Orienteering Australia has appointed a three-person coaching group for the 2008 World Orienteering Championships. Mike Dowling (OA Director, High Performance) will head the group as the senior coach, with Rob Preston being the Men’s Coach and Sue Neve the Women’s Coach.

The decision to appoint a senior coach is recognition of the challenges that our coaches have faced over recent years, and the aim to is provide an environment in which our emerging coaches have the support of an experienced coach during the critical phases of the World Championships. The role of the Senior Coach will be to provide support to the men’s and women’s coaches and have a strategic overview of team preparation.

Good results at 2008 WOC are important in terms of ASC funding (the next quadrennial review will be undertaken in the first half of 2009) and Australia’s representation at the 2009 World Games in Chinese Taipei. Furthermore, having Mike Dowling at the 2008 IOF Congress will assist with the presentation of Orienteering Australia’s bid for the IOF to revert to biennial World Championships for foot and mountain bike orienteering.