IOC President KIRSTY COVENTRY talks Pentathlon with elite athletes during World Cup Budapest

The President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, watched the new-look Pentathlon for the first time before meeting a group of elite pentathletes to discuss the reimagined sport.

In the shadow of the vast Puskas Arena, President Coventry was joined by European Olympic Committees President Spyros Capralos and more than 70 National Olympic Committee leaders, IOC Members and Olympic decision-makers in a packed 2,000-capacity arena to watch the Women’s Final at UIPM 2026 Pentathlon World Cup Budapest.

President Coventry also made time to meet with elite pentathletes and discover more about the transformed multisport that has been part of the Olympic programme for more than a century, with three decades of evolution culminating in the integration of Ninja-style Obstacle Racing, an elimination Fencing format and streamlined Swimming since the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Both Pentathlon gold medallists from that memorable Games, Michelle Gulyas of Hungary and Ahmed Elgendy of Egypt, joined the meeting along with Sofia Cabrera of Guatemala and Shuai Luo of China, coordinated by UIPM Events Operations Assistant and 2018 Youth Olympic Games competitor Eduardo Oliveira of Portugal.

The visit and meeting took place during an unforgettable Women’s Final on June 12 won by Blanka Guzi of Hungary to the delight of her home crowd. It was followed on 13 June by an equally exciting Men’s Final won by Marvin Dogue of Germany.

President’s reaction

UIPM President Rob Stull said: “I couldn’t be more grateful to everyone involved in staging a hugely successful Pentathlon World Cup here in beautiful Budapest. From an early stage, the organisers from the Hungarian Modern Pentathlon Association, led by President Gábor Balogh, wanted to improve on their successful 2025 edition and supported the UIPM vision for a reimagined indoor show that would reflect the spectacular evolution of Pentathlon as an entertainment product – and they exceeded our expectations.

“This was an unusual and particularly special World Cup because we were honoured to be visited by the IOC President, Kirsty Coventry, the European Olympic Committees President, Spyros Capralos, and some 80 leaders and decision-makers from across the Olympic movement who were present for the EOC General Assembly in Budapest. Our athletes loved the opportunity to exhibit their skills and demonstrate our transformed multisport.

“I’d like to congratulate our champions, Blanka and Marvin, and all the other medallists and competitors who made this such a compelling spectacle to watch. Sincere thanks to the many people working behind the scenes and the wonderful people of Budapest whose support they provided to these great pentathletes and the sport of Pentathlon will never be forgotten.

“The successful innovations that we have collectively made have honored our great legacy in a compelling way that demonstrates that Pentathlon is very much ‘Fit for the Future’. And this is just the beginning.”