UIPM announces 12-strong Fencing Working Group to work on LA28 format

• Innovation Commission Chair Ivar Sisniega (MEX) to head up experienced panel
• Six Olympic pentathletes joined by coaching, technical, fencing and marketing experts
• Working Group to discuss and analyse options for Fencing in Los Angeles 2028 Olympics

The Executive Board of the Union Internationale de Pentathlon  Moderne (UIPM) has appointed a 12-strong Fencing Working Group to discuss and analyse options for the Fencing element of Modern Pentathlon in the Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) Olympic Games.

Modern Pentathlon was confirmed last month on the LA28 programme and with Obstacle integrated in place of Riding, the biggest and most innovative transformation in the history of the sport will be unveiled to the world in five years’ time. The need for innovation extends to the Fencing discipline, which in LA28 will be contained within the main Pentathlon Stadium venue, with no facility for the traditional indoor Ranking Round.

The Fencing Working Group will immediately begin work on considering all potential solutions to ensure the weighting of the five disciplines in the sport remains appropriately balanced. The group comprises six Olympic pentathletes, as well as one who has secured a quota place for Paris 2024, and will be chaired by the UIPM Innovation Commission Chair, Ivar Sisniega OLY of Mexico.

Sisniega (MEX) is a former 1st Vice President of UIPM and three-time Olympic pentathlete who worked as Mexico’s Sports Minister and Secretary General of Panam Sports before recently becoming Executive President of the Mexican Football Federation.

Five members of elected UIPM committees will join four National Federation (NF) representatives in the group, along with another NF President in the shape of marketing consultant Tom Shepard, who is joined by Fencing consultant Gary Lu in representing LA28 host nation USA.

The UIPM Athletes Committee is represented by its Chair, Yasser Hefny OLY of Egypt, 2018 world champion James Cooke OLY of Great Britain and Sophia Hernandez of Guatemala, a medallist at the recent 19th Pan American Games in Santiago (CHI).

With other coaches and technical experts ensuring a rounded wealth of global experience, the Fencing Working Group in full comprises:

• Ivar Sisniega OLY (MEX) – Chair; representing UIPM Innovation Commission
• Yasser Hefny OLY (EGY) – representing UIPM Athletes Committee
• James Cooke OLY (GBR) – representing UIPM Athletes Committee
• Sophia Hernandez (GUA) – representing UIPM Athletes Committee
• Florence Dinichert OLY (SUI) – representing UIPM Coaches Committee
• Janusz Peciak OLY (POL) – representing UIPM Technical Committee
• Tom Shepard (USA) – Media / Marketing consultant
• Gary Lu (USA) – Fencing consultant
• Kameliya Aleksandrova (BUL) – representing National Federations
• Samy Awad OLY (EGY) – representing National Federations
• Angelo Maccaroni (ITA) – representing National Federations
• Yasushi Shimizu (JPN) – representing National Federations

The group will have its first meeting on November 21.