President’s welcome

Dear athletes, dear coaches and trainers, dear guests and officials!  

Welcome to our most prestigious competition – the jewel in our crown!

UIPM has a broad family of sports and this annual showpiece competition combines the heritage of our flagship Olympic sport, Modern Pentathlon, with the popular and flexible development sport of Laser Run.

While it takes many years to become an accomplished pentathlete, Laser Run is very accessible and enables athletes of all ages to take their first steps on a Modern Pentathlon journey – and we look forward to meeting many such athletes in the coming days.

I am very pleased that our movement has come back to China for the first international competition in many years. Everything was set for a return in 2020, but the pandemic forced us to wait and I thank our many friends and colleagues in China for their patience.

UIPM has held excellent competitions before in cities such as Shanghai, Wuhan and Chengdu. But I have no fear of contradiction when I say that this one in Zhengzhou will be the best yet, with an unbelievable stadium where everything will be prepared at a high level for our athletes in Laser Run (June 7-9) and Modern Pentathlon (June 9-16).

I know our athletes will be at their very best as they continue to build confidence for Paris 2024, and in some cases they are still chasing a qualification place. I am also certain that Zhengzhou will put on a wonderful show for this prestigious event.

The organisation of the Chinese National Federation is always at the top level, as well as the hospitality, and I would like to thank them for arranging this vital competition with the support of Government and National Olympic Committee partners, volunteers, sponsors and media representatives.

Within our movement we are always looking to the future and taking care of the next generations. Next time we return to China, our sport will have a different aspect with the new Obstacle discipline taking over from Riding at all levels. But for now, our top senior athletes are focusing on the current format which will enjoy its final outing in August in Paris, where many Olympic dreams will come true.

As always, I ask athletes to remember their responsibility to compete in a spirit of fair play, as our founder Pierre de Coubertin envisaged, and respect the Olympic values as we together enjoy the glory of our wonderful sport of Modern Pentathlon. Faster, Stronger, Higher … Together.

Dr Klaus Schormann

UIPM President