UIPM 2023 Pentathlon World Cup Ankara: All you need to know

ANKARA, TÜRKİYE: April 10, 2023 – It has been a long time coming, but there will be a reunion to savour in the Modern Pentathlon world this week.

Twenty months since they stood together on the podium in Tokyo (JPN), smiling broadly behind their face masks, all three men’s Olympic medallists are poised to compete for glory at UIPM 2023 Pentathlon World Cup Ankara.

This time, the masks are off as the pentathlon world waits to see which of these champion athletes will grace the podium on Super Saturday.

Turkish Airlines is the official airline of UIPM 2023 Pentathlon World Cup Ankara. Visit the event page to find a discount code for travel to this competition.

Ones to watch – Men

Olympic and world champion Joseph Choong of Great Britain makes his first outing of the year having watched Olympic silver medallist Ahmed Elgendy of Egypt claim the honours at the season-opener in Cairo (EGY).

World No.1 Choong (GBR) tasted victory here in Ankara (TUR) last year but so did Olympic bronze medallist Woongtae Jun of Korea, winner of the UIPM 2022 Pentathlon World Cup Final.

If all three can come through the elimination system of a Qualification round and Semi-final, a monumental Super Saturday awaits – especially as there are many other athletes of a high calibre on the entry list.

Paris 2024 Olympic host nation France can expect to be competitive again via Valentin Prades, Valentin Belaud and Christopher Patte, while Germany duo Fabian Liebig and Marvin Dogue will need to be closely watched.

Martin Vlach of Czech Republic will always be a medal contender thanks to his incredible Laser Run prowess, but sometimes experience has the final word and there are veteran champions in the field like Jinhwa Jung (KOR) and Bence Demeter of Hungary, who will be backed up by 2022 European champion Richard Bereczki (HUN).

Elgendy (EGY) also has a strong cavalry behind him in the shape of his younger brother Mohamed Elgendy (EGY), Mohanad Shaban (EGY) and Under 19 world champion Moutaz Mohamed (EGY).

There is a truly global flavour to the line-up with athletes coming from as far afield as Argentina, Cuba, New Zealand and Singapore, while there is a welcome return for China, led by Tokyo 2020 Olympians Shuai Luo and Shuhuan Li.

Visit the UIPM website to see the latest world rankings for men.

The Pentathlon Stadium at the Ankara Equestrian Club.

Ones to watch – Women

The men’s event is not the only one sprinkled with Olympic prestige, as Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist and 2022 World Cup Final winner Elodie Clouvel (FRA) leads the charge in the women’s event alongside two-time World Cup winner Marie Oteiza (FRA).

Clouvel (FRA) won silver in the season-opener and, like her, the bronze medallist from Cairo (EGY), Salma Abdelmaksoud (EGY), will be aiming to climb higher on the podium.

Competing in front of a home crowd can create increased pressure, but the joy of success is amplified too, and all eyes will be on Ilke Ozyuksel of Türkiye as she tries to add to her collection of five Pentathlon World Cup medals on home soil, leading a team of 15 registered athletes.

Having finished 4th in the Tokyo Olympics and then had a baby, Alice Sotero of Italy continues her comeback after a top-six finish in Cairo (EGY). Great Britain are perennial contenders and have three top-10 athletes Jessica Varley, Olivia Green and European champion Charlie Follett in the field.

One of last season’s top performers, Ieva Serapinaite of Lithuania, will aim to kick-start her campaign here in Ankara (TUR), as will Laura Heredia of Spain and Anna Maliszewska of Poland.

The Asian challenge looks strong in the shape of Misaki Uchida of Japan, Korea duo Sunwoo Kim and Sehee Kim, and seven athletes coming from China.

Visit the UIPM website to see the latest world rankings for women.

Great Britain's Jessica Varley (left) and Joseph Choong (right) have high hopes of winning again.

Road to Paris 2024

No athlete can secure a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at UIPM 2023 Pentathlon World Cup Ankara, but they can go a long way towards earning a return ticket to Ankara (TUR) for the UIPM 2023 Pentathlon World Cup Final, where the first direct Olympic qualification quota places will be won on 3 June.

There are another 14 competitions taking place in 2023 and 2024 where points count towards the dream of competing in the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris (FRA). Discover the Modern Pentathlon qualification pathway.

 

President’s welcome

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann said: “I would like to welcome all athletes, coaches and trainers, guests and officials to the second UIPM competition of the 2023 season, and this is such an exciting time for athletes who can already see the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on the horizon.

“Türkiye has become a very dependable partner in our global sports movement and not only can we expect a high level of organisation and hospitality throughout this UIPM Pentathlon World Cup, we can also rely on our hosts to provide competitive athletes.

“I would like to thank the Turkish Modern Pentathlon Federation for arranging this important competition as well as the upcoming UIPM 2023 Pentathlon World Cup Final in Ankara and the UIPM 2023 Youth World Championships (U19) in Istanbul.

“Especially at a time when the country is trying to recover from a devastating tragedy, we admire our partners for their impressive resilience. Here in Ankara this week, those who lost their lives in the recent earthquake will always be in our thoughts.

“I ask athletes to always 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.”

 

Watch and follow

Live coverage of UIPM 2023 Pentathlon World Cup Ankara is available to subscribers on UIPM.TV where annual packages cost €14.99.

Follow World Pentathlon on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram throughout the Pentathlon World Cup for additional content, and visit the UIPM website or download the “UIPM Central” app to keep track of results.

 

Competition schedule

UIPM 2023 Pentathlon World Cup Ankara

Times denote start of UIPM.TV live coverage (CEST)

April 11: Women’s Qualification

April 12: Men’s Qualification | Women’s Fencing Ranking Round

April 13: Women’s Semi-Final A (10am) | Women’s Semi-final B (4pm) | Men’s Fencing Ranking Round

April 14: Men’s Semi-Final A (10am) | Men’s Semi-final B (4pm)

April 15: Women’s Final (9am) | Men’s Final (3pm)

April 16: Mixed Relay (2pm)