interest in this kind of on-foot radio direction finding activity using detailed topographic maps for navigation spread throughout scandinavia, eastern and central europe, the soviet union, and the people's republic of china. formal rules for the sport were first proposed in england and denmark in the 1950s. the first european championship in the sport was held in 1961 in stockholm, sweden. four additional international championships were held in europe in the 1960s, and three more were held in the 1970s. the first world championship was held in 1980 in cetniewo, poland, where competitors from eleven european and asian countries participated. world championships have been generally held in even-numbered years since 1984, although there was no world championship in 1996, and there was a world championship in 1997. asian nations began sending national teams to international events in 1980, and teams from nations in oceania and north america began competing in the 1990s. athletes from twenty-six nations attended the 2000 world championship in nanjing, china, the first to be held outside of europe.