UIPM 2024 Tetrathlon U15 World Championships: New beginnings in Guatemala City (GUA)

• Inaugural global gathering of U15 talent sees medals shared across four continents
• Thomatos (RSA) and Mohamed (EGY) power to individual gold medals for Africa
• New Tetrathlon format of Obstacle, Swimming and Laser Run proves a huge hit

The curtain came down on an unforgettable 2024 UIPM season in fitting fashion as the future of the sport shone bright and history was made at the UIPM 2024 Tetrathlon U15 World Championships in Guatemala City (GUA). 

The global gathering of teenage athletes, coaches and members of the UIPM community marked many firsts as the age group celebrated their first dedicated global competition in Tetrathlon, while the new format of Obstacle, Swimming and Laser Run proved to be a huge hit too. 

With friendships and family also to the fore at the Austrian-Guatemalan Institute throughout the three days of competition, Saturday’s individual finals were marked by African excellence. Tatiana Thomatos of South Africa claimed gold in the Women’s Final while Mohamed Mohamed ensured there would be one last gold rush for Egypt before the year ended as he prevailed in a nail-biting finish in the Men’s Final before teaming up with Mariam Abdelnaser (EGY) for Mixed Relay honours on Sunday. 

But in keeping with the truly global appeal of the new format among the youth of Pentathlon, the medal table featured nations from four continental federations with Germany, Japan, Mexico and host nation Guatemala also securing hardware for their hard work. As the hype and momentum continues to grows around the integration of Obstacle in the UIPM Sports movement ahead of the LA 2028 Olympics, the performance of Mexico and athletes from the rest of the big three nations of North America – Canada and the United States – bode very well for the region. 

Newly-elected UIPM President Rob Stull OLY, who is also the current President of the North America, Central America & Caribbean (NORCECA) Confederation, was on hand throughout the week in the capital as the hard work of the Guatemalan Modern Pentathlon Association organizers came to fruition. 

It proved particularly fruitful for Thomatos (RSA) as she powered to gold with a stellar all-around display, finishing clear of Elisabeth Arri (GER) and Karma Aly (EGY) in a gripping Women’s Individual Final. 

Savanna Allyson Rose Salinas of the USA kicked things off with a blistering run across the Obstacle course as she finished a full three seconds clear of the next-best time in the 34-strong field. However Thomatos (RSA) moved up the leaderboard with a strong swim and then served up a nerveless exhibition of running and shooting as she roared home eight seconds clear of her rivals. 

Women’s champion Thomatos (RSA) said: “It was a really nice experience and I’m really honoured to be part of the first Tetrathlon ever, making history! It was a really nice format. In the beginning I was a bit disappointed that there was no Fencing but now that I have tried it, it was really nice. I really enjoyed it. I enjoy doing the rings during the Obstacle, that feeling of skipping and flying through the air. It’s definitely one of my dreams to become a pentathlete. I definitely want to go to the Olympics one day, that experience would be really great.”

As attentions turned to the Men’s competition, the Obstacle course provided a particularly accurate guide as to where the medals may go as the five fastest finishers in the opening discipline would go on to finish in the top six overall. It was Mohamed (EGY) who was fastest of all but some powerful swimming from Eduardo Sanchez (MEX) ensured the leaderboard was tight ahead of the decisive combined discipline. 

Just as in the Women’s Final, Germany’s strength at U15 level was clear as Luis Thieke and Valentin Rovinolo (GER) pushed hard in the Laser Run, however Mohamed (EGY) dug deepest to pip Thieke (GER) on the finishing line with Rovinolo (GER) just three seconds behind to take bronze.

Men’s champion Mohamed (EGY) said: “I like the Swimming and the Obstacle disciplines very much. I really like the monkey bars because I think I am very good at this. I have a dream to be in the Olympics. That is my hope, to win the Olympics.”

The German duo could take plenty of consolation in the gold medal they had secured in the Men’s Relay earlier in the week while Nour Ramadan teamed up with Aly to secure Women’s Relay gold for Egypt. Sunday’s Mixed Relay featured a bumper field of 23 teams but Egyptian prowess, a familiar 2024 storyline, was again clear as the powerhouse nation took gold and silver with Abdelnaser & Mohamed holding off Aly & Yassen Elsherbini. 

Egypt also took the Women’s Team gold with silver for Germany and bronze to Japan while on the Men’s side, Mexico toasted a Team gold as Japan took silver and host nation Guatemala savoured a podium place of their own with bronze. 

Newly elected UIPM president Rob Stull said: “This historic event, the first U15 World Championships was perfectly organized by Guatemala. These young athletes from five continents will forever cherish being part of our sports rich history and the friendships they developed during this week of competition.

“It was a pleasure to see the final World Championships of 2024 being held and so well organized in the Americas as the world turns a page to the road to Los Angeles 2028.”

The UIPM 2024 Tetrathlon U15 World Championships was the final competition of this year’s UIPM calendar. The 2025 campaign will begin with the opening instalment of the UIPM 2025 Pentathlon World Cup in Cairo (EGY) from February 25 to March 1, where senior Pentathletes will compete in Obstacle for the first time as the format for the LA 2028 Olympic cycle becomes fully adopted across the sport.