UIPM confirms successful bids from Bath, Ankara and Bali for upcoming major events

The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) is delighted to confirm the successful bids of Bath (GB), Ankara (TUR) and Bali (INA) as host cities for major UIPM events in the next two years. 

This selection marks some historic firsts with two new major competition organizers added to the UIPM calendar for the first time as we continue to expand the global horizons of our multi-discipline sports. 

Bath (GBR) has been awarded the UIPM 2023 Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships after its bidding team’s initial presentation to the UIPM Executive Board, centred around facilities at the University of Bath, was followed by further meetings with UIPM. As the base for Pentathlon GB, it is a city with a very strong heritage in the sport and the 2023 Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships will bring even more excitement and drama as the event will be part of the Olympic qualification process with quota places for the Paris 2024 Games on the line. Meanwhile, the event will also welcome hundreds of young UIPM Laser Run athletes from GB and around the world.

Bath most recently hosted the 2019 Modern Pentathlon European Championships, which also doubled as an Olympic qualifying event with Tokyo 2020 berths at stake.

The selection of Ankara (TUR) as host city of the UIPM 2022 Pentathlon World Cup Final further underlines Turkey’s emergence as part of the backbone of UIPM event hosting. The event will take place in the Turkish capital June 23rd-26th and is the first time the country hosts a major UIPM live-broadcasting event. This season Ankara also plays host to the fourth leg of the UIPM 2022 Pentathlon World Cup which takes place June 7th-12th following legs in Cairo (EGY), Budapest (HUN) and Albena (BUL).

The UIPM 2022 Pentathlon World Cup Final in Ankara will also be the first major event in the Olympic cycle to exactly follow the same programme and schedule which will be implemented at the Paris 2024 Games. 

Another first will arrive in Bali (INA) when the UIPM 2023 Biathle/Triatle World Championships takes place across the golden sands of the island. It will mark the first time the Biathle/Triatle World Championships are hosted in Asia and is a hugely significant moment for the region with South and Southeast Asia the sight of impressive progress across UIPM multi-discipline sports in recent years. 

The selection of Bali’s impressive bid also builds upon the legacy of the 2018 Asian Games, which were hosted in Indonesia. UIPM sports have been steadily growing in the country with Indonesian youth progressing through the ranks and the 2023 Biathle/Triatle World Championships is sure to further ignite that progress. 

The Biathle/Triatle World Championships started in 2013 in Cyprus designed as a mass-participation event to further grow the sports and Bali, as a destination famous for its natural beauty and conservation efforts, further fits the mould of an event formed around environmentally friendly laser shooting, running and open water swimming. 

UIPM President Dr. Klaus Schormann said: “This is another hugely important day for our great sports and I am so pleased to welcome these wonderful host cities. Growing all of the multi-discipline sports of UIPM, opening them to new communities and inspiring the next generations remains our focus. For those and so many other reasons, these three cities are very exciting destinations for our major events. I am particularly happy to welcome Ankara as a new host city for a major Championship as Turkey has become a great, stable friend to our sports. And it is with great pride that we will see Asia host a Biathle/Triatle World Championships for the first time next year in Bali. This competitive and inspiring bid process emphasizes the continued health and attraction of our UIPM sports and events.”

UIPM Secretary General Shiny Fang underlined: “Each of UIPM major event organizers has demonstrated their incredible passion and responsibility for the sport, while we all understand how much collective effort is needed to put together hosting a multi-discipline sport like Modern Pentathlon, especially during this pandemic time, it also needs more motivation and commitment than ever.

“UIPM has gone though a lot of innovations for its events based on the pathway of the UIPM sports pyramid. It is not only to raise the bar of the competition standard, but also to create its clear sport identity and a DNA for youth to identify UIPM sports’ difference among other sports, certainly more challenging compared to many others. But just as many of our athletes have described, you would never get bored since you have so much room to improve across so many disciplines!

“We admire our organizers, and we will work hand in hand with them to build the sports future from every single detail of the events.”

Chairman of Pentathlon GB David Armstrong said: “We are proud and excited to have been selected as the hosts of the 2023 World Championships. It is testament to the strength of our partnership team and the vision and collaboration of all involved that the bid has been successful. We are also pleased to be able to share some positive news during a challenging time for the sport.”

President of the Turkish Modern Pentathlon Federation Veli Ozan Çakir said: “I would like to convey our gratitude to UIPM Executive Board on behalf of Turkish Modern Pentathlon Community for awarding us such an important event. This awarding shows the trust they put in us. This is an important opportunity for us to give back to Modern Pentathlon sport. One of our greatest desire is to have successful events and become a permanent event organizer for our beautiful sport. We are looking forward to seeing you in our beautiful country and give you the taste of world-famous Turkish hospitality.”