- Modern pentathlon authorities cannot seem to decide if they have chosen a show-jumping replacement.
- The sport's chief appeared to say a new fifth sport had already been chosen.
Modern pentathlon's global chief added to the chaos and confusion in the sport by seemingly confirming that a new discipline had already been chosen to replace show-jumping before rapidly backtracking on his comments.
Last week, after a dramatic few months for the sport following the now-infamous Olympic horse-punch saga, modern pentathlon's governing body, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (
Before the official announcement, the Guardian newspaper reported that cycling would replace the equestrian portion of the five-discipline sport.
The UIPM vehemently denied that assertion in the days before confirming that horse riding would be removed but did not indicate what would replace it.
It said that a consultation process would be undertaken with athletes to ensure they supported the new discipline.
However, over the weekend, the UIPM's president, Klaus Schormann, spoke to German news outlet Sportschau and seemed to confirm that a new sport had already been chosen.
"We will replace riding with another sport," Schormann said in a video interview. "But that will not be cycling."
During the interview, Schormann told Sportschau that while a new sport had been confirmed, he could not reveal more details before speaking to athletes, coaches, and national federations.
However, on Monday, the UIPM released a statement saying media reports about Schormann's comments were "inaccurate," despite Sportschau publishing video footage of Schormann's conversation with its reporter.
"Media reports suggesting that the new fifth discipline has already been chosen by the UIPM Executive Board are inaccurate," it said in a statement.
In the statement, Schormann added: "The consultation process is open, and I would like to clarify that no decision about the fifth discipline has been taken."
"We thank our colleagues in the media for continually promoting the sport and our athletes with actual
Modern pentathlon faces a reckoning
Schormann's comments on a new discipline in modern pentathlon came soon after around 650 pentathletes from around the world issued a vote of no confidence in him and the rest of the UIPM's senior leadership.
Signed by Joe Choong and Kate French, the male and female gold medalists at the Tokyo Olympics, and several other Olympic medal winners, the petition says athletes are "shocked" by the decision to remove horse riding from the sport.
"Baron Pierre De Coubertin created modern pentathlon specifically for the Olympic Games to showcase the ultimate athlete," the petition says, according to Inside the Games.
"Without consulting its athletes and member federations, the Executive Board has undermined 109 years of Modern Pentathlon.
There had been previous calls for the removal of horse riding from the pentathlon. However, the recent reckoning was triggered by a coach's mistreatment of a Tokyo Olympics horse.
German coach Kim Raisner was ejected after she lashed out at Annika Schleu's horse, Saint Boy, when the animal refused to jump during the show-jumping round of the women's event.
The incident prompted backlash from animal rights activists and fans across the globe.