UIPM 2025 Pentathlon World Championships: All you need to know
- Pentathlon pioneers ready for first edition of flagship competition with Obstacle
- 14-year-old Khalil (EGY) bids to become quadruple 2025 world champion
- Paris 2024 Olympic medallists Malan (ITA) and Seong (KOR) among contenders
For the 170+ athletes who have gathered in the Baltic region for the UIPM 2025 Pentathlon World Championships, a place in history is assured. They are pioneers, the first pentathletes to compete in a senior world championships featuring Obstacle as one of the sport’s five disciplines.
This breaks 76 years of tradition, as equestrian was part of every World Championships from 1949 to 2024. Three years from now, an even older tradition will be broken as the new-look sport makes its debut at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles (USA).
For one athlete in particular, this week could be personally historic. Farida Khalil, the 14-year-old phenomenon from Egypt, arrived in Lithuania as 2025 world champion at Junior (U22), U19 and U17 levels. Firmly installed as world No.1 and world record-holder, she is undoubtedly the one to catch as she chases the unique achievement of becoming a quadruple world champion.
Can anyone stop her? This is the question on everybody’s mind as challengers like Seungmin Seong of Korea – Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist and reigning world champion – search for a way to undermine the teenage upstart. European champion Rebecca Castaudi of France and world No.3 Blanka Guzi of Hungary lead the challenge of the host continent.
Egypt had a surprisingly disappointing World Championships in 2024, but the North African powerhouse has a clear chance of a golden double here especially in the form of Moutaz Mohamed (EGY), winner of the Pentathlon World Cup Final and the Junior World Championships this summer. He will be challenged all the way by the likes of Paris 2024 bronze medallist Giorgio Malan of Italy and world No.2 Mihaly Koleszar (HUN).
- Read Take Five for more insights into the competition
The Zalgiris Arena, one of Europe’s top basketball venues, has been transformed into a Pentathlon Arena as Lithuania hosts the World Championships of an Olympic sport for the first time. Another historic aspect of this competition is that it will be the first Pentathlon World Championships to be held primarily indoors.
President’s welcome
UIPM President Rob Stull OLY said: “Welcome to the UIPM 2025 Pentathlon World Championships – the first edition of our annual flagship competition to feature the Ninja-style Obstacle discipline that has transformed our sport.
“Taking its place alongside a new and more dynamic Fencing format, Swimming and the exciting finale of Laser Run, Obstacle has opened up our sport to a whole new world of participants and audiences. And I can’t wait for everyone to see how the new-look Pentathlon is presented here in Kaunas.
"You will see how our pentathletes – long since established as the most versatile athletes in the world – have adapted to the challenge of a fundamental change in the sport they love. From the athletes’ walk-on to the final Laser Run, you’ll see Modern Pentathlon as you’ve never seen it before — bolder, faster and more spectacular.
"On behalf of the global UIPM community, I invite you all to enjoy the show."
How it works
Get set for five days of individual competition in the sequence of Fencing, Obstacle, Swimming and Laser Run – a new format now in place at all levels of Pentathlon.
Qualification is followed by a Fencing Seeding Round which determines all Fencing seedings for the Semi-finals and Finals. Each Semi-final and Final comprises 18 athletes and begins with Direct Elimination Fencing, followed by Obstacle, where athletes race head to head over a 70m course featuring eight obstacles.
Action then switches to the Swimming pool for a 200m freestyle before athletes line up for Laser Run – five running laps of 600m with four visits to the shooting range. The first athlete across the finish line wins!
Watch and follow
The UIPM 2025 Pentathlon World Championships take place in Kaunas (LTU) from August 26-30, beginning with Men’s Qualification on August 26 (see full schedule below).
Have you got the app? Download UIPM Central via Apple or Google to keep track of the latest news and results – or visit the UIPM website.
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Competition schedule
TV times in Central European Summer Time. All Semi-finals and Finals will be live-streamed free on UIPM YouTube and UIPM.TV.
26 August
- Men’s Qualification
27 August
- Women’s Qualification
28 August
- Men’s Semi-final A (09:00)
- Men’s Semi-final B (12:30)
29 August
- Women’s Semi-final A (14:00)
- Women’s Semi-final B (17:30)
30 August
- Men’s Final (13:00)
- Women’s Final (17:00)
Upcoming events
