National Federations from around the world voted for significant changes to the governance of Modern Pentathlon at the 67th UIPM Congress (November 7-8) in Taipei.

The Congress approved a number of motions designed to modernise the way the UIPM manages Modern Pentathlon and its sub-sports, including: 

• A comprehensive review and update of the entire structure of the UIPM, including changes to simplify and reduce the number of rules on internal organisations 

• Changes to the UIPM Biathle/ Triathle competition rules 

• Adoption of a code of ethics in line with the latest IOC requirements that provides for a clear and efficient procedure in cases of litigation 

• A simplification of election rules for all elective seats within the UIPM. 

“This Congress has been a big step forward for development with new member federations joining our global community and new innovations such as Laser Run making our sport even more accessible to the world,” said UIPM president Dr Klaus Schormann.

“The National Federations are very united in focusing on sport, education and the integration of society through sport. UIPM is committed to the IOC Agenda 2020 and to supporting the protection of the clean athletes.” 

Expansion was the main theme of the UIPM Congress 2015 as Dr Klaus Schormann, UIPM President, and Shiny Fang, Secretary General, reviewed another year of relentless progress and innovation and looked ahead to a bright future. 

“With a strong vision, with a clear understanding that change is a certainty, and with a total commitment by all the family, modern pentathlon can and will be successful in retaining and gaining on its position after the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and, in fact, being considered as an essential part of the Olympic program and one of the International Federations that has adapted itself successfully to the challenges of these times,” said Secretary General Shiny Fang. 

“As we continuously improve our structures centrally and in every country, ‘expanding’ our reach is our real next frontier. The right choices in this area will make a huge difference in the lead up to Tokyo 2020, when the IOC will once again review the sports program, and in the long run, also beyond 2020.” 

UIPM delegates approved the membership of another six member nations: Bermuda, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Benin, Madagascar and Colombia. 

UIPM also became the first International Federation to express its backing for the Declaration of Support for the Olympic Charter, which was signed by Olympians representing all five continents at the inaugural World Olympians Forum organised by the World Olympians Association (WOA), in Moscow, Russia in October. 

The two-day conference also revealed the winners of the 2015 UIPM awards and named the venues for numerous future UIPM competitions.

Source: UIPM

[Source TBS]: Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. (TBS) is pleased to announce that it will collaborate with World Obstacle, the Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO) and the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) to test a SASUKE/Ninja Warrior obstacle course event as a proposed new 5th discipline of the Modern Pentathlon for inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

SASUKE/Ninja Warrior is a megahit sports entertainment program broadcast on TBS since 1997. It is currently seen in over 160 countries around the world, and local versions are produced in over 20 countries.

Modern Pentathlon is an Olympic sport consisting of five disciplines: fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, laser pistol shooting, and running. UIPM announced in May 2022 that an obstacle course would be tested as a potential replacement for the riding discipline in the Modern Pentathlon after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

According to the UIPM, two types of obstacle sports will be tested, one of which is Ninja Competitions, a sport made popular worldwide by the SASUKE/Ninja Warrior programs. The first test competition is being held as a collaboration between UIPM and FISO in Ankara, Turkey on June 27 and 28, immediately after the UIPM 2022 Pentathlon World Cup Final in Ankara.

At UIPM and FISO’s request, TBS has agreed to provide a Ninja Warrior obstacle course for use as a demonstration of the event in Ankara. This obstacle course is currently used to film local versions of the SASUKE/Ninja Warrior format shown in France, Poland, and other European countries. The Wall Flip, Parallel Pipes, Wind Chimes and Tire Swing obstacles will be featured.

Pentathletes and obstacle athletes from around the world will practice on June 27 for the competition on June 28. The test event in Ankara gives the best pentathletes in the world a chance to compete for the first time along with obstacle course athletes.

Dr Klaus Schormann, President said: “UIPM has undertaken a comprehensive and transparent process to transform Modern Pentathlon into one of the most popular, accessible and exciting sports on the Olympic programme. The upcoming first Obstacle Discipline Test Event in Ankara will be an important step and we look forward to watching pentathletes and obstacle athletes test themselves on the obstacles provided in collaboration with TBS and FISO.”

Ian Adamson, President, FISO said: “We are thrilled to be collaborating with TBS and the UIPM on the new 5th discipline. Obstacles have a long history in pentathlon, and introducing a new discipline that is practiced and watched by millions of people in over 160 countries in the form of SASUKE/Ninja Warrior shows has the potential to widen the audience for all stakeholders and enhance the appeal of the sport on the Olympic programme.”

Sophia Hernandez (Guatemalan pentathle said: “I’m feeling excited to try the Obstacle Discipline, and hoping it will be fun and cool to do. I’m also a bit nervous about the difficulty of it. But I think it will be interesting and a good opportunity for everyone taking part. I have watched Ninja Warrior, I love seeing how they race and it’s always fun. It’s impressive to see how some people manage to get through really tough courses.”

Taro Muraguchi, Program Producer at TBS said: “I am very excited to hear that the program that began in 1997 on TBS has become popular around the world and may now expand its reach even further.  I am really looking forward to seeing SASUKE/Ninja Warrior on the Olympic stage as a Modern Pentathlon event.”

Miho Takashima, in charge of the global SASUKE/Ninja Warrior format, said: “SASUKE/Ninja Warrior, which continues to win fans around the world, represents the culmination of TBS's long history of content development. We look forward to working with the UIPM and FISO to further expand the possibilities of obstacle racing.”

[Source: UIPM] The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) has opened a consultation process to identify a suitable replacement for Riding in the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon.

The historic move comes after the UIPM Executive Board (EB) unanimously endorsed a series of recommendations made by the UIPM Innovation Commission after a two-day meeting in Monaco last week.

The Innovation Commission was set up in 2018 to continuously monitor the composition of Modern Pentathlon and review its suitability for the Olympic Games in the context of Olympic Agenda 2020 and Olympic Agenda 2020+5 – the strategic roadmap of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The EB met virtually on October 31 and endorsed the Innovation Commission’s recommendation that Riding be replaced with another discipline that enhances the popularity and credibility of Modern Pentathlon, while preserving its status as the ultimate physical and mental sporting challenge – as envisaged by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the Modern Olympic Games.

The EB decision has today (November 4) been communicated to UIPM’s global community of National Federations and members of the UIPM Athletes, Coaches and Technical Committees during a series of conference calls.

All changes resulting from the consultation process will be implemented in time for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Summer Games – only coming into force after Paris 2024, which will be the first Games to feature Modern Pentathlon’s new TV-friendly elimination format, which enables audiences to watch all five disciplines in 90 minutes within a Pentathlon Stadium.

The consultation process will be inclusive of specific stakeholder groups, namely athletes and coaches as well as media and marketing partners, and the selection of a new discipline will be based on the following criteria. It must:

• Follow the Coubertin narrative of the most complete athlete
• Not fall under the governance of another IOC-recognised International Federation.
• Allow for global accessibility and universality
• Be attractive and relevant for global youth and future generations
• Provide for gender equality and fairness
• Meet sustainability and legacy requirements of IOC Olympic Agenda 2020+5
• Be exciting and easily understandable for TV / digital audiences and all sports fans
• Be low-cost for both athletes and organisers (lower equipment costs and fewer officials)
• Result in minimal injury rates and be easy to learn and train based on athletes’ existing skills
• Not cause transportation and logistical complications
• Fit inside new Pentathlon Stadium and urban settings
• Be compatible with new 90-minute elimination format
• Be compatible with current handicap start and continuous event concept

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann said: “The recommendations put forward by the UIPM Innovation Commission are in continuity with the tradition of innovation which UIPM has in its DNA.”

“Many times in recent decades our sport has evolved to meet the changing expectations of the modern world. This evolution has created more appeal for young athletes and families, more value for spectators and TV / digital audiences, a reduced environmental impact and 100% gender equality since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Summer Games.”

“We can be rightly proud of what our global family has achieved, and now the time has come to be bold and ambitious once again in following the strong recommendations of our UIPM Innovation Commission.”

“On behalf of the UIPM Executive Board I ask our global community to embrace change and grasp the momentous opportunity before us. A new discipline will provide fresh impetus to our sport and strengthen the position of Modern Pentathlon within the Olympic movement.”

“The Modern Pentathlon will remain a five-discipline sport and will continue to provide the ultimate moral and physical examination of an athlete, as Coubertin envisaged.”

“In all of our communications with various stakeholders, we have all agreed that we need to keep our sport at the highest possible level, designed to test the physical and mental qualities of the complete athlete.”

“We now look forward to an inclusive and very positive consultation process as we consider which sporting discipline is the most suitable to take Modern Pentathlon into a new era, alongside Swimming, Fencing and Laser Run (laser shooting and running).”

UIPM 1st Vice President and IOC Member Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr added: “This is a very important moment for Modern Pentathlon – and actually for the Olympic programme.”

“We would be making a mistake if we were to take our place in the Olympic programme for granted past Paris 2024. It is not granted for us, it is not granted for anybody.”
 
“We really need to make sure that in that new environment, with all of these new sports that have demonstrated strength and a lot of traction with people and media, we have to make sure that our sport if flawless.”

The equestrian discipline of show jumping has been ever-present in Modern Pentathlon since the multi-sport was created by Coubertin, the pioneer of the Modern Olympic Games, and introduced to the world at Stockholm 1912.

Swimming, Fencing, Running and Shooting have also been retained throughout the past 11 decades, although the last two disciplines were merged to create the Laser Run combination that now provides a thrilling climax to every Modern Pentathlon and Tetrathlon.

The creation of Laser Run has been one of many changes marking the evolution of Modern Pentathlon as a safe and sustainable sport with a captivating, fast-paced format suited to 21st-century audiences.
 
The timeline for the selection process of the new discipline as well as the transition steps will be communicated in the forthcoming weeks.

When the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) was formed on August 3, 1948, the majority of events at the Summer Olympic Games were taking place some 50 kilometres away in London.

At the time, a meeting of 15 national pentathlon federations at the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst may not have seemed like the epicentre of the action, but the decision taken by that group sowed the seeds of a sporting organism that has been growing and flourishing ever since.

Today, after 70 years of heritage and innovation, the UIPM movement is in many ways unrecognisable from those early beginnings.

Today it is a sprawling sporting organisation with nearly 120 member federations, a 106-year-old core Olympic sport (Modern Pentathlon), five other multi-discipline UIPM Sports and a new urban phenomenon that is rapidly spreading across the cities in all six of the world’s populated continents.

That phenomenon is the UIPM Global Laser-Run City Tour (GLRCT), a concept that delivers an exciting, dynamic and fun competition to participants of all ages and offers them an entry point to UIPM Sports. Who knows, maybe some of the young athletes enjoying the unique combination of running and laser shooting might even become pentathletes one day and reach the Olympic Games.

The GLRCT took place in parks, stadiums and iconic urban venues in 60 cities around the world in 2017. It is currently in the process of visiting about 100 cities throughout 2018.

Laser-Run is the newest sport on the UIPM pyramid. It was conceived as a development sport, aimed at growing participation numbers in the core Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon, but its simplicity, popularity and marketability have seen it grow an identify of its own.

The growth of that brand has coincided with the evolution of UIPM’s wider visual identity, which aims to communicate the historic pentathlon family values aligned to the dynamic future of UIPM Sports.

A branding review in 2017 led to the creation of two new logos, one for institutional and internal use and the other for external promotional use. The new institutional logo features two original colours that represent the pentathlon environment: yellow (symbolizing dynamic development) and blue (standing for longevity and power). Gender equality is also reflected with the addition of two female pictograms.

Martin Dawe, UIPM Executive Board Member for Marketing, said: “The purpose of this branding review is to make sure our logos are more up to date. It is not a completely new logo but more of an evolution, and it’s about making it more applicable for today’s audience.”

UIPM has planned a series of events and commemorations in celebration of its 70th anniversary, culminating with a special edition of the UIPM Congress in November in Limassol, Cyprus, which will feature a gala dinner with VIP guests from across the Olympic movement.

The role played by those 15 federation delegates in England in 1948 will be fully acknowledged, as well as the work of the many people who have contributed across the past seven decades to the realisation of a dream.

This article first appeared in the Summer issue of Host City magazine. Read the full magazine here

Take Modern Pentathlon and remove the dynamism of Swimming, the dexterity of Fencing and the heroism of Horse Riding. What do you have left?

What you have left is a sport with two disciplines, Running and Laser Shooting, and too big an audience to be counted.

A sport that can take place on a beach, in a park or in a city centre.

A sport where Olympians, beginners and veterans can test themselves on the same terrain, in the same conditions, with the same equipment and with the same sense of enjoyment through competition.

A sport whose compact format creates the possibility for organizing cities to enjoy extensive outreach and exposure, aligning sport with culture and entertainment.

What you have left is Laser-Run.

This sport, this new offspring of the core Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon, was conceived in 2014 and born in 2015, when the 1st UIPM Laser-Run World Championships were held in the south of France.

There, in downtown Perpignan, the sun shone through the fountains to create a kaleidoscope effect in harmony with the diversity of the competitors: women, men, girls, boys, competing individually and in concert, all ages, nationalities and races.

Twelve months later, in the capital of Portugal, another armada of athletes - 421 from 22 countries - gathered once more to transmit the message that this is a sport for everyone, and that rule applies to spectators as well as athletes.

Perpignan 2015 and Lisbon 2016. The Laser-Run World Championships. Two disciplines, two cities, two success stories.

So why does this format work so well?

By common consent, for spectators the most gripping stage of a Modern Pentathlon competition is the Combined Event. The Run/Shoot. The climax.

Laser-Run is the Combined Event with the slate wiped clean. It is Modern Pentathlon stripped of the complications of water, epees and horses. Laser-Run is not about elegant posture on horseback or razor-like reflexes or continuity of stroke, it is back-to-basics sport and it pulls off the trick of generating a thrilling spectacle with a simple format.

Everyone starts at the same time and the winner is he or she who finishes first. The laws of combat are straightforward. Run smartly, conserve energy, pick up your pistol and don’t miss. Don’t get stuck on the range, or you will be left behind and there will be no second wind. No tired legs to hunt down.

It is a concept that marries the most attractive aspects of running and gaming. Laser-Run combines outdoor athleticism and electronic fun to offer the best of both worlds.

What more could an active young audience wish for?

Well, they might also wish to be able to try out their Laser-Run skills against their friends, and ultimately chase national and international titles, and they might wish to do this in front of their families and other spectators and receive the acclaim on the finish line that they see elite athletes enjoy on TV.

Dr Klaus Schormann, President of UIPM, says: “As we saw during the inauguration of this competition in Perpignan in 2015, and again in Lisbon in 2016, the combination of Running and Shooting which replicates the climax of a Modern Pentathlon competition creates its own exciting World Championships.

“The Laser-Run World Championships has been another big step for the development of Modern Pentathlon and UIPM Sports.”

HOST CITY: Pierre De Coubertin said Modern Pentathlon “tested a man’s moral qualities as much as his physical resources and skills”. How does Modern Pentathlon achieve this and why is this still important today?
Dr. Klaus Schormann: Modern Pentathlon first appeared on the Olympic programme in Stockholm in 1912 when De Coubertin’s wish was to devise a test suitable only for the “complete athlete”. In pursuit of this aim he created the ultimate test of an athlete’s fitness, courage and skill – a sporting challenge like no other. Modern Pentathlon combines five traditional disciplines in a one-day format and is unique in sport as a complex mental and physical examination.
Today it remains as important as ever in the Olympic Movement. Pierre de Coubertin’s vision has its roots in the Ancient Games of 708 where Lampis of Sparta was the first winner of Pentathlon and received the prestigious status of “Victor Ludorum”. In this time, Pentathlon consisted of discus, long jump, javelin, stadium run and wrestling. The format has changed beyond recognition but the principle remains the same: it is the complete sporting challenge.

HOST CITY: Competition for inclusion in the Olympic programme is strong. What are the key factors that have enabled Modern Pentathlon to retain its place in the programme?
Dr. Klaus Schormann: Modern Pentathlon has been a core sport of the Olympic Games ever since 1912. Although it has had to justify its inclusion in the Olympic programme several times, it has retained a constant presence and this is because of two things: strong Olympic heritage and modern innovation. First we had to shorten the Modern Pentathlon from five days in duration to one day, because it was not compatible with the demands of the mass media, viewers and spectators.
To make it a more compelling spectacle, we introduced several changes and developments. We introduced Laser Pistols at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010. We created a running/shooting Combined Event (like winter biathlon) that made the sport safer for athletes and spectators, allowing them to get closer to the action than ever before. Most recently, in addition to the fencing round robin, pentathletes have the opportunity to win extra points in a new bonus round. In less than an hour, all of the athletes compete on one piste in front of the spectators to win bonus seconds for the Combined Event.
To make our sport more compact and exciting, we had to adapt our format as we are living in a fast changing world with a modern, diverse and digital society. You can inspire others to change, only if you are ready to change yourself. Our new format is compact, media and spectator friendly with entertainment in between. It is not only a competition anymore – it is five sports brought together to create one big event. As De Coubertin wrote in 1918, “the individual who truly deserves that name ‘Olympian’ is the competitor in the modern pentathlon”. We are certain that he would have approved of Modern Pentathlon’s proven ability to move with the times and stay fresh.
 
HOST CITY: As a member of the IOC Commission on Culture and Olympic Heritage, do you think modern pentathlon can play a role in helping the IOC to realise its Agenda 2020 aim of further blending sport and culture?
Dr. Klaus Schormann: UIPM can, like all of the International Federations in the Olympic Movement, play a role in helping the IOC to realise this goal. Only together can we implement another of Pierre de Coubertin’s visions: to “blend sport with culture and education” as in the Ancient Games.
Due to the concentration on sport, the influence of the Olympic Movement’s cultural activities has been limited even though many committed institutions and communities like museums, academies, historians, collectors or artists for instance have been established. However, our mission as members of the IOC Commission on Culture and Olympic Heritage is to develop concepts and programmes to further blend sport and culture at each Olympic Games and in the years between. This only goes hand in hand with the whole Olympic Family to create values with culture.
 
HOST CITY: And how can the values of UIPM and Olympism help with the education and personal development of young people worldwide?
Dr. Klaus Schormann: In our fast changing world, education has an important role in society. As Nelson Mandela said “Sport has the power to change the world” and currently we need to change and act against crime, hate and discrimination more than ever before.
Modern Pentathlon is not only a big event but it has remained through 100 years of history very traditional and unique in the Olympic Movement. The Olympic Agenda 2020 clearly demonstrates our decision to live up to our values and principles. The values of “excellence, respect, friendship, dialogue, diversity, non-discrimination, tolerance, fair play, solidarity, development and peace” should be demonstrated through our sport around the world. Our Unity in Diversity is important to make those values and principles remain relevant in society.
Through Modern Pentathlon with the five different skills you have a platform for education, integration of all religions and cultural societies with the message for a more friendly, humanitarian and peaceful world. 

HOST CITY: How do the UIPM’s other events, such as the new Laser Run format, help to engage new athletes and audiences? 
Dr. Klaus Schormann: The Laser-Run is the latest original creation of UIPM, derived from the Combined Event and launched in 2015 as a non-Olympic sub-sport. The simple format of running/shooting helps introduce and engage new athletes and new audiences as athletes of all ages from 8 to 80 can participate and the event can be staged on beaches, in cities and in the countryside. 
The Laser Run is the basis of the UIPM Pyramid and for many is the first step on the way to participating in Modern Pentathlon. The bigger the basis, the more athletes will find their way to the top. Modern Pentathlon keeps the legacy of Pierre de Coubertin as a strong heritage.