View source for O-Ringen

{{Short description|Annual orienteering competition in Sweden}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2025}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name              = <big>O-Ringen</big>
| logo              = O-Ringen logo.svg
| logo_size         = 220px
| logo_caption      = 
| status            = 
| genre             = [[Sporting event]]
| date              = <!-- {{start date|YYYY|mm|dd}} "dates=" also works, but do not use both -->
| begins            = <!-- {{start date|YYYY|mm|dd}} -->
| ends              = <!-- {{end date|YYYY|mm|dd}} -->
| frequency         = Annually
| venue             = 
| location          = [[Sweden]]
| coordinates       = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|type:event|display=inline,title}} --> 
| years_active      = <!-- {{age|YYYY|mm|dd}} Date of the first occurrence -->
| first             = {{start date and age|1965|df=y}}
| founder_name      = <!-- or | founders = -->
| last              = <!-- Date of most recent event; if the event will not be held again, use {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
| prev              = 
| next              = 
| participants      = 
| attendance        = 
| capacity          = 
| area              = 
| budget            = 
| activity          = 
| leader_name       = 
| patron            = 
| organised         = <!-- "organized=" also works -->
| filing            = 
| people            = 
| member            = 
| sponsor           = <!-- | or sponsors = -->
| website           = {{URL|www.oringen.se/en/start.html}}
| current           = O-Ringen 2025
| footnotes         = 
}}

The '''O-Ringen''' is an [[foot orienteering|orienteering]] [[competition]] based in [[Sweden]]. It takes place annually in different parts of the country. Orienteers from all over the world come to the event. The competition attracts [[media in Sweden|significant media coverage]] and winning is often considered second only to the [[World Orienteering Championships]] in prestige.

The competition takes place in the month of July, and takes place over 5 days, where every active day is a competition stage. Competitors are assigned start times for the first four stages of the race, but on the fifth and final stage a "chasing start" is used. In a chasing start the overall leader in each class starts first and the remaining competitors start according to the total time they trail. This means that the first runner over the finish line on the final stage is the winner.

== History ==

In 1965, the O-Ringen was first started in Denmark, Scania, and Blekinge by elite Swedish national team runners [[Peo Bengtsson]] and [[Sivar Nordström]]. They organised the competition at short notice from 19–23 July to fill the days between two already-organised weekend events in Simlångsdalen and Kallinge. Due to lack of available high-quality maps, the first day was organised in Hillerød. After being publicised in the ''{{interlanguage link|Skogssport|sv}}'' and the ''[[Idrottsbladet]]'' magazines, 156 participants attended the first event, during which guest of honour [[Torsten Tegnér]] was forced to help with organisation due to lack of volunteers. The events were organised in the evenings to allow for people who had to work during the day. Following the first event, participation levels then steadily increased.<ref name=history/>

The O-Ringen received its name from the union of Swedish national team runners that Bengtsson and Nordström were first part of; the union was started with the purpose to improve international orienteering in 1962 by ten Swedish national team runners, including most Swedish competitors at the 1962 [[European Orienteering Championships]]. Some of the first members included European Championships medallists [[Bertil Norman]] and [[Emy Gauffin]]. The O-Ringen union was important in organising the event through to 1978, and held some administrative roles until 2003.<ref name=history/>

Up until today the highest participant level was in 1985 in Dalarna/Falun were there were 25,021 participants.

The O-Ringen was included in the [[Orienteering World Cup]] series in 1998, 2007, and 2008.

In 2009 there were prize money in the Elite series, the main classes for both the men and the women, totalling to half a million kronor. The final result in the junior elite classes will count towards the Silva Junior Cup.

From 2008, [[multi-sport]] has been represented at the competition in the form of the O-Ringen Multi. The competition on the Tuesday will be a part of the [[Sweden|Swedish]] [[Multi-sport]] Cup.

The O-Ringen Academy is a training program which consists of three sections; International, Leadership and Sports. The International section focuses on training orienteers from all over the world who want to learn more about [[orienteering]] in order to develop the sport in their home countries. The Leadership section is a leadership training course in the form of seminars and speeches.  The Sports section is more concerned with the physical side with training camps of different sorts, including a week for juniors before the O-Ringen.

== Records ==

* The first ever stage of the [[Sweden|Swedish]] 5-Days was held in [[Denmark]].
* [[Ulla Lindkvist]] has the most titles in the women's class with eight wins.
* [[Lars Lönnkvist]] has won the men's class four times

== Statistics ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Location
! Contestants<ref name=history>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oringen.se/213/arsneutrala-sidor/om-oss/vad-ar-o-ringen/o-ringens-historia.html|title=O-Ringens historia - O-Ringen|website=www.oringen.se|language=sv|access-date=2018-01-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703225916/http://www.oringen.se/213/arsneutrala-sidor/om-oss/vad-ar-o-ringen/o-ringens-historia.html|archive-date=2019-07-03|url-status=dead}}</ref>
! Women's winner<ref>{{cite web|title=Vinnare Damklassen|url=http://www.oringen.se/omoringen/statistik/vinnaredamklassen.933.html|access-date=7 December 2014|archive-date=26 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226121551/http://www.oringen.se/omoringen/statistik/vinnaredamklassen.933.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
! Men's winner<ref>{{cite web|title=Vinnare herrklassen|url=http://www.oringen.se/omoringen/statistik/vinnareherrklassen.934.html|access-date=7 December 2014|archive-date=26 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226121523/http://www.oringen.se/omoringen/statistik/vinnareherrklassen.934.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| 1965
| [[Scania]], [[Blekinge]], [[Denmark]]
| 156
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Inga-Britt Bengtsson]]
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Nils Bohman (orienteer)|Nils Bohman]]
|-
| 1966
| [[Småland]], [[Västergötland]]
| 672
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Kerstin Granstedt]]
| {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Juhani Salmenkylä]]
|-
| 1967
| [[Motala]]
| 1,910
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Ulla Lindkvist]]
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Karl Johansson|Kalle Johansson]]
|-
| 1968
| [[Borås]]
| 3,250
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Ulla Lindkvist]]
| {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Åge Hadler]]
|-
| 1969
| [[Rommehed]]
| 5,355
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Ulla Lindkvist]]
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Stefan Green]]
|-
| 1970
| [[Kristianstad]]
| 6,378
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Ulla Lindkvist]]
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Bernt Frilén]]
|-
| 1971
| [[Malmköping]]
| 8,627
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Ulla Lindkvist]]
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Hans Aurell]]
|-
| 1972
| [[Eksjö]]
| 8,253
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Ulla Lindkvist]]
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Hans Aurell]]
|-
| 1973 || [[Rättvik]] || 10,449 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Ulla Lindkvist]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Bengt Gustafsson (orienteer)|Bengt Gustafsson]]
|-
| 1974 || [[Kristianstad]] || 10,196 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Ulla Lindkvist]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Ernst Jönsson]]
|-
|1975 || [[Haninge]] || 9,322 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Anne Lundmark]] ||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Matti Mäkinen]]
|-
|1976 || [[Ransäter]] || 14,843 ||{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Sarolta Monspart]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Gert Pettersson]]
|-
|1977 || [[Visby]] || 7,186 ||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Liisa Veijalainen]] ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Sigurd Dæhli]]
|-
|1978 || [[Skara]] || 15,148 ||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Liisa Veijalainen]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Kjell Lauri]]
|-
|1979 || [[Örebro]] || 15,842 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Britt-Marie Karlsson]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Lars-Henrik Undeland]]
|-
|1980 || [[Uppsala]] || 15,142 ||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Liisa Veijalainen]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Lars Lönnkvist]]
|-
|1981 || [[Mohed]] || 18,983 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Annichen Kringstad]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Jörgen Mårtensson]]
|-
|1982 || [[Luleå]] || 13,631 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Annichen Kringstad]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Lars Lönnkvist]]
|-
|1983 || [[Anderstorp]] || 22,498 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Annichen Kringstad]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Håkan Eriksson (orienteer)|Håkan Eriksson]]
|-
|1984 || [[Bräkne-Hoby]] || 16,123 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Karin Gunnarsson]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Kent Olsson (orienteer)|Kent Olsson]]
|-
|1985 || [[Falun]] || 25,021 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Annichen Kringstad]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Joakim Ingelsson]]
|-
|1986 || [[Borås]] || 17,353 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Annichen Kringstad]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Anders Erik Olsson]]
|-
|1987 || [[Norrköping]] || 16,216 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Katarina Borg]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Lars Lönnkvist]]
|-
|1988 || [[Sundsvall]] || 16,413 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Barbro Lönnkvist]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Lars Lönnkvist]]
|-
|1989 || [[Östersund]] || 17,818 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Barbro Lönnkvist]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Niklas Löwegren]]
|-
|1990 || [[Gothenburg]] || 20,172 ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Ragnhild Bente Andersen]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Per Ek]]
|-
|1991 || [[Arboga]] || 16,581 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Arja Hannus]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Håkan Eriksson (orienteer)|Håkan Eriksson]]
|-
|1992 || [[Södertälje]] || 17,806 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Gunilla Svärd]] ||{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Allan Mogensen]]
|-
|1993 || [[Falkenberg]] || 15,006 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Annika Zell]] ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Petter Thoresen (orienteer)|Petter Thoresen]]
|-
|1994 || [[Örnsköldsvik]] || 14,414 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Katarina Borg]] ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Petter Thoresen (orienteer)|Petter Thoresen]]
|-
|1995 || [[Hässleholm]] || 14,304 ||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Eija Koskivaara]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Jörgen Olsson (orienteer)|Jörgen Olsson]]
|-
|1996 || [[Karlstad]] || 17,007 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Annika Zell]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Jörgen Mårtensson]]
|-
|1997 || [[Umeå]] || 11,179 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Katarina Borg]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Jörgen Mårtensson]]
|-
|1998 || [[Gävle]] || 13,249 ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Hanne Staff]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Johan Ivarsson (orienteer)|Johan Ivarsson]]
|-
|1999 || [[Borlänge]] || 15,238 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Jenny Johansson]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Fredrik Löwegren]]
|-
|2000 || [[Hallsberg]] || 13,740 ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Hanne Staff]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Jimmy Birklin]]
|-
|2001 || [[Märsta]] || 12,525 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Marlena Jansson]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Johan Ivarsson (orienteer)|Johan Ivarsson]]
|-
|2002 || [[Skövde]] || 14,651 ||{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Simone Niggli-Luder]] ||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Mats Haldin]]
|-
|2003 || [[Uddevalla]] || 14,998 ||{{flagicon|GBR}} [[Heather Monro]] ||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Mats Haldin]]
|-
|2004 || [[Gothenburg]] || 13,259 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Jenny Johansson]] ||{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Valentin Novikov]]
|-
|2005 || [[Skillingaryd]] || 12,657 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Emma Engstrand]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Emil Wingstedt]]
|-
|2006 || [[Mohed]] || 13,500 ||{{flagicon|SUI}} [[Simone Niggli-Luder]]||{{flagicon|LTU}} [[Simonas Krepsta]]
|-
|2007 || [[Mjölby]] || 14,300 || {{flagicon|SUI}} [[Simone Niggli-Luder]] ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Anders Nordberg]]
|-
|2008 || [[Sälen]] || 24,375 || {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Anne Margrethe Hausken]] ||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Tero Föhr]]
|-
|2009 || [[Eksjö]] || 15,589 || {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Helena Bergman|Helena Jansson]] || {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Martin Johansson (orienteer, born 1984)|Martin Johansson]]
|-
|2010 || [[Örebro]] || 16,069 || {{flagicon|SUI}} [[Simone Niggli-Luder]] || {{flagicon|SWE}} [[David Andersson (orienteer)|David Andersson]]
|-
|2011 || [[Mohed]] || 12,939 || {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Tove Alexandersson]] || {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Erik Rost]]
|-
|2012 || [[Halmstad]] || 21,172 || {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Tatiana Ryabkina]] ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Olav Lundanes]]
|-
|2013 || [[Boden, Sweden|Boden]] || 12,907 || {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Tove Alexandersson]]||{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Thierry Gueorgiou]]
|-
|2014 || [[Kristianstad]] || 23,088 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Tove Alexandersson]]||{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Thierry Gueorgiou]]
|-
|2015 || [[Borås]] || 18,058 ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Anne Margrethe Hausken]] ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[William Lind (orienteer)|William Lind]]
|-
|2016 || [[Sälen]] || 24,313 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Tove Alexandersson]]||{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Thierry Gueorgiou]]
|-
|2017 || [[Arvika]] || 15,127 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Tove Alexandersson]]||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[William Lind (orienteer)|William Lind]]
|-
|2018 || [[Örnsköldsvik]] || 17,171 || {{flagicon|SUI}} [[Simone Niggli-Luder]] ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Magne Daehli]]
|-
|2019 || [[Norrköping]] || 21,171 ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Tove Alexandersson]]||{{flagicon|UKR}} [[Ruslan Glebov]]
|-
|2020
| colspan="4" rowspan="2" | ''Cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden|COVID-19 pandemic]]''
|-
|2021
|-
|2022 || [[Uppsala]] || 20,271<ref>{{cite web|title=Tidigare O-ringen|url=https://oringen.se/huvudmeny/om-oss/tidigare-o-ringen.html|access-date=20 July 2023}}</ref> ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Sara Hagström]]||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Gustav Bergman]]
|-
|2023 || [[Åre]] || 15,657<ref>{{cite web|title=O-Ringen Åre överträffade målet - trots utmaningarna|url=https://oringen.se/nyheter/nyheter/2023-07-28-o-ringen-are-overtraffade-malet---trots-utmaningarna.html|access-date=28 July 2023|archive-date=2023-08-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811201636/https://oringen.se/nyheter/nyheter/2023-07-28-o-ringen-are-overtraffade-malet---trots-utmaningarna.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> ||{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Sara Hagström]]||{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Olli Ojanaho]]
|-
| 2024
| [[Oskarshamn]]
| 19,304
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Tove Alexandersson]]
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Emil Svensk]]
|-
| 2025
| [[Jönköping]]
| {{TBA}}
| {{flagicon|CHE}} [[Simona Aebersold]]
| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Emil Svensk]]
|-
| ''2026''
| [[Gothenburg]]
| {{TBA}}
| {{TBA}}
| {{TBA}}
|-
| ''2027''
| [[Stockholm]]
| {{TBA}}
| {{TBA}}
| {{TBA}}
|-
| ''2028''
| [[Sundsvall]]
| {{TBA}}
| {{TBA}}
| {{TBA}}
|}

==See also==
*[[Tiomila]]
*[[Jukola relay]]
*[[List of sporting events in Sweden]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.oppetarkiv.se/etikett/titel/Tjejvasan The 1973 edition at SVT's open archive] {{in lang|sv}}

{{Orienteering|type=events}}

[[Category:Orienteering competitions]]
[[Category:Orienteering in Sweden]]
[[Category:July in sports]]
[[Category:1965 establishments in Sweden]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1965]]