The World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) is the pinnacle of world amateur radio contesting. It is a unique event that takes place approximately once every four years and is often compared to the Amateur Radio Olympics. The main idea of the WRTC is to create the most equal conditions for all competitors. Unlike regular HF competitions, the quality of the home antenna farm, geographical location or the performance of the broadcasting station are not decisive.
All teams operate from the same geographic region, use comparable antenna systems, have the same power constraints, and are subject to the same rules. The outcome therefore depends largely on operator skills, tactics, propagation knowledge, and effective teamwork.
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History and significance of WRTC
The first WRTC was held in 1990 in Seattle, USA. Since then, the event has been hosted by several countries, including the United States, Slovenia, Finland, Brazil, Russia, Germany and Italy. The last championship was held in Italy in 2023, as the original date was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over more than three decades, the WRTC has built up an extraordinary reputation. Participation in the event is conditional on long-term qualification based on results in the world's most important KV competitions. Competitors collect points during a multi-year qualification period and only the most successful operators receive an invitation to join the world's elite.
Organizátori WRTC 2026 uvádzajú, že do finále postúpi 50 dvojčlenných tímov zo všetkých častí sveta. Každý tím bude pracovať zo samostatného stanovišťa pod dohľadom rozhodcu. Samotná súťaž prebieha počas IARU HF World Championship, čo umožňuje priame porovnanie výkonov všetkých účastníkov za identických podmienok.
WRTC 2026 in the United Kingdom
Desiaty ročník World Radiosport Team Championship sa uskutoční v Spojenom kráľovstve v termíne 8. až 13. júla 2026. Súťažné lokality budú rozmiestnené v oblasti East Anglia, konkrétne v grófstvach Norfolk, Suffolk a Cambridgeshire. Organizátori pripravujú päťdesiat identických súťažných stanovíšť, na ktorých budú tímy súťažiť počas IARU HF World Championship.
The rated operation itself will take place from 12:00 UTC on July 11 to 11:59 UTC on July 12, 2026. During this period, all official WRTC stations will be active, which will also be part of a special diploma program for radio amateurs from around the world.
The WRTC 2026 qualification period ran from October 2023 to March 2025. The evaluation included results from major international HF competitions in CW, SSB and mixed operation. Such a system allows operators with long-term stable results across various conditions and types of competitions to be identified.
YouTube video
The organizers are gradually introducing individual participants through official videos. Among them, the profile of the Czech representative Martin OL5Y has appeared.
Slovak and Czech participation in WRTC 2026
Very positive news for the Central European contest community is the participation of operators from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Among the qualified participants are also OL5Y with OK6RA and OM2VL with OM3RM.
Všetci patria dlhodobo medzi najúspešnejších contestmanov svojich krajín. Ich výsledky v CQ WW, IARU HF Championship, CQ WPX a ďalších prestížnych pretekoch im zabezpečili dostatočný počet kvalifikačných bodov na účasť medzi svetovou elitou.
This is a significant achievement for both the Czech and Slovak amateur radio communities. WRTC represents not only the individual success of the operators, but also confirmation of the high level of contesting in the OK/OM region. Qualification among the fifty best teams in the world is the result of many years of systematic work, technical preparation and thousands of hours spent on the radio.
In addition, the judges include Rasťo OM3BH, Jožo OM3GI and Tomáš OK2PTZ.
Conclusion
WRTC 2026 will once again be the meeting place for the world's best amateur radio operators. The same technical conditions, rigorous organization and international competition make this event a unique test of operational skills.
For radio amateurs, it will be interesting not only to follow the results themselves, but also to see the technical solutions of individual stations, antenna systems used and operational strategies. The participation of Czech and Slovak representatives also provides another reason to follow the course of the championship with special attention.
There are only a few days left until the start of WRTC 2026, and the world of radio sports is preparing for another battle for the title of unofficial world champions in amateur radio contesting.