Report on World Ranking Event maps 2001
by László Zentai
presented on the joint meeting of IOF committees and commission, February 2002,
Rome
Statistics
Number of events: 65* (including WOC and Akita)
Classic events: 47
Short: 13
Sprint: 2
Other (normal, long, medium): 3
Number of organizing countries: 29
Europe: 25
Other: 4 (Australia, Canada, Japan, USA)
*- terminology based on previous elite events system according to IOF WRE site:
sprint, short, classic.
Distribution of European organizers
First part: collecting maps
I sent e-mails to the organizers of each event and asked them to send me their
WRE maps:
- addresses are obtained from the official WRE website (part of IOF website);
- after one month I repeated the e-mail to the organizers who didn’t answer;
- final e-mails sent to the concerned national federations.
Success - 0%
53 maps collected, using additional sources (competition maps from my o-friends),
too.
Total 65 - overall success 82%.
Countries without getting any answer (0% success):
- Czech Republic (3 events)*
- France (2 events)
- Germany (2 events)
- Romania (1 event)*
- Russia (3 events)
* - maps were obtained from other source
Success - 100% (from official sources)
Australia (4)
Austria (2)
Belgium (1)
Canada (2)
Denmark (3)
Estonia (2)
Finland (11) – thank to Jukka Liikari
Great Britain (1)
Hungary (2)
Italy (1)
Japan (1)
Norway (4)
Portugal (1)
Romania (1)
Slovenia (1)
Slovakia (1)
Spain (1)
Ukraine (2)
USA (1)
Yugoslavia (1)
Misuse 1: the scale issue
WREs to be organized according to the WOC rules. Maps at 1:10 000 may be produced
for relay and short distance competitions.
Classic events = 1:15 000 scale
Collected 37 maps of classic events:
1:10 000 scale – 13 maps
1:15 000 scale – 24 maps
Misuse 1: the scale issue 2
12 events used 1:10000 scale maps on classic events. 1:10000 scale maps are simply magnification (150%).
Austria (contour lines are 0.1 mm instead of 0.21 mm)
Belgium
Canada (2days event on the same map)
Croatia
Denmark
Estonia
Great-Britain (contour line are 0.16 mm instead of 0.21 mm)
Latvia
Lithuania
Sweden
Ukraine
Yugoslavia (contour line are 0.14 mm instead of 0.21 mm, point symbols were
also smaller)
Misuse 2: the lack of index contours
102 Every fifth contour shall be drawn with a thicker line.
Not used:
Austria (1) 1:15000/5m !!!
Belgium (1) 1:10000/2.5m (height difference is minimal)
Canada (1) 1:10000/2.5m (2 events)
Denmark (1) 1:15000/2.5m
Estonia (2) 1:15000/2.5m and 1:10000/2.5m
Finland (6) 1:15000/5m (3), 1:10000/5m (2), 1:5000 (1)
Sweden (2) 1:10000/2.5m and 1:10000/4m
Ukraine (1) 1:10000/2.5m (height difference is minimal)
Misuse 3: special signs 2
WRE maps must follow ISOM2000, deviations are prohibited.
Printing methods
Offset: 46
4 colours: 2 (AUT, UKR)
4 colours-FM screen: 2 (DEN)
5 colours: 24
6 colours (grey): 7 (AUS, FIN)
6 colours (red): 5
More: 6 (FIN WOC maps)
Other digital (laser): 4 (AUT, 2EST, ROM)
Inkjet: 3 (UKR, 2CAN)
An example of misuse
1:10000 for classic, wrong magnification, no index contours, wrong colours, wrong
size of signs.
A non-essential experience
I planned to collect information about the courses, too, but nearly all of the official websites were unusable.
To find the results or other details of the WRE was nearly impossible for English (and even for local) language users.
Suggestions
The continuous (yearly) report on WRE maps would be necessary. This is the most
international platform of standardizing events:
- feedback for the national federations, organizers;
- standards for maps, courses, event circumstances;
- qualification criteria of WRE (number of events allocated to certain countries)
– if necessary.
I suggest to make obligatory to each organizer:
- To send maps with courses to the Foot-o Committee (check the course planning,
control descriptions, course overprint);
- to send maps to the Map Commission (check ISOM-2000 „compatibility”).
The more detailed report will be available later.