UIPM 2025 Pentathlon World Cup Pazardzhik: All you need to know
- Last chance to secure Pentathlon World Cup Final qualification
- Khalil and Mohamed lead Egyptian challenge
- France, Hungary and Italy targeting more podium prizes
One more stop on the road to Alexandria! Another enticing challenge awaits after elite pentathletes from six continents gathered in Bulgaria for UIPM 2025 Pentathlon World Cup Pazardzhik.
After season-opening events in Cairo (EGY) and Budapest (HUN), the action returns to Africa where Alexandria (EGY) hosts this year’s Pentathlon World Cup Final in July. But places must be earned through gaining enough qualification points in the three regular-season World Cups.
One athlete certain to have accumulated enough points already is Farida Khalil of Egypt. With a gold and silver medal to her name so far, the 14-year-old sensation is back in action this week looking for a podium hat-trick with the European challenge likely to be led once again by Hungary and France.
On the men’s side, it will be intriguing to see who wins the internal battle between Paris 2024 bronze medallist Giorgio Malan and his Italy team-mate, Matteo Cicinelli, a gold medallist in the 2025 season-opener. But can anyone stop Moutaz Mohamed (EGY)?
- Take Five: read about the key talking points
The action takes place at the Ivan Simeonov Hall and Balona Swimming Complex, which boasts a 50m long-course pool.
Watch and follow
UIPM 2025 Pentathlon World Cup Pazardzhik takes place from May 7-11, with livestream of the Semi-finals and Finals available to watch free on UIPM.TV based on the following schedule (TV times listed in Central European Summer Time):
- Wednesday May 7: Women’s Qualification
- Thursday May 8: Men’s Qualification | Women’s Fencing Seeding Round
- Friday May 9: Women’s Semi-final A (LIVE from 08:30); Women’s Semi-final B (LIVE from 12:00) | Men’s Fencing Seeding Round
- Saturday May 10: Men’s Semi-final A (LIVE from 08:30); Men’s Semi-final B (LIVE from 12:00)
- Sunday May 11: Women’s Final (LIVE from 08:30); Men’s Final (LIVE from 12:00).
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How it works
Get set for five days of individual competition in the sequence of Fencing, Obstacle, Swimming and Laser Run – a new format that was introduced at the start of the 2025 season.
Fencing now features a quickfire direct elimination format where athletes must win 1min bouts to remain in the competition. In Qualification there is a traditional Ranking Round, and prior to the Semi-finals there is a Seeding Round that dictates where athletes are placed in the knockout draw.
Fencing is followed by Obstacle, a new addition to senior Modern Pentathlon 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!
Upcoming events
