Laser Run on cross-country skis introduced at Winter Pentathlon in Davos (SUI)

Modern Pentathlon has been bringing innovation to the Olympic Summer Games ever since its introduction in Stockholm in 1912.

Even in winter, the movement never steps exploring new and better ways to provide athletes with the most challenging tests of body and mind, and it was in this spirit that a new form of Laser Run was introduced in Davos (SUI) recently.

Markus Hostettler, organiser of the Davos Winter Pentathlon 2020, prepared a world premiere by inviting competitors to compete in Laser Run on cross-country skis.

A spokesperson for the local organising committee said: “It was a great experience with a tremendous fun factor and it surely will be an official part of the competition next year.”

It was only one week after the well-known World Economic Forum that 30 athletes from six nations gathered in the famous Alpine resort to compete in the traditional Davos Winter Pentathlon.

This competition, named in memory of the former Swiss Masters Pentathlon pioneer Ernst Burn, consists of the disciplines classical shooting, epee fencing, show jumping on snow, cross-country skiing and downhill skiing. The snow disciplines in particular proved again that this form of Pentathlon has its own unique character.

Just in time, 2ft of powder snow had fallen to provide excellent winter sports conditions. Cross-country skiing was performed on a well-prepared 8km track with an option of classical and skating (freestyle) mode. The downhill skiing took the form of a challenging giant slalom in two runs with the sunny slope and increasingly soft snow creating a challenge for most of the attendants.

The fencing tournament was enriched by a large group of young fencers from the fencing club of Chur, capital of the Graubuenden region, as well as seven high-class fencers from Ukraine.

Due to treacherous conditions, the show-jumping ultimately had to be abandoned, forcing the competition to be graded as a Tetrathlon, but it didn’t dampen spirits and the cross-country Laser Run was a fitting climax.

If you are interested in becoming involved in the UIPM Masters movement please contact Peter Engerisser.

Link to results here.