Modern pentathlon enters new era after being included into LA28: UIPM

The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) announced a new era for modern pentathlon after the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session approved the IOC Executive Board (EB)’s proposal to include modern pentathlon in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

“The vote means modern pentathlon will continue its run of featuring at every Summer Olympic Games since it was introduced by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, at Stockholm 1912,” read a UIPM statement as quoted by Xinhua News Agency.

Obstacle racing will replace horse riding at LA28, a change that dissuaded the IOC EB from removing modern pentathlon from the Olympic disciplines.

“With this new format, modern pentathlon is entering a new era with the potential to become one of the most exciting, accessible and popular sports in the Olympic movement,” the statement said.

“Today is the latest in a series of milestone dates that have defined the history of modern pentathlon – a sport invented especially for the Olympic Games by Baron Pierre de Coubertin. Today, we can say with absolute confidence that Coubertin’s legacy is safe,” said UIPM president Klaus Schormann.

“We came together to create the pathway to a new future, breathing new life into our sport with the idea to replace riding with an obstacle course. This discipline enables our sport to become less costly and complex for organizers, more accessible around the world, and more dynamic and exciting for spectators and fans,” Schormann added.

The UIPM commenced a consultation process to replace riding in modern pentathlon on November 4, 2021, and one year later, on November 12, 2022, the obstacle course was formally integrated into modern pentathlon as an 83 percent vote favored the replacement at the 72nd UIPM Congress in Monaco.