World Obstacle / UIPM 2023 Ninja World Cup USA: All you need to know

• Ninja athletes take another step towards fulfilment of Olympic dream
• Global icons Vivian (AUS), Cabuya and Rodales (PHI) take on North American challenge
• Historic collaboration sees UIPM co-host first World Obstacle event

A record attendance of almost 800 Ninja athletes will meet in a global showcase of obstacle racing over the next four days – with the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) co-hosting a World Obstacle event for the first time.

Thanks to the integration of Obstacle as a new discipline of Modern Pentathlon, 100m sprint specialists such as those competing in Orlando (USA) now have a potential pathway to the Olympic Games.

Many will be dreaming of Los Angeles 2028 as they showcase their incredible athleticism on the two-lane course at Orange County Convention Centre, racing head to head on a sprint course just as pentathletes have started to do at junior and youth levels this year.

About the competition

World Obstacle / UIPM 2023 Ninja World Cup USA (July 27-30) is the North American leg of the 2023 Ninja World Cup, following the Asian event in Manila (PHI) in April and European leg in Swiecie (POL), with South East Asia (Malaysia) and Latin America (Venezuela) still to come.

American athletes form the bulk of the 782 names on the entry list (of which 93 are Elite athletes), but they are joined by some global icons of this growing sport, such as Olivia Vivian of Australia and 100m world record holder Precious Cabuya and Mark Julius Rodelas of Philippines. These elite Ninja athletes have a combined total of more than 400,000 followers on social media.

The naming collaboration between World Obstacle and UIPM reflects the cooperation between the two sports communities enabled by the decision of the UIPM 2022 Congress to add Obstacle as a new discipline of Modern Pentathlon.

Produced by World Obstacle and USA Ninja Association in collaboration with The ATS Team, Ninja World Cup USA will be hosted alongside the International Obstacle Sports Expo. The format is a 100m head-to-head sprint familiar to viewers of the popular Ninja television shows.

World Cup USA will be held in conjunction with the Ultimate Ninja Athlete Association (UNAA) World Series Finals, World Ninja Athlete Games (WNAG) Championships, the Federation of International Ninja Athletics (FINA) World Finals and 3K Ultimate OCR Spartan in collaboration with Spartan Race. 

As well as co-hosting, UIPM will have a presence on the ground in Florida, providing information and answering questions from Ninja athletes who are interested in training for Modern Pentathlon.

A participant survey will be conducted following the US public survey commissioned by UIPM that found that almost half of young people in the US would be more likely to watch and follow the Olympic Games if Obstacle is introduced to the programme.

Official statements

In a joint statement, USA Pentathlon Multisport (USAPM) Chairman Tom Shepard and CEO Rob Stull OLY (also President of the NORCECA Modern Pentathlon Confederation) said: “We are excited to participate in the first co-hosted Ninja Obstacle event on American soil, a key hub for Obstacle sport in the world.

“The innovation that UIPM has embraced to include Obstacle racing as our new Olympic fifth discipline following Paris 2024 will provide new interest, new fans and new opportunities for more athletes than ever before. The Ninja World Cup in Orlando is a step towards the realization of these dreams.”  

World Obstacle President Ian Adamson added: “World Obstacle is excited to co-host the Ninja World Cup USA with the International Union of Modern Pentathlon, produced by the USA Ninja Association and the ATS Team, set shop for Ninja Warrior television shows around the world.

“This collaboration is a groundbreaking event for the Ninja and obstacle community worldwide as the first international event presenting opportunities for athletes with the Olympic dream.”

Schedule

Day 1 (Thursday July 27) features racing between youth athletes in the 13U age group as well as Adult (non-Elite) participants.

On Friday July 28 it’s the turn of the 7U and 9U categories, before the Masters and Elite athletes show future generations how it’s done on Saturday July 29. The competition closes on Sunday July 30 with the 11U athletes.

Visit World Obstacle online for more.