Modern Pentathlon community mourns death of UIPM Patron HM King Constantine

Tributes have been paid to His Majesty King Constantine, Patron of the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), after his death at the age of 82.

An avid sportsman who won sailing gold for Greece at the Rome 1960 Olympic Games, HM King Constantine trained in all five Modern Pentathlon disciplines during his youth.

In 1994 His Majesty accepted an invitation to become Patron of UIPMB, which governed both Modern Pentathlon and Biathlon, and four years later he became Patron of UIPM. The last Monarch of Greece had already served the global Olympic movement with distinction having become a Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1963 and an Honorary Member in 1974.

His Majesty was also Honorary President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Academy, the Royal Greek Yachting Association and World Sailing.

King Constantine was one of the inaugural inductees of the UIPM Hall of Fame in 2016, and he was a keen supporter of Modern Pentathlon who continued to attend UIPM competitions and events until his declining health prevented him from travelling.

His Majesty died in hospital in Athens on Tuesday, after a long illness. He is survived by his wife, HM Queen Anne-Marie, and five children, Alexia, Pavlos, Nikolaos, Theodora and Philippos.

The late HM King Constantine was inaugurated into the UIPM Hall of Fame in 2016

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann led the tributes, saying: “His Majesty King Constantine was a wonderful person. It was a privilege to have visited him and his wife, Her Majesty Queen Anne-Marie, in the summer of 2021 in their private home in Porto Helio.

“Over the years we shared so many great moments together, and His Majesty led many constructive discussions about sport and the Olympic movement. He had a sharp mind and clear perspective that made him an outstanding ambassador for sport.

“I and the entire Modern Pentathlon family mourn the loss of our Patron, who supported and stood by the side of Modern Pentathlon throughout the past 28 years.

“A great personality has left the world and we were honoured to have known him personally, and to have stood beside him in solidarity for a better and more peaceful world through sport. We wish Her Majesty and her family endless strength.”