Paris: Modern pentathlon is at a crossroads as it bids farewell to equestrian events at the Paris Olympics, paving the way for a future more akin to popular obstacle racing competitions like Ninja Warrior and Tough Mudder.
The sport, which combines fencing, freestyle swimming, pistol shooting, and cross-country running alongside show jumping, made headlines at the 2021 Tokyo Games when a horse-related incident sparked controversy. Despite being initially excluded from the 2028 Los Angeles Games lineup, modern pentathlon was reinstated after the UIPM decided to replace equestrian events with obstacle racing post-Paris, under the leadership of 77-year-old German Klaus Schormann.
The impending changes have stirred debate, with some athletes considering walking away while the sport aims to attract a younger and more diverse audience already engaged with obstacle course franchises.
“To continue our Olympic future we had to make that change,” said Jamie Cooke, Britain’s former world champion and member of the UIPM’s athletes’ committee. “With Paris we know it will be that close of the chapter, it will be the end of the era — an era that saw us as one of the oldest Olympic sports and there is real tradition and pride in that — but we know we have to modernise.”
Cooke added, “We know that going forward this does provide us with a huge opportunity to capture a new audience, a new demographic and hopefully new athletes as we move forwards to make us really successful.”
While optimism surrounds the evolution of modern pentathlon since its debut in 1912, including the shift from traditional firearms and swords to modern equipment like laser pistols and electric epees, the future without horses remains uncertain in terms of boosting its profile between Olympic cycles.
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In Paris, the horses will make their final appearance in a fitting tribute at the gardens of the Chateau de Versailles, the historic residence of ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV.
On the competitive front, Britain claimed both men’s and women’s golds at Tokyo 2020, with athletes like Joe Choong and Kate French leading the charge. Egypt’s Elgendy brothers, Mohamed and 2020 silver medalist Ahmed, pose strong competition after their impressive performances in World Cup events. France also holds strong medal prospects.
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“Egypt have been on the (men’s) podium in two positions at every single World Cup (this year),” Cooke noted. “The Egyptian cohort is incredibly strong.”
Britain and Italy, bolstered by double world champion Elena Micheli, also feature prominently in women’s pentathlon medal contention, continuing their strong legacy since the sport became gender-inclusive at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
