73rd UIPM Congress: UIPM enters brave new world with transformed Executive Board

• Four new Vice Presidents accompany President Stull into exciting new era
• Congress votes to create Obstacle Commission among other motions
• Paris 2024 heroes Elgendy (EGY), Gulyas (HUN) and Seong (KOR) honoured at Awards Gala
• Dr Klaus Schormann elected Honorary President and receives Lifetime Achievement Award

A new-look Executive Board will accompany President Robert Stull OLY into a new era for Modern Pentathlon after another day of intensive discussion and decision-making at the 73rd UIPM Congress.

Fresh ideas, energy and optimism flowed around in the Congress Room as office-bearers were elected to serve for four years that will cover the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, where the new Modern Pentathlon with Obstacle discipline will make its debut.

Only one of the incumbent Vice Presidents, Sharif Elerian OLY of Egypt, was able to win the support of Congress as he secured the highest number of votes (73) following his slender defeat in the Presidential election on November 16.

Kitty Chiller OLY of Australia was next with 67 votes, marking an elevation to Vice President from her role as Oceania Confederation President. Dr Viacheslav Malishev of Georgia (66 votes) also gained a VP role as he moves up from Executive Board Member for Development.

Two new Vice Presidents were elected, ensuring that five continents would be represented at this level of the hierarchy: Dongkook Chung of Korea and Ana Irene Delgado of Panama secured 57 and 55 votes respectively, leaving the other seven candidates disappointed.

As the Executive Board elections continued, Congress continued to put its faith in new blood, starting with the election of Helio Meirelles of Brazil as Treasurer. Andrea Dell’Amore of Italy was elected as Member for Sport; Barry Tompkins of Canada as Member for Marketing; Leila Gyenesei of Hungary as Member for Media and Jawid Khawar of Afghanistan as Member for Development.

The outgoing UIPM President, Dr Klaus Schormann, was elected by acclamation to serve as UIPM Honorary President, following his receipt of a Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership the previous night at the climax of the UIPM 2024 Annual Awards Gala.

Others honoured at the Awards Gala included Paris 2024 Olympic champions Ahmed Elgendy (EGY) and Michelle Gulyas (HUN), as well as women’s world No.1 Seungmin Seong (KOR). See below for a full list of awards winners.

The UIPM 2024 Congress approved the creation of a new Obstacle Commission to ensure that Obstacle sport is adequately developed and commercially exploited. UIPM Statutes were also rewritten in respect of Obstacle, namely article 2.3:

‘UIPM Sports’ encompass Modern Pentathlon and every combination of its disciplines outlined in article 2.2, as well as obstacle sport . This includes Tetrathlon (and four disciplines), Triathle (swimming, laser run or any three disciplines), Obstacle Laser Run, Biathle (continuous run/swim), Laser Run (a combined event of running and laser shooting), and standalone disciplines of Obstacle sport.

Congress also approved the membership of Cook Islands as a new National Federation and decided on a range of motions relating to:

• UIPM Statutes
• UIPM Rules of Internal Organisation
• UIPM Election Rules
• UIPM Medical Rules
• Para Sport Regulations
• Biathle/Triathle Competition Rules and Laser Run Guidelines
• Modern Pentathlon Competition Rules

The 74th UIPM Congress in 2026 will take place in Budapest (HUN).

 

73rd UIPM Congress Elections

UIPM President

• Robert Stull (United States)

UIPM Vice Presidents

• Kitty Chiller (Australia)
• Dongkook Chung (Korea)
• Ana Irene Delgado (Panama)
• Sharif El Erian (Egypt)
• Viacheslav Malishev (Georgia)

UIPM Treasurer

• Helio Meirelles (Brazil)

UIPM Executive Board Member for Sport

• Andrea Dell’Amore (Italy)

UIPM Executive Board Member for Development

• Jawid Khawar (Afghanistan)

UIPM Executive Board Member for Marketing

• Barry Tompkins (Canada)

UIPM Executive Board Member for Media

• Leila Gyenesei (Hungary)

Technical Committee

• Changsik An (Korea)
• Ali Assem (Egypt)
• Agnes Kulcsar (Hungary)
• Rui Lucena (Portugal)
• Ana Ruth Orellana (Guatemala)
• Leonid Zimarev (Kazakhstan)

Medical Committee

• Dr Dapeng Bao (China)
• Dr Bassel Jamil (Syria)
• Dr Marco Michelucci (Brazil)
• Dr Douglass Stull (United States)
• Dr Moussa Tadros (Egypt)

Business Affairs Committee

• Emir Basar (Türkiye)
• Andris Feldmanis (Latvia)
• Theodora Palli (Greece)
• Peter Vizkeleti (Hungary)

UIPM Annual Awards

UIPM Pierre de Coubertin Medal

• Alain Lunzenfichter (FRA)

 

UIPM Medal of Honour

• Ivar Sisniega OLY
• Vladimir Miller

 

UIPM Hall of Fame

• Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr

 

2024 Best Emerging Organiser

• Lithuania: UIPM 2024 Pentathlon U19 World Championships

 

2024 Best Promoted Competition

• Egypt: UIPM 2024 Pentathlon Junior World Championships

 

2024 Best Overall Competition

• China: UIPM 2024 Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships

 

2024 Coach of the Year

• Balazs Geleta (HUN)

 

2024 Coach of the Year

• Balazs Geleta (HUN)

 

UIPM 2024 Fair Play Award

• Rex de la Cruz (PHI)
• Seungmin Seong (KOR)

 

2024 Modern Pentathlon Team of the Year

• Egypt

 

 

2024 Junior Male Pentathlete of the Year

• Moutaz Mohamed (EGY)

 

2024 Junior Female Pentathlete of the Year

• Seungmin Seong (KOR)

 

2024 Senior Female Pentathletes of the Year

• Michelle Gulyas (HUN)
• Seungmin Seong (KOR)

 

2024 Senior Male Pentathlete of the Year

• Ahmed Elgendy (EGY)

 

Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Leadership

• Dr Klaus Schormann