UIPM enters into Memorandum of Understanding with FISO to oversee global Obstacle Sport movement

• Modern Pentathlon International Federation to integrate Obstacle governing body
• Presidents Schormann and Adamson sign historic agreement in Bath (GBR)
• Handshake follows integration of Obstacle as a Modern Pentathlon discipline

The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federation Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO) with the shared aim of creating a sporting movement with more audience and active participants.

Following its recent incorporation of an Obstacle discipline into Modern Pentathlon, under the terms of the MoU, UIPM will integrate FISO and oversee the wider Obstacle Sport movement.

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann said: “The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding is a big step for the future of our Union, based on the decision of UIPM 2022 Congress to vote 83.3% in favour of Obstacle becoming a part of our Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon.

“This was followed by very successful test events and very strong cooperation and understanding in which way we can focus to be more open and more accessible around the world, with more commercial possibilities, to increase the number of nations and to bring our sport to different parts of the world, and in a new way to become a global sport.

“We want to bring a different challenge to the Olympic movement, to be more urban and provide something that young generations will love – and we could see it already in our UIPM U19 and U17 World Championships, with the Junior World Championships still to come in September. We can see how young athletes are looking forward to participate in the exciting new combination of sports in the Modern Pentathlon.”

FISO President Ian Adamson said: “The signing of an MOU between World Obstacle and World Pentathlon is important because it’s a mark of collaboration, and working together is way more powerful than working apart.

“We are bringing our sports together, uniting the Olympic movement with the mass participation,  broadcast and viewers – all of that creates a very powerful collaboration.

“The possibilities created by the integration of World Obstacle into World Pentathlon are incredible. We will have a complete tool set of everything you need to make a truly great and dominant sport in the world.”

The MoU was signed during a special ceremony held in Bath (GBR), host of the UIPM 2023 Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships, which reaches a climax tomorrow (August 27) with the Individual Finals where up to six qualification places in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be won. The ceremony included the handover of a special plaque to Pentathlon GB in honour of its centenary.