GRACIAS, MADRID! SPAIN HOSTS TRUE PENTATHLON CELEBRATION AT UIPM U19 & U15 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Friendships made and challenges fulfilled in combined age-group festival
- Hungary claim four gold medals including both Women's Individual titles
- Gnedtchik brothers gather medals for fun across U19 and U15
The future of Pentathlon looks bright and sparkling based on a highly competitive and rewarding six-day UIPM World Championships that combined the Pentathlon U19 and Tetrathlon U15 categories.
Teenage athletes from all around the world gathered in the Spanish capital to show their mastery of the reimagined Pentathlon with Obstacle Racing and the finetuned Fencing, Swimming and Laser Run elements.
While many of the titles were shared between Hungary (four), Korea (two), Egypt, Germany and Poland, one family went home with almost as many gold medals as the rest of the world combined. Competing as neutral athletes, brothers Akim and Klim Gnedtchik contributed to five golds as well as several silver and bronze – in the same week as their elder sister Mariya Gnedtchik is competing strongly for Belarus at the senior World Championships in Guiyang (CHN).
It was a remarkable week for the family but also for the whole global Pentathlon community, with results in some cases spread right across the planet. In the Men’s Individual U19 category won by Akim Gnedtchik (AIN), the next five places were taken respectively by athletes from South Africa, Hungary, Egypt, Brazil and Kazakhstan.
Champions’ reaction
U19 men’s champion Akim Gnedtchik (AIN) said: "This is not my first gold medal at a UIPM World Championships, but this one is very special. I trained hard. This was the main competition of the year. All my focus was here, and I am very satisfied."
"Fencing, Obstacle Racing and Swimming was very good. My shooting in Laser Run made everyone nervous! If I had to choose one discipline, of course I am very happy with my Fencing,w which helped me to remain in first place.
"In a week we have the European U19 Championships, but my main goal in the next season is Olympic qualification, and I want to get a place at the European Games in Istanbul to qualify for LA. I was very happy and proud to compete here with my younger brother, who got four medals, and I wish my sister the same successful competitions as I had here with Klim."
U19 women’s champion Zora Daranyi (HUN) said: "I am very happy and I wanted to my best the whole day. I was very good in Fencing and Obstacle Racing and also Laser Run, but my Swimming was so good. Not my best, but still enough.
"I want to be proud of myself in all competitions and do my best in the future."
U15 men’s champion Karol Predki (POL) said: “I can’t believe I am world champion. I am happy that all my hard work has paid off. I want to thank everyone: my coach, my family, everyone who supported me on the road towards this medal.”
U15 women’s champion Nora Kosa (HUN) said: “I’m so happy. It’s my first time as a world champion! Thanks to my mother and my coaches and my siblings. They have been helping me every time.”
Watch and follow
The UIPM season continues with the Race Across China, featuring the Finals of the UIPM 2026 Pentathlon World Championships on August 30, followed by the UIPM 2026 Obstacle World Championships from September 3-6. Livestreams are available to watch free on YouTube based on the following schedule (TV start times listed in Central European Summer Time).
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