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Forbes
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
For The 2028 Olympics, Modern Pentathlon Has Gone ‘Ninja Warrior'
With a hip new obstacle racing event and a prime place on the L.A. Olympics schedule, modern pentathlon is suddenly cool again. It's been a while, frankly. A century after Pierre de Coubertin conjured up five tests of good modern soldiering — fencing, swimming, running, shooting, and horseback riding — and made the whole thing an Olympic sport, modern pentathlon has seemed a bit antiquated. But the sport has gotten a makeover, and the sport is already noticing the effects. 'Horses out, Ninja Warrior in,' the Associated Press summed it up. In effect, obstacle course racing has replaced equestrian show jumping as one of modern pentathlon's five events. The other four are still based on skills a good overall soldier needed to possess circa 1912. Obstacle course racing, which does has military origins, slots right in. 'Our athletes are the most versatile athletes in the Games,' proclaimed Rob Stull, president of the International Union of Modern Pentathlon, the sport's governing body known by its French acronym UIPM. That versatility has included athletes accepting the change after some initial consternation — among others, Tokyo Olympic champion Joe Choong of Great Britain was one of the leaders of the opposition. Despite indicating that he would retire with the horses in Paris last summer, Choong has remained in the sport. 'We have to accept it or move on,' he told the BBC earlier this year. While he acknowledges that obstacle racing is 'fun,' Choong is still warming to it. 'It's definitely something I'm going to get stuck in with and crack on with, but I'm not sure relishing is quite the word," he said. Stull, a three-time Olympian and self-described 'horse guy' who grew up on a farm outside Washington D.C., understands. In the end, modern pressures, such as the cost of transporting horses, an unsavory incident at the Tokyo Olympics where a coach allegedly punched a horse, and the need to draw a wider TV audience combined to force UPIM's hand. The new event, a 70 meter course with eight obstacles that elite athletes are clearing in 25-35 adrenaline-packed seconds, debuted in World Cup competition earlier this year. So far things have been going relatively well, at least by one metric. 'I don't get pelted with tomatoes when I show up at events,' Stull said. 'More than anything, I get a lot of thank yous.' For a federation trying to draw attention amidst the pomp of an Olympics, obstacle course racing checks several boxes. The discipline has big name recognition thanks to Ninja Warrior, the Japanese TV show that became a global phenomenon and spawned adaptations in more than 160 countries. (The original Japanese show, Sasuke, is still on.) Taking that and combining it with the Olympics is 'a no-brainer,' said David Hill, the former Fox Sports Chairman in a promotional video released by UIPM. 'It takes modern pentatlon from being virtually unwatchable straight to prime time.' Stull defers to official nomenclature, but has been known to trade on the TV designation when describing the new event. 'The easiest thing for me to say is 'ninja,' because that's really what we're much more in line with,' he said. 'The second you say that, people understand what you're talking about.' Obstacle course wasn't the guaranteed winner when UIPM opened itself up to proposals for a new event. The federation was inundated with ideas — a total of 62 crossed his desk, Stull says. We'll never know just how close we came to having pillow fighting in the Olympics. (Stull: 'I thought it was a joke when it was submitted, but it's not. And if you watch it, they really beat the crap out of each other.') Cyclocross, where competitors ride but also carry their bikes as they navigate obstacles, was a more viable candidate, though the needle eventually landed on obstacle. The change was approved by the International Olympic Committee, which governed modern pentathlon itself until 1948. While the IOC did not push UIPM toward ninja, Stull says, it made it clear to UIPM leadership that something needed to change. 'The IOC tries to remain neutral, but they were certainly sending the messages that we needed to innovate the sport,' Stull said. 'They didn't tell us to pick obstacle. They just knew that the equestrian piece was a challenge for us and would not allow us to have the accessibility or fit into the cost model moving forward. We had that challenge in front of us, and we needed to bail ourselves out.' The new event has contributed to giving the sport a new lease on life. It has been added to the LA 2028 sports, and modern pentathlon will be contested during the opening days of the Games, when the world's attention tends to be riveted on the Olympics but when most sports are still deep in preliminary competition. 'We'll have our two medals out in the first four days. So yes, that'll help us. We have an extra day of broadcasting — that'll help us,' Stull said. So will modern pentatlon's proximity to urban sports like BMX and 3x3 basketball. It's the Olympic equivalent of finding yourself eating at the same cafeteria table as the popular people in high school. 'We're with the cool kids,' Stull affirmed proudly. This is an improvement from recent Olympiads, when modern pentathlon was held in the Games's waning days. 'That's a big deal for us, because when you're at the end of the Games, you're competing against sports like the men's gold medal basketball game,' Stull said. That new athletes may be drawn to modern pentathlon via obstacle racing is another obvious perk. While there is no discussion about replacing any other event, Stull feels there is still some tweaking to be done to optimize obstacle. For example, no one to date has failed to scale the wall in competition, and Stull wants to see the finish wall raised to make the final moments of the race even more spectacular. But those are small things. The foundation for the future has been laid. What would de Coubertin think about it all? 'He would say, 'you're welcome,'' Stull said. An innovator himself, the baron 'absolutely would have recognized the need for change.'
Reuters
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Beijing to host Obstacle World Championships from 2025 to 2028
April 11 (Reuters) - Beijing will host the first four editions of the Obstacle World Championships from 2025 to 2028, World Pentathlon (UIPM) said on Friday. The maiden World Championships will launch in October this year, featuring Obstacle athletes from the Pentathlon and Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) communities competing on 100 metres, 400m and 3km courses. The Reuters Tariff Watch newsletter is your daily guide to the latest global trade and tariff news. Sign up here. The introduction of the competition follows the full integration of the Obstacle discipline into Modern Pentathlon. This development has been backed by the establishment of the UIPM Obstacle Commission and an Obstacle Task-force, which received approval from the UIPM Executive Board on Thursday. "The creation of the UIPM Obstacle World Championships is an important step in the ongoing integration of this popular urban sport into our movement," UIPM President Rob Stull said. "Having successfully introduced Obstacle as a new Pentathlon discipline, it is key that we also provide exciting opportunities for existing OCR athletes to test their skills in a high-quality competitive environment. "It's going to be amazing to see how pentathletes measure up against their OCR specialist counterparts in October." The championships will be hosted at an upgraded sports complex which was designed for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Al-Ahram Weekly
08-03-2025
- Sport
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Star of the show - Sports - Al-Ahram Weekly
Modern pentathlon's most thrilling talent confirmed her arrival on the top scene on the final day of a historic 2025 Pentathlon World Cup in Cairo. She is 14-year-old Farida Khalil of Egypt who, according to The International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM), has been sweeping up age-group world titles for the past couple of years. Khalil was unleashed on the seniors in the week they tackled the obstacle for the first time – and showed them how it was done across all five disciplines, winning the gold medal in style. At the Modern Pentathlon World Cup, held from 25 February to 1 March at the American University in Cairo (AUC), Khalil received her gold medal from International Olympic Committee member Aya Medani, who herself competed in the first of her three Olympic Games at the age of 15. Few would be surprised if Khalil became a star of LA28, such has been her meteoric development. After a surprising defeat in fencing, Khalil stood out in the obstacle - which replaced equestrian - and swimming, securing gold by a remarkable margin of 19sec with the third-fastest laser run time. Two individual neutral athletes (AIN) status joined Khalil on the podium for the first time, as Viyaleta Hureyeva comfortably secured silver and Anastasiya Malashenoka claimed bronze under pressure from Paris 2024 Olympic champion Michelle Gulyas of Hungary, who was forced to accept fourth place as a new generation signaled their intent to shake up the sport on the road to Los Angeles 2028. Gulyas was expected to be the main threat to Khalil in the women's final. Khalil shared her feelings after winning first place. 'I am very happy to get this medal, and I worked very hard to get it,' Khalil told journalists. 'It is something special. All the hard work I did in the last few years went into getting this medal, and it's the first step towards getting the Olympic medal.' Asked how she had managed her fasting obligations during the month of Ramadan which began 1 March, Kahlil said her dream 'is bigger than any kind of fasting. I showed that I needed to get this medal, and I got it.' Fresh from a breakthrough fifth place at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Matteo Cicinelli of Italy took his confidence to a whole new level with gold in the men's final. A consistent performer across all five disciplines and mastering the new format, Cicinelli was runner-up in fencing, sixth fastest in the obstacle and second fastest in swimming, before chewing up the 10sec lead held by Mohanad Shaaban of Egypt in the laser run. The Egyptian ended up having to hold on for bronze, as Mihali Koleszar of Hungary joined Cicinelli in becoming a first-time pentathlon World Cup medalist with an impressive silver, finishing just 9sec behind the champion. 'I have to take the bronze medal,' Shaaban told the media after the tournament. 'Maybe this is the first time I got a medal in Cairo. In the shooting today, I struggled too much. Maybe it was a bad day, but I'm happy because I did the new obstacle race very well. 'I'm also happy that the youngest Shaaban [Shaaban's brother] is in the top 10, as well as Mohamed Hassan and Moutaz Mohamed. Congratulations to all of them; we have a very good team, and with the new discipline I believe Egypt will be the best in it. 'I'm happy that I got the bronze medal, but in my situation, I should have got the gold medal because I'm a good shooter and a good runner. After the first shoot was so bad, I told myself there would be a good finish, so save the energy,' Shaaban said. The five-day event which took place at the sports complex of AUC, was the season-opening Pentathlon World Cup. AUC was playing host for the fourth time. This year there were 35 countries competing for the UIPM trophy. UIPM is the international governing body of the modern pentathlon. Modern pentathlon got rid of its horse competitions after the Paris Games and instead brought in obstacle courses following high-profile instances of animal abuse. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 March, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Seven Major International Sports Federations Gather – The New Blueprint for Virtual & Simulated Sports is Mapped Out
Shenzhen, China, Feb. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On February 16, Tencent E-sports kicked off 'Empower Esports Worldwide Series - China Stop' in Shenzhen. In recent years, with esports making its way into the Asian Games and the Olympics, the development and exploration of virtual/simulated sports has become a key topic of global interest. To this end, a parallel conference titled 'Workshop: Virtual & Simulated Sports' was specially organized as part of the Series, bringing together seven leading international sports federations and representatives from software and hardware developers. This marked the largest multi-party exchange between international sports organizations in recent years, focused on discussing the development trends of international esports and virtual sports, sharing frontier virtual/simulated sports technologies and forecasting future industry trends and growth. Virtual and Simulated Sports from the Perspective of International Sports Federations With a shared understanding of the trends in digital sports, seven major international sports federations, including Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne, Badminton World Federation, and Union Cycliste Internationale, gathered at this forum. During the 'Virtual & Simulated Sports from the Perspective of International Sports Federations' panel discussion, several guests concentrated on virtual and simulated sports in the Olympic Esports Games, exploring the latest advancements in sports digitization and collectively envisioning a digital future. Panel Discussion: Virtual and Simulated Sports from the Perspective of International Sports Federations During the discussion, Shiny Fang, UIPM Secretary General, shared the rationale behind the federation's earlier launch of the Laser Run simulation sports game: 'Our development of the Laser Run simulation game was driven by a focus on accessibility and scalability. The low-cost, low-barrier-to-entry nature of digital sports games makes them accessible to more people.' She further stated that the advancement of sports requires the adoption of new technologies. She hopes to enhance the training outcomes of professional athletes through the development of digital sports technologies, and to increase the global impact of modern pentathlon. In the future, modern pentathlon will actively introduce innovative digital transformation technologies to boost public participation, while ensuring the inclusivity, competitiveness, and balance of the events. Shiny Fang, UIPM Secretary General As one of the pioneering international sports federations to invest in virtual sports, Myungwon Lee, WT Marketing & Broadcasting Assistant Manager, shared progress in the use of sensors, live streaming platforms, and other advancements in Taekwondo. He remarked, 'Taekwondo welcomes participants of all ages, and virtual Taekwondo provides opportunities to compete across different platforms. The development of virtual Taekwondo is not intended to replace tradition, but rather to become an integral part of the competition, making the event accessible to a wider group of participants.' He also mentioned that World Taekwondo has begun featuring celebrities in virtual Taekwondo, with many dojos now offering online services. He expressed his hope that the future development of virtual Taekwondo will preserve the essence of the sport, with both real and virtual forms complementing and supplementing each other, further enhancing the accessibility of the sport. Myungwon Lee, WT Marketing & Broadcasting Assistant Manager Rodrigo Pacheco Carrillo, BWF Marketing Manager, noted, 'The impact of esports in Asia has made us aware that esports and gaming are key forms of streaming consumption. This inspired us to combine esports with traditional badminton competitions, with the goal of allowing more people to experience the joy of badminton. Since badminton requires a large venue and there is currently a shortage of related game IP and commercial profit models, the development of virtual badminton remains in its early stages.' He stated that, in anticipation of emerging technologies, the Badminton World Federation will take practical conditions into account and initially prioritize building its online image, and then progressively enhance the virtual and simulated sports ecosystems. Rodrigo Pacheco Carrillo, BWF Marketing Manager Azat Myradov, IWF Representative, believes that weightlifting is a sport with high physical and technical demands, as well as a high barrier to entry. The development of virtual and simulated sports can help weightlifting attract a broader group of participants. The integration of VR, AR, and AI can effectively enhance training performance, reduce injury rates, and provide athletes and fans with a richer interactive experience. He also pointed out that from the perspective of weightlifting, the development of virtual and simulated sports faces unique challenges and needs to be integrated with scientific fields such as physical simulation, haptic technology, motion tracking, artificial intelligence, and biomechanics. The integration of weightlifting and virtual sports can provide a holistic strategy for the all-round development of sports to benefit athletes, fans, and all stakeholders. Azat Myradov, IWF Representative Initiating Technical Exchanges - Software and Hardware Developers Share Their Achievements in Digital Sports Innovations in related software and hardware technologies are generating stronger momentum for the development of virtual and simulated sports, while also bringing new growth opportunities to the sports industry. During the conference, expert representatives from Refract, Muniu Tech, Magene, Sweat Tech, FITGMR, and TENCENT-IEG gathered to share their new explorations in frontier virtual technology. Drawing from various technical fields, they provided in-depth analyses of how technology can empower related events and facilitate the accelerated growth of virtual and simulated sports, while exploring additional areas of application. Ng Chong Geng, Director of Refract, explained how XR technology can be used to transform real-world Taekwondo and boxing into virtual sports competitions, reconfigure their competitive ecosystems, reduce the risk of injuries, expand participation, and promote the integration of virtual sports with esports events. Lianying Ji, CTO of Muniu Tech, outlined how sensor technology, as the core component of virtual and simulated sports, is already being utilized in TGL virtual esports and golf event innovations. He believes that using real, reliable data to drive the integration of traditional sports with smart technology will continuously expand the boundaries of sports in the future, allowing technology to deliver an alluring competition experience to users beyond imagination. Iona, Business Director of Magene, mentioned that Magene pioneered the launch of China's first smart cycling trainer and app. They also partnered with professional events, such as the Tour de France and the Tour of Qinghai Lake, to integrate virtual sports with traditional competitions, driving the digital transformation of cycling sports. Zhiling Qiu, CEO of Sweat Tech, shared insights on the technical practices in their virtual rowing project. Since they began exploring online training, they have gradually discovered a new direction for the development of virtual sports. He also mentioned that he hopes to use virtual technology to overcome the pain points of traditional sports, such as weather constraints, steep learning curves, and high risk of injury, making it possible for more people to take part in high-level events while offering professional athletes immersive training and data management tools. Kristin Anderson, CEO of FITGMR, emphasized that FITGMR firmly believes esports can serve as a catalyst for improving global health trends. With esports now recognized by the International Olympic Committee as an Olympic sport, FITGMR sees enormous potential in promoting healthy gaming. There are already esports athletes working on improving their training performance through FITGMR, with many providing feedback that they've achieved better results in competitions thanks to FITGMR's support. Henri Wen, Interactive Experience Product Specialist at TENCENT-IEG, stated that virtual technology is driving new demand, and Tencent has already accumulated extensive experience in related technologies. For instance, Tencent has collaborated with the Dunhuang Academy to digitally recreate Dunhuang Cave 285 at a 1:1 scale. Virtual technology is not just the future of gaming, it is also changing the way we interact with the world. Tencent hopes to leverage its accumulated expertise in virtual technology to create new experiences for more industries. With ongoing advancements in digital technology and the rapid growth of the global sports industry, virtual and simulated sports are also becoming a new area of exploration in digital sports as new ecosystems, orders, and opportunities take shape. Technologies derived from esports, game engine capabilities, and various gaming technologies are fueling the development of numerous industries, including autonomous driving, industrial manufacturing, film and television, and cultural preservation. These applications and scenarios, a well as digital solutions in areas such as content development, also have the potential to be deeply integrated into the sports competition landscape in the future, providing support for the development of event organization, audience experience, and athlete management. Looking ahead, Tencent E-sports will keep promoting technology sharing, exchange and collaboration, joining forces with more global partners to explore the future of digital sports. CONTACT: Yi Longwan tencentesports at
