UIPM and modern pentathlon athletes have open discussion over future of the sport

Last Friday, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) held a video conference call with current pentathlon athletes to discuss the future of the sport in the Olympics.

The main topic of discussion is the UIPM’s plan to eliminate the horse riding discipline for the Los Angeles 2028 Games, and replace it with a yet-to-be determined sport. During the call, the UIPM said they notified athletes all the details of the Executive Board’s decision on November 4 to drop horse riding.

UIPM President Klaus Schormann praised the open discussion forum and is very optimistic about the sport’s future.

“We heard a wide cross-section of opinions and I am pleased to say a free discussion took place,” said Schormann. “We stand at a vital moment in the history of modern pentathlon and the UIPM is committed to delivering on the principles of Olympic Agenda 2020+5, and will ensure modern pentathlon becomes widely accessible, attractive and sustainable.”

The conference call, which lasted about two-and-a-half hours, featured information from the UIPM about the timeline of their decision to replace horse riding, as well as a question and answer session with athletes to express their views about it.

While some of the athletes said they agree with the UIPM’s decision, many are still confused and upset by it.

Modern pentathlon activist group Pentathlon United tweeted after the meeting, “We are so proud of our athletes today. They held to account the people that we trusted to look after the future of our sport, and there is still so much that is unclear from today’s meeting.”

This was the first meeting featuring UIPM members and athletes to discuss the future of the sport. UIPM said the formation of a “fully representative” discipline working group is in the planning stages. The UIPM said last week the International Olympic Committee would not accept a proposal for the event in Los Angeles 2028 which featured horse riding.

A decision on which sport will replace horse riding could take up to six months or more according to the UIPM.