UIPM 2021 Congress: Dr Klaus Schormann re-elected as UIPM President

• Vice-Presidents Samaranch, Bouzou, Aminov, Manzo re-elected; Sharif Elerian OLY (EGY) newly elected
• More than 80% of National Federations vote in favour of considering alternatives to Riding after Paris 2024
• President Schormann praises “fair, open and very clear” dialogue throughout virtual Congress

Dr Klaus Schormann has been re-elected to serve an eighth term as President of the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) during a groundbreaking 71st UIPM Congress.

President Dr Schormann, who has driven the ambitious evolution of Modern Pentathlon and the growth of the wider UIPM Sports movement with a wave of forward-thinking changes since beginning his tenure in 1993, received the backing of 85.71% of the electorate in the unopposed Presidential election.

UIPM 1st Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, a Member and former Vice President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), also retained his post with more than 90% of delegates voting in favour of his re-election.

The Congress, held virtually for the first time with an electronic voting system managed by Lumi Global from UIPM Headquarters in Monaco, was attended by delegates from around the global UIPM Sports community on November 27 and 28.

The delegates voted 81% in favour of ratifying the UIPM Executive Board’s historic decision to open a ‘5th Discipline’ consultation process, announced on November 4, to propose to the IOC a format for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games with a new 5th Discipline, to be determined by the UIPM. The aim of this ongoing process is to evaluate alternative disciplines to Riding with a view to adding a new discipline to Modern Pentathlon after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The ratification of Congress enables stakeholders to continue the 5th Discipline consultation process with the official backing of the global community. UIPM has submitted a provisional proposal for Los Angeles 2028 for consideration by the IOC Programme Commission at its upcoming meeting on December 1. Once the 5th Discipline consultation is complete, the UIPM community will have the final say on the proposed new composition of the sport with a vote during the 72nd UIPM Congress in 2022.

The 71st UIPM Congress also featured the election of a new Vice President – Sharif Elerian OLY, who is President of the Egyptian Modern Pentathlon Federation and Secretary General of the Egyptian National Olympic Committee – and the re-election of Vice Presidents Joël Bouzou OLY, Viacheslav Aminov and Juan Manzo Orañegui.

President Dr Schormann said: “The 71st UIPM Congress was a very important Congress, not only because of the election of the UIPM Executive Board and all the Committees, but also because the delegates supported the decision taken recently by the Executive Board with respect to the proposal sent to the IOC regarding the 5th Discipline.

“The high majority in favour of this decision gives us a very comfortable feeling and confirms that the UIPM EB acted in the interest of the UIPM family. The debate was fair, open and very clear. Delegates were given the opportunity to speak in chronological order according to a queue system, with no preferential treatment and full transparency.

“As UIPM President, I am very happy that we will retain the team that has worked so hard for so many years in the interests of our Union and our sporting movement. This allows us to continue our discussions, to focus on our priorities for the future with a visionary spirit and a commitment to innovation.

“I ask our National Federations to remain with us in this spirit so that we are united, working in solidarity for the future for all our sports so that we can keep Modern Pentathlon in the Olympics and continue to progress all the UIPM Sports that offer us such a strong base for promotion and participation.”

Vice President Samaranch, who is currently leading the IOC Coordination Commission for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, addressed Congress with a strong endorsement for the 5th Discipline consultation process.

He said: "We are at a defining moment for Modern Pentathlon. In the past, we placed our defence on tradition. But the world has changed dramatically — we are in a digital era where everything is measurable and it is no good to go to the IOC with emotion and tradition.

“For new sports until recently it was almost impossible to change the program but now the programme is changing. Sports climbing, surfing, 3x3 basketball, and these sports got a lot of traction in Tokyo in the age group that is the big focus. Now we have to compete for our place with sports that are already in the programme. They are there and they have made a splash. 

"That is why the Executive Board took a decision with urgency — to give us the opportunity. If we manage to find the right fifth sport, with everyone pulling in the right direction, we have a chance.”

Vice President Bouzou, who is also President of the World Olympians Association, also made a passionate speech in favour of change in the Modern Pentathlon format.

He said: “I want to see in the future a lot of pentathletes wearing the OLY pin. Is it a pleasure to drop Riding from the Olympic format? No. But it is the only option. We need to look at the reality. Our sport is still being seen as unfair — too many great athletes see their hopes destroyed by the draw. The world is not waiting for us. The IOC is changing.

“I think we have incredible opportunities. We are not a sport that is ‘finished’ by definition. Pierre de Coubertin was talking about Rowing before Riding. Why? Because he was talking about skills, the complete athlete. The complete athlete is not only an athlete for themselves. This is our challenge — to build up a large number of role models for the global society who are the inheritance of Pierre de Coubertin. 

“We can create a future for our athletes, coaches, our National Federations. For the Olympic Programme there is no choice. We make the right choice or we go to the Olympic Museum.”

UIPM Treasurer John Helmick was re-elected along with UIPM Executive Board Members Martin Dawe, Dr Viacheslav Malishev, Janusz Peciak OLY and Andrejus Zadneprovskis OLY. All results of the elections are listed below.

The following National Federations’ applications for membership of UIPM were approved:

• Chad
• Croatia
• East Timor
• Eritrea
• Iraq
• North Macedonia
• Rwanda
• Saudi Arabia
• Sierra Leone
• South Sudan
• Sudan

Congress also approved a range of motions relating to UIPM’s Code of Ethics, Competition Rules, Election Rules, Medical Rules, and Rules of International Organisation, as well as horse welfare and gender equality.

 

UIPM 2021 Congress elections

UIPM President

Dr Klaus Schormann (GER)

 

UIPM Vice-Presidents

Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr (ESP)

Joël Bouzou OLY (FRA)

Viacheslav Aminov (RUS)

Sharif Elerian OLY (EGY)

Juan Manzo Orañegui (MEX)

 

UIPM Treasurer

John Helmick (USA)

 

UIPM Executive Board Members

Member for Sport: Janusz Peciak OLY (POL)

Member for Marketing: Martin Dawe (GBR)

Member for Media: Andrejus Zadneprovskis OLY (LTU)

Member for Development: Dr Viacheslav Malishev (GEO)

 

UIPM Honorary Auditors

Helio Cardoso (BRA)

Dr Beáta Simóka (HUN)

 

UIPM Technical Committee

Ágnes Kulcsar (HUN)

Andrea Dell'Amore (ITA)

Ana Ruth Orellana (GUA)

Dongkook Chung (KOR)

Corine Bouzou (FRA)

Ali Assem Abdelghany Ali (EGY)

 

UIPM Medical Committee

Dr Natalja Ofitserova (BLR)

Dr Atanas Andreev (BUL)

Dr Douglass Stull (USA)

Dr Marco Michelucci (BRA)

Dr Dapeng Bao (CHN)

Dr Mohamed Ahmed Abdelmonem (EGY)

 

UIPM Business Affairs Committee

Barry Tompkins (CAN)

Andrey Kuzmanov (BUL)

Ana Luisa Almeida (BRA)

Mohamed Hady Gad (EGY)