UIPM President’s Activities: October 2023

05.10. – 07.10.2023: Istanbul, TUR

Dr Klaus Schormann, the UIPM President, participated in the European Olympic Committees (EOC) General Assembly. His purpose was to engage with all the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of Europe and explain the modifications to Modern Pentathlon with the integration of Obstacle and the advantages of the change.

Highly productive conversations took place with EOC President Spyros Capralos, Türkiye NOC President Prof Dr Ugur Erdener (IOC Member), and Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) President Francesco Ricci Bitti, focusing on international sporting politics and the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

President Dr Schormann was also able to have dialogue with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Dr Thomas Bach and Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) President Dr Robin Mitchell.

15.10. – 17.10.2023: Mumbai, IND

President Dr Schormann, accompanied by Secretary General Shiny Fang, represented UIPM at the 141st IOC Session in Mumbai. This was one of the most important, perhaps even the most significant, moment for the continued existence of Modern Pentathlon in the Olympic movement.

On October 16, the IOC Session voted unanimously in favour of Modern Pentathlon’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games sporting programme, thereby securing its status as an Olympic sport. This means that with the integration of the Obstacle discipline, Modern Pentathlon will be a part of the Olympic Games in LA28 and beyond.

The IOC issued a press release which stated: “The IOC Session endorsed the recommendation from the IOC Executive Board to include Modern Pentathlon on the LA28 sports programme, acknowledging the replacement of horse riding with obstacle racing and the optimisation work conducted by the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) to reduce costs and complexity.

“As noted by the IOC EB, it is essential for the UIPM to continue to implement the necessary changes in governance and modernise as an organisation. Without the replacement of horse riding with obstacle racing, the sport would not have been included in the programme.”

President Dr Schormann and Mrs Fang marked this landmark moment for the sport in the company of UIPM Honorary President HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco (IOC Member) and UIPM 1st Vice President and IOC Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr.

Weightlifting was also approved by the IOC Session for LA28, while baseball/softball, cricket (T20), flag football, lacrosse (sixes) and squash were included as additional sports. 

19.10. – 27.10.2023: Santiago, CHI

In his capacity as President of UIPM, Dr Schormann endeavours to attend all continental Games. He was thus present at the 3rd European Games in Krakow (POL) and the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou (CHN). The final Games of the 2023 sequence was the 19th Pan American Games, which were as successful as the others. All Games were qualification events for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and attracted a high calibre of athlete and NF representation.

President Dr Schormann, alongside Pan Am Sports Organisation (PAOS) President Neven Ilic, attended the opening ceremony of the Games. Mr Ilic, a long-time supporter of Modern Pentathlon, congratulated UIPM on its success of maintaining Modern Pentathlon’s presence in the Olympics with the integration of Obstacle.

While in Chile for the Games, the UIPM President also conducted an online UIPM Executive Board meeting, attending by members who were physically present in Chile and others joining virtually, to discuss next steps after the IOC Session in preparation for Paris 2024 and LA28.

During the Games, Dr Schormann had the opportunity to reconnect with many long-time supporters and friends of Modern Pentathlon within the Americas sports community. This included individuals such as former US Olympic and Paralympic Committee Chair Susanne Lyons, PASO Executive Board Member and former Secretary General Ivar Sisniega OLY (also UIPM Innovation Commission Chair), US Modern Pentathlon Association President Tom Shepard, UIPM Auditor Helio Meirelles Cardoso, and Ana and John Holland Krawec.

During the Games, PanAm Modern Pentathlon held its General Assembly with elections for a new board, which President Dr Schormann joined and gave an address about sports politics to the combined NORCECA and South American Modern Pentathlon society.

The Modern Pentathlon competition was attended by the new PASO Secretary General, Jimena Saldana, along with Jochen Faerber, the Chief of Lausanne Office at Olympic Channel Services Switzerland, and Ivar Sisniega. They were accompanied by numerous NOC Presidents, including Maria José Alcala Izguerra of Mexico, Paulo Wanderley Teixeira of Brazil, and Jorge Delgado Panchana, President of the Ecuador Olympic Committee.

Together with Alicia Masoni de Morea (NOC President Argentina), Dr Schormann met several volunteers of the PanAm Games.