Orienteering

Athlete Eligibility and Classification

Athletes who are deaf compete under the CISS rules which require a minimum hearing loss of 55 dB in the better ear. Classification procedures and criteria are described on the CISS web site (http://www.ciss.org). Click on "about," then "regulations," then scroll down to Article 1.3 on eligibility.

Events

Traditional Foot-O events are contested at the Deaflympics. Events include:

Other orientation disciplines which may be offered at local or national competitions, or by other disability sport organizations, include Mountain Bike-O, Ski-O, Canoe-O, etc. Trail-O events are specifically modified for persons with physical disabilities.

Playing Area

Orienteering is practiced in all kinds of terrain from parks to deserts. The terrain can vary from dense impassable bushes to treeless areas, and from mountains to plains. The standard orienteering course consists of a start, a series of sites marked with control flags or markers to mark the locations that the orienteer must visit during the course, and the finish. Courses vary in difficulty and distance.

Rules

Orienteering events at the Deaflympics are governed by the rules of the International Orienteering Federation (IOF), the world governing body for Foot-O, Ski-O, MTB-O, and Trail-O. Rules are posted in the publications section of the IOF web site at http://www.orienteering.org. Additional information about orienteering, including "how to get started" hints, is available on the U.S. Orienteering Federation web site at http://www.us.orienteering.org.

In orienteering events, athletes use a detailed map and a compass to determine the most efficient route through a course that has designated control points (markers or flags) that must be visited in order en route to the finish line. Competitors punch their control cards at each control point. The winner is the competitor who finishes the course in the shortest time.

Equipment

Equipment needed by able-bodied athletes for orienteering includes a map, a compass, a control card, and suitable outdoor clothing.

Links

Page prepared by Brian J. Simmerman and revised by Gail Dummer