UIPM 2024 Masters World Championships: President’s welcome

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

I warmly welcome you to the revival of one of the most beloved competitions in the global Modern Pentathlon calendar.

The UIPM Masters World Championships has been through a temporary hiatus, for various reasons, but I am thrilled it has now retained its rightful place as a highlight of the UIPM Sports season.

The UIPM Sports movement is for life. We have competitions for Under 9 athletes in some of the World Championships of our non-Olympic sports, just as we have entrants at Masters 70+. But the Masters World Championships provides precious opportunities to compete not only in two or three disciplines, but also in four or five. Tetrathlon and Modern Pentathlon are also for life.

Pentathletes are famously versatile, and our Masters community has always been an open-minded. In recent times you have embraced change at the same time as continuing to celebrate tradition. Competition organisers have given athletes the choice of competing in Modern Pentathlon with Obstacle (the future of our Olympic sport), and Modern Pentathlon with Riding (which will always be a vital part of our heritage).

As you know, Hungary is a dependable pillar of our movement, so it feels highly appropriate that the revival of the Masters World Championships takes place here in Gyomro, at the centre of Europe. As the world continues to be shaken by regional conflicts, we come together as one global community to celebrate sport as a beacon of peace and respect.

As always, I ask all 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