This summer, a large group of orienteers from the Czech club KOBUL is preparing for an unforgettable adventure at the Junior World Orienteering Championships 2026 in Karlskrona, Sweden. We caught up with Jan Votava from the club to get a closer look at their plans and what makes this journey so special.

How are you travelling to Karlskrona?
“Cars are necessary for traveling to the different competition areas at JWOC,so we are going by car,” Jan explains. “We will also make a one-day stop in Copenhagen, which will be a fun mini-adventure along the way.”

Where will you be staying in Karlskrona?
“We have booked six cabins at Dragsö Camping & Stugby in Karlskrona,” he says. “It will be a great base for our team to relax and recharge between the races.”

How come you have somany runners coming this summer?
“JWOC 2024 was in Pilsen, Czechia, and a few members of our team joined the spectators’ races, including my son. He was so excited, and it sparked our enthusiasm. When we realized JWOC 2025 would be in Italy, it was clear that JWOC 2026 in Sweden would be a must for us. We even had spare seats in our cars, and thankfully, many wanted to join. With significant financial support from our city, we were able to partly cover the costs, which brought the KOBUL team together in full force.”

Do you have any participants at JWOC from your club?
“No, but some Czech representatives are friends of our youth members. That doesn’t limit our support for the Czech national team in any way”

Have you been in Sweden before doing orienteering?
“For most of the team, this will be their first time visiting Sweden,” Jansays. “A few of us have had the chance before, but the excitement is the same for everyone.”

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What do you think about the terrain that awaits in Karlskrona and Blekinge?
“It will be a big challenge,” he admits. “We’re used to forests with more paths, hills, and rocks. Long straight approaches are not our usual terrain, so it’s one of the reasons we set our sights on JWOC 2026. It’s a great opportunity to learn and grow as orienteers.”

Do you know anything about Karlskrona, or is it your first visit?
“I first learned about Karlskrona while searching for the JWOC 2026 venue, and the rest of the team is in the same situation. For most of us, it’s a completely new experience.”

What more than orienteering are you planning to do while in Karlskrona?
“We’re looking forward to visiting the Maritime Museum and exploring the beauties of Karlskrona,” Jan says. “We’re excited to try new Swedish dishes and to discover some hidden gems along the Baltic Sea coast.”

We are really welcoming the Kobul team to Karlskrona this summer! They have 22 competitors entered to JWOC O-Tour, 3-days. The O-Tour is our spectator races during the JWOC and offer competitions with full class categories (competition classes for Men and Women from ages 10-85) aswell as open classes with varying length and difficulty each day. Five races will be available from Tuesday the 30th June to Sunday the 5th July, including a rest day on the2nd July. All races will be in the JWOC-terrains or directly nearby the JWOC terrains, so everybody can experience the beautiful and challenging Blekinge-terrains. Planning of the spectator races will be made so there is suitable both regarding transports and times to both run spectator races and be a spectatorat the JWOC races. 

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