Modern pentathlon officially welcomed the obstacle at the senior level during the World Cup stage held in Cairo, from February 25 to March 1. A long-awaited moment for the International Federation, the UIPM, and for the athletes, curious to experience this new competition format, without horse riding. Around a hundred of them lined up in Egypt. The assessment by President Rob Stull is clear: the inclusion of the obstacle is already "a great success », which confirms that “the pentathlon has a rich history and an exciting future ».
Immediate effect on TikTok
The American, elected head of the UIPM this fall, is obviously preaching for his parish. « The future is here. You can see how the athletes have reacted and how much most of them are enjoying this new element of competition. I'm delighted with how the new format is shaping up., he emphasizes on the site of the instance. In fencing, the new knockout system is incredibly exciting. Every fight is thrilling to watch, and most are decided in the final seconds. » Le « modern pentathlon », as Rob Stull described with a smile in his last interview with Francs Jeux, has already found a wider audience according to the president of the FI, satisfied with the first results on social networks.
“Just like our athletes, the UIPM TV team has risen to the challenge of the new format and done an excellent job, as has the growing social media content team. We now have a sport at our fingertips that can better help us reach younger fans. After just one competition, we can already see our audience growing, especially on TikTok.” The UIPM has 1.600 followers on the Chinese platform, but one of its videos generated more than 20.000 views during the competition. This validates the direction taken by the federation, according to Stull. "Today's youth now have their own pentathlon. It's different, but it's still the pentathlon and it still follows Coubertin's principles." », he argued in February. This was also seen in the participants: the average age was 23 for the men, and the women's competition was won by Farida Khalil, aged just 14.
Will the difficulty level soon be increased?
The World Cup will resume in a few days in Budapest (April 22-26), before moving to Bulgaria, to Pazardzhik (May 7-11), and finally to Alexandria (July 4-6). These are all opportunities for athletes absent from Cairo (including double Olympic medalist Elodie Clouvel), and for others, to step up their game in the jump. The opening stage nevertheless offered some initial insights into this event, which will soon undergo adjustments.
"The athletes did well on the course, perhaps too well. It will probably need to be modified to make it more difficult.", announces Rob Stull, specifying that such a development would not occur in the middle of the season. "UIPM athletes, coaches and technical committees will have to look into the issue, explains the leader. It's a gradual process, and I can see how senior athletes will enjoy it as they develop their skills and refine their training." Launched in this new era, the UIPM also launched a call on social media to create a global obstacle course map to facilitate training opportunities. This is yet another initiative to bring pentathlon closer to the public and continue its rise through the ranks.
