The Australian state of Victoria has pulled out of hosting the 2026 Games due to financial considerations, leaving the Commonwealth Games Federation with just three years to find an alternative solution.

“This is hugely disappointing for the Commonwealth Sport Movement, for athletes around the Commonwealth and the Organising Committee who are well advanced in their planning and preparation,” the Commonwealth Games Federation said in a statement. 

The Victorian government cited escalating costs as the reason for backing out of its hosting agreement – but the CGF said that the rising costs were down to Victoria’s choice of delivery model.

“The numbers quoted to us today of $6 billion are 50% more than those advised to the Organising Committee board at its meeting in June,” the statement said. 

“These figures are attributed to price escalation primarily due to the unique regional delivery model that Victoria chose for these Games, and in particular relate to village and venue builds and transport infrastructure. 

“Since awarding Victoria the Games, the Government has made decisions to include more sports and an additional regional hub, and changed plans for venues, all of which have added considerable expense, often against the advice of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA).

“We are disappointed that we were only given eight hours’ notice and that no consideration was given to discussing the situation to jointly find solutions prior to this decision being reached by the Government. 

Up until this point, the Government had advised that sufficient funding was available to deliver the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games. 

“We are taking advice on the options available to us and remain committed to finding a solution for the Games in 2026 that is in the best interest of our athletes and the wider Commonwealth Sport Movement.”

The UK city of Birmingham, which stepped in to host the 2022 Games when Durban pulled out five years before the Games, has been mentioned as a possible contingency.

The immediate previous hosts were Gold Coast and Glasgow.

Host City 2023, the largest meeting of cities and sports, business and cultural events, takes place in Glasgow on 20-21 November.

[Source: IOC] Today, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced details of the Olympic Esports Series 2023, a global virtual and simulated sports competition created by the IOC and in collaboration with International Federations (IFs) and game publishers.

The initially confirmed featured games across nine sports are:

- Archery (World Archery Federation, Tic Tac Bow),

- Baseball (World Baseball Softball Confederation, WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS),

- Chess (International Chess Federation, Chess.com),

- Cycling (UCI, Zwift),

- Dance (World DanceSport Federation, JustDance)

- Motor sport (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, Gran Turismo).

- Sailing (World Sailing, Virtual Regatta),

- Taekwondo (World Taekwondo, Virtual Taekwondo)

- Tennis (International Tennis Federation, Tennis Clash),

The Olympic Esports Series 2023 begins today, when both professional and amateur players from around the world are invited to take part in qualification rounds across a host of the featured games.

The Olympic Esports Series 2023 will culminate in live, in-person finals for the first time, with players having the opportunity to progress to the Olympic Esports Finals 2023. Taking place at Singapore’s Suntec Centre from 22 to 25 June, the finals action will be a highlight of the recently announced Olympic Esports Week 2023.

Coming together in Singapore for this unique competition, the players will compete in front of fans for the prestigious title of Olympic Esports Series winner. The thrilling finals action will be streamed globally across Olympics.com and Olympic social channels.

This evolved format of the IOC’s virtual competition builds on the successes of the Olympic Virtual Series. The 2021 series, which took place ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, attracted over 250,000 participants from across 100 countries to take part in competitions. The Olympic Esports Series 2023 marks another step in supporting the development of virtual sports within the Olympic Movement, as laid out in Olympic Agenda 2020+5, and continues its collaboration with the gaming and esports communities to create new opportunities for players and fans alike.

Speaking at the announcement, David Lappartient, Chair of the IOC Esports Liaison Group, said: “The Olympic Movement brings people together in peaceful competition. The Olympic Esports Series 2023 is a continuation of that, with the ambition of creating more spaces to play for both players and fans of elite competition. We look forward to witnessing some of the world’s best compete on the global stage, as well as exploring together shared opportunities and lessons - across health and wellbeing, training and innovation.”

This follows the recent announcement that Singapore will host the first Olympic Esports Week 2023. Created in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Sport Singapore and the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), the four-day festival will showcase the very best of virtual sports – including technology exhibitions, show matches, expert panel discussions, and the first live finals of the Olympic Esports Series. The full programme and ticket details for the Olympic Esports Week 2023 will be revealed in April.

[Source: US Sailing] US Sailing and Miami Yacht Club have agreed to co-host the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials –Sailing. The 49er, Mixed 470, Men and Women’s IQ Foil, and Men’s and Women’s Formula Kite racing will be held Jan 6-13, 2024, while the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 classes will race Feb. 17-24, 2024. The racing will be held primarily on the Atlantic Ocean with course options on Biscayne Bay.

Tom Duggan, Principal Race Officer (PRO) for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, will serve as PRO for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Sailing. The Notices of Race for these events will be issued by Aug. 1, 2023.

“We are honored to have the Miami sailing community and, in particular, Miami Yacht Club’s patriotism and enthusiasm for supporting America’s top sailing athletes and their journey to represent the U.S. at the Olympic Games Paris 2024,” said Paul Cayard, executive director of the US Sailing Team. “The U.S. Olympic Team Trials are a competition which will test boat speed, focus, mental strength, the ability to win races, and the ability to sail consistently over a series of races, all of which are required to succeed at the Olympic Games.”

The athlete selection procedures for the 2024 Olympic Games were drafted by US Sailing’s International Selection Committee, which includes nine U.S. Olympians and is chaired by Olympic silver and bronze medalist, JJ Fetter. The selection procedures were approved by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and initially published in July 2022, with subsequent amendments to reflect this 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials announcement.

For the Women’s Skiff (49er FX), late selection will be the combined results of the 2024 FX World Championships in Lanzarote, Spain from February 27 – March 3^rd and the 2024 Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma, Spain from April 1 – 6^th.

For the Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17), late selection will be the combined results of the 2024 Princess Sofia Regatta and the 2024 Nacra 17 Europeans in La Grande-Motte, France from May 7 – 12^th.

It should be noted that if an athlete/team both wins the qualification series for selection to the Olympic Test Event in Marseille in July 2023 and achieves a podium finish at that event, that athlete/team will qualify for Early Selection and be nominated as the representative(s) for Paris 2024, precluding a late selection regatta or regattas for that class.

Full Selection Procedures for the Paris 2024 Olympics can be found here

[Source: US Sailing] US Sailing and Miami Yacht Club have agreed to co-host the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials –Sailing. The 49er, Mixed 470, Men and Women’s IQ Foil, and Men’s and Women’s Formula Kite racing will be held Jan 6-13, 2024, while the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 classes will race Feb. 17-24, 2024. The racing will be held primarily on the Atlantic Ocean with course options on Biscayne Bay.

Tom Duggan, Principal Race Officer (PRO) for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, will serve as PRO for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Sailing. The Notices of Race for these events will be issued by Aug. 1, 2023.

“We are honored to have the Miami sailing community and, in particular, Miami Yacht Club’s patriotism and enthusiasm for supporting America’s top sailing athletes and their journey to represent the U.S. at the Olympic Games Paris 2024,” said Paul Cayard, executive director of the US Sailing Team. “The U.S. Olympic Team Trials are a competition which will test boat speed, focus, mental strength, the ability to win races, and the ability to sail consistently over a series of races, all of which are required to succeed at the Olympic Games.”

The athlete selection procedures for the 2024 Olympic Games were drafted by US Sailing’s International Selection Committee, which includes nine U.S. Olympians and is chaired by Olympic silver and bronze medalist, JJ Fetter. The selection procedures were approved by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and initially published in July 2022, with subsequent amendments to reflect this 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials announcement.

For the Women’s Skiff (49er FX), late selection will be the combined results of the 2024 FX World Championships in Lanzarote, Spain from February 27 – March 3^rd and the 2024 Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma, Spain from April 1 – 6^th.

For the Mixed Multihull (Nacra 17), late selection will be the combined results of the 2024 Princess Sofia Regatta and the 2024 Nacra 17 Europeans in La Grande-Motte, France from May 7 – 12^th.

It should be noted that if an athlete/team both wins the qualification series for selection to the Olympic Test Event in Marseille in July 2023 and achieves a podium finish at that event, that athlete/team will qualify for Early Selection and be nominated as the representative(s) for Paris 2024, precluding a late selection regatta or regattas for that class.

Full Selection Procedures for the Paris 2024 Olympics can be found here

Copenhagen is preparing for an urban festival with street activities in the heart of the Danish capital when the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup Qualifier and 3x3 Europe Cup 2025 take place.

“We are really happy and proud of bringing the 3x3 Europe Cup to Denmark for the first time”, Kamil Novak, FIBA Europe Executive Director said. “Copenhagen and Denmark are perfect matches to 3x3 as one of the missions of this discipline is to bring basketball to the people and show that everyone can be successful in 3x3.”

"We are proud to host the Euro Cup 2025 and the qualifier on Danish soil in collaboration with Wonderful Copenhagen and Sport Event Denmark,” said Mads Young Christensen chairman of the board of Danish Basketball Federation (DBBF). I am thrilled that for the first time in Danish basketball history we will host a European Championship. We get the opportunity to showcase our fantastic sport to the Danes and show our international basketball family why Denmark is unique as a host nation for major sporting events."

The 3x3 Europe Cup will be staged in September 2025 in a public square in central Copenhagen with a venue large enough to accommodate 1,200 spectators. In 2024, the Copenhageners can warm up with the 3x3 Europe Cup 2024 Qualifier.

Other activities and side events also include school programs, exercise, and competitions enabling the children to try the urban and Olympic discipline.

Denmark's Basketball Federation expects between 7,000 and 8,400 paying spectators for the Europe Cup 2025 and up to 90,000 spontaneous spectators.

The Danish Basketball Federation, in collaboration with Wonderful Copenhagen and Sport Event Denmark, bid for and won the two events.

"I am absolutely thrilled that Copenhagen will be hosting the European Championship in 3x3 basketball,” said Lord Mayor Sophie Hæstorp Andersen. “It offers a unique opportunity for us to host a big international sport tournament in urban surroundings and combine it with street sport activities that everyone can participate in. I hope the event will encourage more people to try street sports, and I look forward to the celebrations in the streets of Copenhagen.”

"3x3 is one of the new Olympic disciplines with high entertainment value and great street credit,” said Lars Lundov, director of Sport Event Denmark. “Therefore, the Europe Cup 2025, the qualifier in 2024, and Copenhagen are a perfect match. Together with the Danish Basketball Federation, and Copenhagen, we are planning a vast program of side activities during the urban festival embracing the tournaments.”

“We are really excited to welcome the 3x3 Europe Cup to Copenhagen,” said Kit Lykketoft, Director of Convention at Wonderful Copenhagen. “In Copenhagen, we have a focus on creating events with broad and lasting legacies and the 3x3 Europe Cup is not only a testament to Copenhagen’s position as a leading sport event host city but also a great example of how a strong collaboration between organisations can create elite events that are closely tied to local life and leave a positive lasting legacy in the city.”

[Source: West Midlands Growth Company] Coventry Building Society Arena (CBS Arena) will host the second double-header of the Arnold Clark Cup on February 19, headlined by defending champions England taking on Italy. 

Belgium will take on South Korea in the second match of the double-header, with fans able to see both matches on the same ticket. Tickets can be purchased here and start from just £10 for adults and £5 for concessions.

The double-header at CBS Arena will take place between match days at Stadium MK (Milton Keynes) on 16 February and Ashton Gate Stadium (Bristol) on 22 February, with more than 30,000 tickets already sold across the two venues. 

As one of the last opportunities to see England ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, tickets for CBS Arena are also expected to be snapped up quickly. 

Paul Michael, Commercial Director at CBS Arena, said:

“We are thrilled to be hosting this major international tournament at a time when women’s football continues to go from strength to strength – as the impact of the Lionesses’ triumph last summer continues to be felt far and wide.

“Attracting the Arnold Clark Cup underlines CBS Arena’s credentials as one of the UK’s leading sporting venues, and we can’t wait to welcome players and fans for two great matches.”

England fans will be able to watch every match live across ITV, and can follow tournament updates at: @arnoldclarkcup / #arnoldclarkcup

Qatar is in formal talks with the International Olympic Committee about the possibility of hosting a future Summer Olympic Games, but the question of moving the event to a different time of year is “pure speculation”, the IOC told Host City.

Qatar is one of eleven prospective hosts in talks with the IOC about future Summer Olympic Games. 

Following an IOC Executive Board Meeting in which climate-driven changes to future Winter Games host city selection were discussed, Host City asked the IOC if it would consider allowing a Summer Olympic Games in the winter months to enable a bid from the Middle East.

“This would be pure speculation at this point in time,” the IOC Media Relation office said in an email.

The rules regarding the months in which the Games can take place have not changed in nearly 20 years.

“As per an IOC Executive Board decision in 2003, and as clearly stated in the Future Host Questionnaire for the Olympic Games, the duration of the competitions of the Olympic Games shall not exceed sixteen days and the dates of the Olympic Summer Games shall be chosen within the period: 15 July to 31 August,” the IOC explained.

“The final dates for the holding of the Games, including the number of days of competition and the scheduling of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Games, is decided by the IOC in consultation with the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG).”

The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Qatar is one of 11 NOCs from four continents interested in hosting the Olympic Games, either in Continuous Dialogue or informal exchange with the IOC.

The NOC of Qatar are taking part in Continuous Dialogue with the IOC. “These discussions are not linked to a particular year or edition of the Games and there is no longer a fixed election cycle, as in the past,” the IOC said.

The next Summer Games for which a host has not yet been confirmed is 2036, following Paris 2024, LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032.

The Qatari capital of Doha previously bid for the 2016 Games, under the slogan "Celebrating Change." This bid did not make it to the Candidature phase, and Qatar turned its attention to a successful bid for the FIFA World Cup, which was moved to take place outside summer months for the first time - although organisers claimed it could have taken place any time of year.

Although the bidding procedure for the Olympic Games has changed significantly since then, further changes would be required to enable the Games to be hosted at a different time of year.

“Since Olympic Agenda 2020 and the subsequent reforms of the New Norm, the IOC has adopted a new, flexible approach to electing Olympic Hosts, which considers carefully the local context and future plans for the region. All potential hosts must demonstrate sustainability and legacy at the heart of their Games proposal, which should align with long term socio-economic development plans for their region or country,” the IOC told Host City.

Concerns about the effects of climate change on potential hosts of the Winter Olympics have led the IOC to delay the election of the host of the 2030 Games.

Speaking at a press conference following an update from the Future Host Commission for the Olympic Winter Games at the IOC Executive Board meeting in Lausanne, Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games Executive Director said, “The Commission, building on Agenda 2020, outlined a number of proposals, but also potential uncertainties around hosting the winter Games which could have an impact on future elections.”

Global warming means the IOC could have a smaller pool of potential hosts of Winter Games to choose from.

“We have preliminary results on leading academic research on the impact of climate change which shows a potential reduction in the number of climate-reliable hosts in the future,” said Dubi.

The IOC Executive Board also heard how winter federations have already started to adjust their event calendars and formats.

It was also suggested that the Olympic Winter Game hosting rights might rotate “between a certain pool of cities and regions.”

There was also a conversation about further prioritising existing venues in the host selection criteria. “It is felt that for the future we should target hosts that can display all venues to be existing or temporary.”

Another proposal discussed would require future hosts to “show a minimum average of below zero [degrees Celsius] for snow competition venues at the time of the games over a ten-year period.”

“All these being considered, on the request of the Commission, the IOC Executive Board decided to give the Winter Commission more time to study all these factors and opportunities to make the best possible decisions about future hosting.

“It will enable the Commission to consult deeply with interested parties, IFs, NOCs, the athletes, winter sports industry experts and the IPC – because we are operating over a full month and that needs to be considered in a global warming environment.

“This will give the Commission more time to have a clearer picture and make a sounder decision for 2030.

“This means we are not targeting an election of the host of the Olympic Winter Games 2030 at the 114^th Session in 2023,” said Dubi.

“This is in line with the new flexible approach to electing Olympic hosts under which the Executive Board has the authority to determine the timing of the election in the interest of the Olympic Movement.”

The Executive Board also discussed the possibility of awarding the hosting rights to 2030 and 2034 simultaneously to “create stability for the winter sport and the Olympic Winter Games.”

Dubi said “The three interested parties have been informed of those conversations and discussions,” without naming the cities. Sapporo and Salt Lake City are interested parties; Vancouver was out of contention but may be back in the running.

The host selection process is still in the “continuous dialogue” stage, Jacqueline Barrett, Director of Future Olympic Games Hosts at the IOC explained.

“We haven’t opened targeted dialogue yet. So not targeting next year for a session will allow more time to develop these projects before when the commission feels its ready, to open a targeted dialogue.”

The IOC did not confirm the details of the changed timeframe for opening targeted dialogue, and subsequently electing the host city. 

“We are not going to push this decision many years down the road. We are still in continuous dialogue which is non-committal and open at this stage,” Barrett said.

“The mandate of the Commission is to ensure that there will always be a healthy pipeline of interest for the future… our door is never closed.

“There was a collective recognition around the table today… there are these concerns about the future of the Winter Games; the future of being able to practice Winter Games in the future – everyone is concerned about this.”

Sarah Lewis OBE OLY, Deputy Secretary General & Chief Operating Officer of FISU, and former Secretary General of FIS, told Host City: "Winter sports are and will increasingly need to adapt to a warming planet. We need to recognize our responsibility to ensure events are hosted in the most sustainable way possible today while having an adaptative, innovative and creative mindset regarding what winter sports will look like in the future. Transition is always painful but innovation and an adaptive, responsible mindset will hopefully enable a dynamic and engaging future for our athletes and all those engaged in winter sports.

"Lake Placid as Organiser of the FISU World University Games in January 2023 has embraced sustainability as a core element of the Games. Alongside the competitions themselves, the Lake Placid World Forum 2023 'Save Winter' will address this topic with leading academics and practitioners. Save Winter is a movement to unite all of us who love winter to work as one to save the season of snow. More than 40 million of us enjoy winter sports and recreation. Save Winter will help ensure we’re doing everything we can to reduce our impact on the planet and enjoy winter as it was meant to be enjoyed. It’s about more than just snow - it’s about keeping winter for generations to come."

Edmonton is a mid-sized city that punches above its weight in hosting major international events – but what matters most is the local impact.

“Edmonton has a rich history of hosting major sporting events that have left some incredible legacies in our community starting with Commonwealth Games in 1978, World Masters Games in 2005 and the FIFA Women’s World cup in 2015,” Cindy Medynski, Director, Edmonton Events told Host City Americas.

“Legacy and in particular social impact are always a major factor in events that we are looking to attract to Edmonton. Economic and reputational values are much easier to measure and more straightforward, but we are looking for event partners that have similar values and that have developed programmes that provide alignment with our community goals.”

Edmonton has the second highest indigenous population in Canada. “We work really hard to involve that community in the planning for major events – it’s something that’s very important to us, not only to Edmonton but to Canada in general.

“These events take place on their land; it’s important for us that community to be at the table from the beginning – and for us to be educated on how to incorporate them. It’s a long learning process but it’s one we need to engage in. Our indigenous groups are so happy to be involved in this as well – there’s a tonne of things they contribute.”

Edmonton also looks for events that build on legacies from past events. This involves building a local pool of volunteers that are a legacy from the 2001 World Athletics Championships, creating local capacity and expertise in event delivery, and targeting major events that create opportunities for youth to participate in sport during the event and long afterwards.

As Edmonton events is a partnership between the City of Edmonton and the tourism organisation Explore Edmonton, it also has the ability to draw on partnerships and relationships at the local level from the city and from our tourism organisation.

“So it’s very important that our event organisers and rights holders are buying local and supporting the community in ways that really show our citizens the impact and value of major events. It has to be a win-win for both sides of the coin.”

Edmonton Events is also helping to codevelop a custom plan for events to become carbon neutral. “This only works if event producers and rightsholders are on board; that’s why it’s important to us to start from the beginning and find partners that really have these values like we do.”

The Global Esports Federation has confirmed Dubai as the host city for the GEF’s flagship Global Esports Games 2025, while the GEF delegation, led by CEO, Paul J. Foster, was at the Season 2022 LIVE kick-off of the Global Esports Tour, staged at the Dubai World Trade Centre from June 9-11. 
The landmark announcement was made in the presence Abdulla Al Gurg, Vice-President of Emirates Esports, Chair of GEF Digital Transformation Commission and Founder of Esports Management Group (EMG), the Secretary-General, Saeed Al Taher, and Board Members of Emirates Esports, in front of a capacity crowd at the GET Dubai.
The GEF delegation, comprising GEF Vice-President, HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud; GEF Board Members, Adrian Lismore and Hala Ghandour; as well as Alper Afshin Özdemir, President of the Turkish Esports Federation; and Paulo Ribas, President of the Brazil Esports Federation, attended a series of meetings and events in the United Arab Emirates as Dubai was confirmed as the host for the GEG 2025.
“Congratulations Dubai and the people of the United Arab Emirates. The Global Esports Federation is delighted to confirm Dubai as the host of our global flagship property – the Global Esports Games – in December 2025. Once again, the eyes of the world, the energy, and passion of our #worldconnected community will light up Dubai, the UAE, and the region,” expressed Chris Chan, President of the GEF. 
“We are excited to see the incredible progress since our signing of a Strategic Framework Agreement with Emirates Esports at Expo 2020 Dubai last November, to unlock opportunities and develop esports in the region. The world will once again unite in Dubai with the city confirmed to host the Global Esports Games in 2025,” said Paul J. Foster, CEO of the GEF. 
"The whole world knows that Dubai is a great host and offers an epic world-class setting. We can’t wait to see athletes from across the world – standing on center stage at the GEF Arena in December 2025 – as they compete for the glory of their home country flag, the fans at home and in the stands, and the chance to show the world their many skills, talents, their personal journey and desire to compete,” he added.

[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.”