New Pentathlon and New Tetrathlon proposals approved by UIPM Executive Board

--Dynamic format concept for Paris 2024 Olympic Games ready for testing

--Changes to competition format for Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games ratified

--IOC President, Vice President and Sport Director address meeting in Lausanne (SUI)

LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – January 31, 2020: Dynamic new formats for Modern Pentathlon and Tetrathlon at future Olympic Games were given the seal of approval by the UIPM Executive Board (EB) today.

The EB voted unanimously to approve proposals from the New Pentathlon and New Tetrathlon YOG 2022 Working Groups designed to improve the presentation of the two UIPM Sports at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games respectively.

The decisions came at the end of a two-day meeting at Olympic House, the new headquarters of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne (SUI), chaired by UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann.

The New Pentathlon concept, which includes an elimination system, will be subject to a rigorous examination with three or four test events to be scheduled in advance of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The New Tetrathlon format, details of which had already been widely circulated, will now be fully implemented subject to one final test event where the project will be finalised.

In late 2019 it was announced that the Modern Pentathlon event at Dakar 2022 would be increasing from a quota of 48 athletes to 64. The EB agreed today on a distribution system that is designed ensure proportionate continental representation.

The EB also made decisions relating to new member applications and future competitions. Applications from Croatia and North Macedonia to become provisional member federations of UIPM were approved, while competitions were awarded to the following member federations:

• Finland – UIPM 2022 Masters World Championships

• Egypt – UIPM 2021 Junior World Championships

The EB also viewed presentations relating to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, a proposed athlete nomination system for the UIPM Annual Awards and the ongoing development of UIPM e-sports. A UIPM eLaser Run game is scheduled to be released in 2020.

The EB summit in Lausanne (SUI) followed an intensive series of meetings from January 23-25 in Frankfurt (GER) that brought together the UIPM Athletes, Coaches and Technical Committees as well as the New Pentathlon and New Tetrathlon Working Groups.

On the first day of the meeting in Lausanne (SUI), The IOC President, Dr Thomas Bach, Vice-President Juan Antonio Samaranch, Director General Christophe de Kepper and Sport Director Kit McConnell all addressed the EB at the new IOC Headquarters.

Dr Bach made a speech and took part in a Q&A with UIPM’s most senior decision-making body at Olympic House. Mr Samaranch also addressed the EB, on which he sits as UIPM’s 1st Vice President, and Mr McConnell took part in a Q&A about the Olympic Summer Games programme for Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028.

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann said: "We have had two days of very important discussions about the future presentation of our sport, especially in the future at the Youth Olympic Summer Games Dakar 2022 and Olympic Summer Games Paris 2024.

"It was a great honour for us that Dr Bach joined us for the meeting and we had a very interesting debate. Our Executive Board Members asked him questions and the IOC President provided a clear indication of which direction the IOC is going and also which direction International Federations should be going.

"I’m very happy that what was proposed in Frankfurt by the various UIPM Committees and Working Groups was accepted by the Executive Board. Now what we have that our Union is moving in the right direction for youths but also for the juniors and seniors who will be competing at future Olympic Games.

"I can say we have created a tradition now – we will come to Lausanne for meetings every second year. Visiting this building has touched us and we go home now with a wonderful experience and ready to move forward."

Olympic House in Lausanne (SUI) was opened in 2019 and is designed to serve as a home for the entire global Olympic sports family, of which UIPM has been a part since its creation in 1948.

About UIPM

UIPM (the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne) has governed the core Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon since its formation in 1948. Today it oversees a range of multi-discipline sports (Tetrathlon, Laser-Run, Biathle/Triathle and World Schools Biathlon) which form a development pyramid with Modern Pentathlon at the top.

About Modern Pentathlon

Created especially for the Modern Olympic Games by its founder, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the sport was introduced in Stockholm in 1912 and has been the climax of the Games ever since. The format has been adapted to suit the 21st century and the Modern Pentathlon now consists of Fencing, Swimming, Horse Riding and Laser-Run (running/shooting).

For more information, please contact:

Florent BOAS, UIPM Media

media@pentathlon.org

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