UIPM and FISO communities celebrate historic vote to dissolve FISO, paving way for organisational integration

• UIPM to become sole governing body for the Obstacle Sports community in August 2026
• Landslide vote in favour (96.2%) confirms commitment of OCR and Ninja global communities to integration
• Integration process to continue at national and regional levels, concluding by end of 2027

A landslide vote to dissolve the Federation Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO) has completed the organisational integration of Obstacle Sports into UIPM.

The historic vote took place at the 12th FISO Congress and World Obstacle General Assembly, in which 96.2% of the members present voted in favour of the dissolution of FISO, with 3.8% abstaining and no delegates voting against the motion.

It means that UIPM (Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne) will become the sole governing body for the Obstacle Sports community worldwide on 10 August 2026, following the last-ever FISO World Championships. And the dissolution of FISO will pave the way for the completion of integration processes at national and regional levels.

In addition:

1. National Federations currently affiliated with FISO will enter the status ‘UIPM Member Candidates’ and operate under the Integration Principles during the transition period.
2. The transition period will run until 31 December 2027, allowing time for national integration processes to be completed.
3. UIPM will support ‘UIPM Member Candidates’ in their efforts working towards integration at their own national level.

The vote came 31 months after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UIPM and FISO with the shared aim of creating a sporting movement with more audiences and active participants. The Integration Timeline below sets out some key milestones that led to today’s vote.

As UIPM is the only IOC-recognised International Federation governing Obstacle Sports, the joining of the two sporting movements enables all Pentathlon Multisports and standalone Obstacle Sports to be considered for inclusion in future Olympic Games.

The UIPM Member Federations voted in 2024 for the creation of an Obstacle Commission, and UIPM President Rob Stull will soon propose Members to sit on this Commission to the UIPM Executive Board.

Presidents’ Reaction

UIPM President Rob Stull OLY commented: “This feels like a tremendously historic moment that validates more than a decade of hard work and collaboration between our movements. The unification of Pentathlon and Obstacle communities is now, in international terms, complete. We stand on the brink of realising a vision to create the biggest Multisports Federation in the world.

“I salute all members of FISO who came here to Nice to exercise their democratic right. This is a community of dedicated individuals, many of them volunteers, who are passionate about their sports and hungry to see their athletes competing on the highest playing fields of world sport. This vote will enable that.

“FISO President Ian Adamson embodies the volunteer spirit of the Obstacle movement, and we look forward to further developing our working relationship and friendship after his pioneering period of service as the heart and soul of World Obstacle.

“All members of our unified global community will focus efforts on continuing to work across nations and regions.”

FISO President Ian Adamson commented: “I am thrilled that the global obstacle community overwhelmingly supported the vote for disbandment, allowing us to proceed with integration into the UIPM family and unification of Obstacle Sports in the Olympic movement.

“This is the culmination of 12 years’ work and the start of a new era for obstacle sports, affording new opportunities for millions of athletes and their communities on the greatest sporting stages on earth.”

Integration timeline

2014

The development of FISO into a unifying global governing body for Obstacle Sports is initiated by Founding President Ian Adamson.

2018

FISO is formalised as an International Federation in Switzerland

2022

UIPM Congress approves Obstacle racing as the replacement discipline for Riding in Modern Pentathlon.

2023

UIPM and FISO enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the shared aim of creating a sporting movement with more audiences and active participants. Modern Pentathlon with its new Obstacle discipline is confirmed on the Olympic programme for Los Angeles 2028.

2024

UIPM Congress officially puts Obstacle sports under the UIPM umbrella by voting the sport into the UIPM Statutes, and votes for the creation of an UIPM Obstacle Commission.

2025

UIPM hosts its first standalone Obstacle racing competition, the UIPM 2025 Obstacle World Championships in Beijing (CHN).

2026

FISO Congress votes in favour of its own dissolution, enabling a full integration of Obstacle sports into UIPM.