into the new ranking system. I will be most happiest if my run (a) would not give me any points and (b) not affect anyone else's point generation. I want to know for how much longer I'll be able to enter the North American Champs.

@TD
I am not sure what would be fair based on today rules and development stage of each ROCs. If the all ROCs should have the same status within the IOF then also I should be well qualified to enter the EOC under the same rules. Well, rules are different because EOC is the event for national teams and for NAOC and other ROCs I think it would be fair that runners want to enter the elite course and were not part of the national team that they should be registered at least with their WRE ID if not with international licence when this will become official at EOC (if it will be oneday). Otherwise event might not looks like an official championship in the eyes of media and spectators even it is official IOF event. It is fair that people know who is fighting for the medals and who runs only for themselves.

And if NAOC wants to hold the status of recreational event withouth any IOF medals than I assume it is no need that IOF select the organizer, apply WRE status by defoult and asign/pay the SEA event adviser for the event. So I suspect that IOF will need to provide at least this before asking NAOC organizers to respect any kind of restrictions on who is eligible to run elite course. As long NAOC will be treated same as local WRE events i think you don't need to worry.

I can qualify for Boston Marathon. I get to run the same course as the winners. I don't get to be in the same start wave, so "people know who is fighting for the medals" and who is not, but I would be listed in the same set of results. Does the presence of 30k+ schmoes make the marathon "not look like an official championship in the eyes of media and spectators"?

As near as I can tell from my time on Xbox Live, Evalin B took the biggest hit in WRE ID coolness under the scheme change.

Yes, if the elite wave at NAOC is the solution to allow 30k+ runners to run the elite course than probably one day would need to have more than 24 hrs. Orienteering is just not organized like running. If NAOC wants to be organized as an official IOF championship than I suppose that IOF has the right to set the rules who is able to run the elite course in the future. Tiomila and Jukola doesn't need "championship" label to be consider very important event among orienteering community, media and spectators. What you want is irrelevant if your wish is not aligned with the elite runners and NAOC leaders. I already accept that I can't run all events and courses I want. You still have the privilege to do that so enjoy and hope orienteering will need 50 years or more before IOF will change the rules. :) I'd love to run elite course at NAOC one day.

What you want is irrelevant

If the IOF wants to organize its own North American Championships, it is free to do so, best of luck finding volunteers.

Hard to type on phone and previous post was submitted unfinished.

Although IOF has the final signoff on them, regional championship rules are largely determined by agreement of the relevant federations - the rules for the Oceania Championships (which are also open-entry unless it's a World Cup event) were drafted by Australia and NZ and then approved by IOF with mostly trivial changes, and I imagine a similar process was involved for North America.

@TD
How far are we from the schmoe not being able to enter due to lack of (a) WRE ID
@graeme
I think we're quite far from that problem.

Not true. By the Guidelines for World Ranking Events 2014 - 7. Entries & 8. IOF Athlete IDs you can not enter and run a WRE without a WRE ID. If a runner doesn't have a WRE ID, organizer must request it from the IOF.

@TD
Can one opt out of the rankings?
I will be most happiest if my run (a) would not give me any points
@bmay
I assume you can now "opt out" by simply not requesting a WRE ID (probably only works if you don't already have an ID).

Not true. Correct: "Please note that all runners on the M/W21 elite courses will be ranked as a result of their performance in the race. No one can opt out of this."

Rules looks fine if IOF would do the administrative work after the race instead of organizers prior the race. They are really very slow or just impractical at learning how to help the organizers.

Is it possible to have M/W21A courses as well as M/W21E courses? With all controls in common, but only the latter being WRE? Or is that too much of a contrived loophole? (With the additional problem that it may be desirable to have the elite courses start later, with the attendant map/course security issues.)

Yes, it was possible. Some events have had same course as M/W21E for different classes but this was not written in the old rules. Organizers normaly submit results from all courses for WRE but I suppose if organizer doesn't want to do that it is just fine. It's probably the only possible solution to organize WRE by the rules with large number of recreational runners who want only to experience elite course and don't want to be listed in WR.