- Modern pentathlon must evolve or "die," the president of the sport's governing body told Insider.
- The sport is testing obstacle racing as its new fifth discipline after cutting equestrian show jumping.
Dr. Klaus Schormann, the president of modern pentathlon's world governing body, Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), says the sport must evolve or "die" amid its ongoing bid to save its place at the Olympic Games.
In December, modern pentathlon was cut from the preliminary list of sports for Los Angeles 2028 after UIPM submitted a proposal to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) containing only four of its usual five disciplines.
The sport voted – under reported pressure from the IOC – to remove equestrian show jumping following an incident at the Tokyo Olympics, where a German coach was ejected from the Games for striking a horse.
Now testing obstacle course racing as show jumping's replacement, UIPM is expected to submit its renewed bid to be in LA by December, which the IOC said must "demonstrate a significant reduction in cost and complexity and show improvements in safety, accessibility, universality, and appeal for youth."
The proposed change – which will come into effect after Paris 2024 – has been met with fervent backlash from a number elite pentathletes, including the reigning men's Olympic champion, Joe Choong.
He and a number of others have said they will quit the sport if the change becomes permanent.
Schormann, however, told Insider that while he understands the frustrations from some, the sport simply must change for the sake of its Olympic future.
"We are making a big change linked to the clear message of IOC: 'Change, or you will be changed,'" said Schormann, who has been UIPM President for more than three decades.
"That's what we are doing now. There are voices that want to keep the sport as it is. But if we do that, then [we're] out [of the Olympics].
"If you go to the doctor and the doctor says, 'Here is a tablet, take it and you will stay another 10 years alive.' If you denied that, you die. It's your decision. Do you want to die or do you want to ensure there is still a chance for future generations?
"We are focusing absolutely on future generations. In business, in culture, in everything – our life is in the hands of the youth."
The decision to test obstacle course racing as show jumping's replacement was made by a "working group" of 21 people.
Four of those in the group were Olympic pentathletes, including Great Britain's James Cooke, the men's 2018 World and 2019 European champion.
Cooke told Insider that the group, with the input of the sport's various committees and national federations, selected obstacle racing because it aligned with the IOC's requests to reduce costs and improve accessibility.
"We are an Olympic sport that is on the edge," he said. "We're very, very low down, if not bottom, in a lot of ratings like ticket sales, viewership, and participation and that is what has caused this situation, we have to make a decision and we have to change."
According to a report from Yahoo, modern pentathlon "consistently ranks bottom for television audiences and internal measurements for social engagement" at the Olympics.
According to Jörg Krieger's 2022 book "Athletes Pressing Charges: Fighting for the Future of Modern Pentathlon" – the sport also struggles significantly in terms of global participation.
"Obstacle course racing was selected because it is more accessible [than show jumping]," added Cooke, who is now the head coach of the Greek modern pentathlon national team.
"We want to be able to showcase a fast, dynamic sport that is easily accessible and more cost effective so that we can transform the participation numbers of modern pentathlon."