UIPM 2024 Laser Run World Championships: Golden glory on home soil for host nation China
- Senior athletes complete ‘triple crown’ in front of home crowd
- Success for Egypt, Philippines and South Africa along with neutral competitors
- Three-day Laser Run festival kickstarts UIPM’s flagship competition in Zhengzhou (CHN)
A three-day festival of Laser Run – the development beacon of the UIPM Sports movement – has lit the spark for an unforgettable UIPM 2024 Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships.
The combination of UIPM’s most popular pathway sport and its Olympic pillar of Modern Pentathlon was again encapsulated in three days of competition imbued with the pentathlon hallmarks of heroic individual dedication, team spirit and respect.
In all, there were more than 550 athletes representing 24 countries, all generations coming together at the spectacular Zhengzhou Olympic Sports Centre to provide a Laser Run showcase in the ninth instalment of this World Championships.
As host nation, China grasped the opportunity with an unprecedented entry of mostly youth athletes that underlined the development potential of UIPM Sports in a nation of 1.4billion people.
The home team was rewarded with an array of world titles including the three most prized gold medals, as Xiyao Wu teamed up with Zhenfeng Liu to win a thrilling three-way sprint for senior Mixed Relay gold in the final race of the competition, following the individual success of Wu (CHN) and Olympic pentathlete Shuai Luo (CHN).
Philippines was another Asian nation that prospered with medals across the three days, providing tough competition for athletes from Egypt, habitually dominant in the youth categories, and South Africa. There were also notable successes for Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) among the European challenge, while numerous athletes from emerging nations such as India and Kuwait enjoyed a beneficial experience.
The competition was also distinctive for its high-quality judging, with a vast volunteer workforce provided by numerous Chinese universities ensuring that all delegates felt part of a professional environment.
President’s reaction
UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann said: “In the past three days we have seen a magnificent showcase of Laser Run in a fantastic world-class stadium here in Zhengzhou, where the Modern Pentathlon World Championships will now take centre stage.
“More than 550 athletes from around the world competed and created exciting moments in this very special location, showing an ability to race in tough conditions where the temperature is over 30C. We saw incredible motivation across all age categories across Women’s and Men’s Individual and Mixed Relay events.
“Laser Run is a strong pillar of our UIPM Sports pyramid and I thank all the National Federations who prepared their athletes to compete at this high level, along with all the parents and supporters.
“Many participants told me they wish to see more opportunities to compete in Laser Run around the world along with the Global Laser Run City Tour that is already established. In the future we will have a lot of flexibility to organise competitions in exciting formats combining Laser Run with Obstacle and the other disciplines, providing opportunities in every part of the world for athletes of all ages, genders and social backgrounds.
“My thanks go to the organising committee and the Chinese Modern Pentathlon Federation, the National Olympic Committee and Government partners, as well as all supporters, media representatives and volunteers.”
Click here to read the UIPM President’s official welcome to the UIPM 2024 Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships.
Watch and follow
The UIPM 2024 Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships are available to subscribers on UIPM.TV where annual packages cost €14.99.
Visit the UIPM website or download UIPM Central from your app store to keep track of live results. Follow World Pentathlon on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X or YouTube for additional content.
The UIPM 2024 Pentathlon World Championships runs from June 9-16, based on the following schedule (UIPM TV live coverage times in Central European Summer Time).
- Sunday, June 9 | Fencing Ranking Round: Women’s Relay & Men’s Relay
- Monday, June 10 | Women’s Relay & Men’s Relay
- Tuesday, June 11 | Women’s Qualification
- Wednesday, June 12 | Men’s Qualification | Women’s Fencing Ranking Round
- Thursday, June 13 | Women’s Semi-final A (8.45am); Semi-final B (11.30am) | Men’s Fencing Ranking Round
- Friday, June 14 | Men’s Semi-final A (8.45am); Semi-final B (11.30am)
- Saturday, June 15 | Women’s Final (4am) | Men’s Final (10.30am)
- Sunday, June 16 | Mixed Relay (10.30am)
Upcoming events
