Beijing Obstacle worlds a key step toward LA28

GENEVA — Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) president Rob Stull said he is looking forward to the UIPM Obstacle World Championships in Beijing, calling them an important opportunity for the sport's growth as it moves toward the Olympic stage.

The championships will take place from Oct 21-25. China is set to host four consecutive editions of the event from 2025 to 2028.

"I think China's a great place to kick this off. Why China? Because of the population base. You're able to reach so many people," Stull told Xinhua on Tuesday. "Municipalities realize that this is a good investment. It's a good train to get on. That's a great opportunity."

The obstacle course was officially added to modern pentathlon at the 72nd UIPM Congress in Monaco on Nov 12, 2022, replacing horse riding as one of the five disciplines.

The 141st International Olympic Committee Session later approved the inclusion of modern pentathlon in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, making Paris 2024 the last Olympics to feature horse riding.

The head-to-head, Ninja Warrior-style obstacle race will make its Olympic debut at LA28 in a 90-minute format alongside fencing, swimming, laser shooting and running.

"We need to modernize one of the oldest sports on the Olympic program, one that was created by the founder Pierre de Coubertin. We need an event that will attract the youth. It cannot be long, it has to be accessible and be able to reach everyone," Stull said.

According to the UIPM website, it is "the only recognized governing body of obstacle sport in the Olympic movement".

"Obstacle racing doesn't have an IOC-recognized federation," Stull said. "We're in the process of integrating with the obstacle community, which is very loosely organized. We want to bring them into the family and give them a place to be tied with a recognized Olympic federation."

"You get a lot of benefits by being part of an Olympic family, and our benefits will extend to that community," he added. "The events will be better organized. We have full-time staff who are dedicated to this. It's a win-win situation for everybody. The big winners are the athletes, the families and the participants who want to enjoy the sport."

One of the oldest events in Olympic history, modern pentathlon will be held at the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area during the LA28 Games.

"Our venue in Los Angeles is with the cool kids. We share the venue with skateboarding, 3x3 basketball and BMX. I call them the 'cool kids' because they are the urban sports," Stull said.

To help make the sport more appealing to younger audiences, UIPM has partnered with obstacle race brands Spartan Race and Tough Viking.

"In Beijing, you're going to see 100m, 400m and 3,000m races. The 3,000m race is a Spartan event, while Spartan Race also adopted 100m from us. Their general philosophy on sports is very similar to ours," Stull said.

The slogan for the 2025 Obstacle World Championships is: "Conquer the Great Wall". Stull said he hopes to visit the landmark if given the chance.

"There are two types of people. Some are trying to set the world record and win the big prize money. And you have other people, like me, who just want to finish," he said.

"I would probably walk the course, and maybe I would have a drink along the way. My goal would be just to finish."

Xinhua