UIPM President's Activities

03 Oct 2019

UIPM Family

04.09.-09.09.2019, Budapest, HUN

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann fulfilled a wide variety of prestigious engagements during the first-ever combined UIPM Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships.

The week began with a two-day UIPM Executive Board Meeting at the historic New York Palace Hotel (September 4-5), chaired by the UIPM President.

The Executive Board approved a new tetrathlon concept proposed for introduction at the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2022 and awarded a number of UIPM competitions and events.

Xiamen (CHN) was chosen to host the UIPM 2020 Congress while the UIPM 2021 Pentathlon World Championships will take place in Minsk (Belarus) and the UIPM 2020 Junior World Championships will take place in Drzonkow (Poland).

UIPM’s family of member federations continued to grow after seven new nations - Iraq, Timor Leste, Chad, Eritrea, Rwanda, South Sudan and Sudan - had their applications approved.

On September 5, President Dr Schormann spoke at the official opening ceremony of the championships at Kincsem Park, along with Hungarian Sports Minister Dr Tünde Szabo and Dr Gyula Bretz, President of the Hungarian Modern Pentathlon Association.

On September 7, in the company of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco (UIPM Honorary President, IOC Member and Head of State) and the IOC and UIPM Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch, President Dr Schormann had an audience with HEM János Áder, President of the Republic of Hungary, in the Presidential Palace.

They discussed issues of sporting politics and International Federation activities in Hungary. President Áder underlined the strong wish of Hungary to present another Olympic bid for 2032 in Budapest.

During his stay in Budapest, the UIPM President also met with Sports Minister Dr Szabo to discuss future close cooperation linked to UIPM Pentathlon World Cup Budapest, which is set to become an annual event from 2020. They also looked ahead to the 100-year anniversary of Modern Pentathlon in Hungary in 2027.

Dr Schormann accompanied UIPM’s Honorary President in attendance at the UIPM Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships on September 7-8, and on the evening of September 7 His Serene Highness was personally inducted into the UIPM Hall of Fame at the UIPM 2019 Annual Awards Gala Dinner.

Prince Albert had been inducted during the UIPM 2018 Congress in Limassol (CYP), but he accepted his UIPM Hall of Fame plaque in person in Budapest (HUN) and made a touching speech about his lifetime involvement in sport and his passion for Modern Pentathlon.

On September 8, the 2nd Pierre de Coubertin Pentathlon Day was celebrated with a special ceremony at Kincsem Park.

The UIPM President addressed spectators with a short speech about the precious legacy of Coubertin, who founded Modern Pentathlon and introduced it to the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912.

A speech was also delivered by Alexandra de Navacelle Coubertin, a direct descendant of the founder of Modern Pentathlon who sits on the UIPM Pierre de Coubertin Commission and the International Olympic Committee’s Commission for Culture and Olympic Heritage.

In the presence of UIPM Honorary President Prince Albert II of Monaco, Pierre de Coubertin Medals were presented to Dr Gyula Bretz (HUN) and to the Rio 2016 Olympic champions, Chloe Esposito of Australia and Alexander Lesun (RUS).

On September 9, the UIPM Business Affairs Committee, chaired by Martin Dawe, and the Medical Committee, chaired by Dr Natalja Ofitserova, met in Budapest - and there was also a special gathering of the ad hoc commission “Future Presentation of Modern Pentathlon”, which the UIPM President chaired.

Members of the UIPM Executive Board gather for a photograph during their two-day meeting

The UIPM Executive Board meets in the New York Palace Hotel in Budapest (HUN)

13.09.-15.09.2019, Budapest, HUN

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann visited the 1st World Urban Games, where Laser Run was on the programme as a showcase sport. He had meetings during the competition with GAISF President Raffaele Chiulli, IOC Sport Director Kit McConnell and IOC Member Yumilka Ruiz (CUB).

Other VIPs who observed the competition included Paris 2024 Olympic Games Sports Director Jean-Philippe Gatien and World Urban Games CEO Attila Miszer. Numerous high-profile UIPM pentathletes took part alongside Laser Run specialists.

Laser Run competitors in the 1st World Urban Games in Budapest (HUN)

Dr Schormann presents certificates to leading performers in Laser Run at the World Urban Games

IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell (far left) and UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann (far right) join some of the top performers at the finish line

16.09.2019 Frankfurt am Main, GER

In his capacity as an Executive Board Member of the German Olympic Academy, the UIPM President took part in discussions about a Youth Olympic Games camp in Lausanne (SUI), the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, seminars in the Olympic Academy in Olympia (GRE) and how to enlarge the annual Olympic Day through National Federation activities.

24.09.2019 Istanbul, TUR

The UIPM President was a guest at the 2019 Mustafa V Koc Sports Award, where Turkey’s most prestigious award was presented to the pentathlete Ilke Ozyuksel (TUR).

The award was presented by Caroline Koc, Member of the Board of Directors of Koc Holdings, Turkey’s largest industrial conglomerate.

President Dr Schormann was invited onto the stage along with two IOC dignitaries, Vice President Prof Dr Ugur Erdener (President of the Turkish Olympic Committee) and Athletes Committee Chair Kirsty Coventry.

The UIPM President also contributed insights to the feature film about Turkey’s leading pentathlete that was played before she received her honour.

27.09. – 30.09.2019 Doha, QAT

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann visited the IAAF World Athletics Championships.

During his stay he took the opportunity to brief IOC Members about actions of UIPM relating to the worldwide development of Modern Pentathlon and spoke about the future presentation of the sport at Youth Olympic Games 2022 Dakar and the Olympic Summer Games Paris 2024.