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The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) has today suspended the membership of its Russian member

British Orienteering has today been informed by the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) that the IOF has suspended Russia from all orienteering activities. 

The Board of British Orienteering fully supports this extraordinary and difficult decision. 

British Orienteering is deeply saddened by the invasion and our thoughts are with the Ukrainian Orienteering Federation, all orienteers, and the population of Ukraine.

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Full Press Release Issued by The International Orienteering Federation, Monday 28 February 2022
 

The International Orienteering Federation (IOF) suspends the membership of its Russian member due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The Council of the International Orienteering Federation decided at an extraordinary Council meeting today to immediately suspend the membership of the Russian Orienteering Federation. The suspension of the Russian member federation is for an indefinite period of time and means the following.

  • Russian orienteering athletes, in all IOF disciplines, will not be allowed to participate in IOF events. Athletes will also not be allowed to participate as neutral athletes. This decision has an immediate effect on the World Ski Orienteering Championships, Junior World Ski Orienteering Championships and European Youth Ski Orienteering Championships scheduled to be held in Finland March 14 – 20, 2022.
  • All organising rights for IOF events and activities are cancelled for the duration of the suspension. There are currently no IOF championships or major events scheduled to be held in Russia, but the decision means that any scheduled World Ranking Events and World Orienteering Day activities will have their IOF recognition removed.
  • Russian members appointed to IOF commissions and official bodies are suspended from their work for the duration of the suspension.

These additional measures are being taken as a result of discussion within the IOF Council and are supported by statements made by a number of IOF member federations. They are in addition to the support expressed previously by the IOF for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendations published on February 25. The decisions are made in accordance with the IOF Statutes and Code of Ethics.

Furthermore, the IOF Council will discuss the conditions for a potential suspension of the member federation in Belarus.

The IOF also requests other International Sports Federations for their support and asks that they consider applying similar measures. The IOF is committed to working towards the positive reinforcement of the values of sport via its engagement in stakeholder organisations.

IOF President Leho Haldna – We want to express our solidarity with the Ukrainian Orienteering Federation and our support of all orienteering athletes in Ukraine. The Council decisions are taken to uphold the IOF values which are at the core of our sport, and we believe that the situation requires of us to make these extraordinary decisions in the support of peace.

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