UIPM President’s Statement & Activities: October 2020

The UIPM President, Dr Klaus Schormann, has issued a statement in support of the global Modern Pentathlon community as the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt sport and affect lives worldwide.

Dear Modern Pentathlon Community,

In these days we are all affected by the COVID-19 Coronavirus which has been designated as a pandemic since March 2020. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is communicating with governments, health institutions and also with us, the sports society of the Olympic Movement.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Federations (IFs) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are in close contact with WHO and medical scientists from all over the world.

As UIPM President I ask you to follow with strong discipline the advice and guidance from all those authorities who have expert knowledge about how we can find a more secure world. 

We as sportspeople should be good examples for other societies, showing how to protect the life of yourself and the people around you. Please try to continue your sporting life, your sporting career based on opportunities provided by your clubs or NFs.

Our Union is permanently working on new projects which we are offering to you through our website and social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. 

The UIPM Executive Board is in deep discussion with the IOC sports department about future steps in preparation for the Olympic Summer Games Tokyo 2020 hosted in 2021. 

As UIPM President I am in close contact with the different Committees and focusing on the wishes of all our athletes from all generations. I am sure that their trainers are giving them all kinds of support within their sporting environment. 

Let’s continue to follow the Olympic motto: CITIUS ALTIUS FORTIUS.

 

With my best personal greetings,

 

Dr Klaus Schormann

UIPM President

 

 

 

01.10.2020: Wiesbaden, GER

UIPM President Dr Klaus Schormann made a speech via video to the Wiesbaden Rotary Club about the Olympic Movement and the present situation about the international sport movement during the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.

He answered a lot of questions linked to the postponed Olympic Summer Games Tokyo 2020, which will be hosted now in 2021. He took part following an invitation from President Dr Heinz-Georg Sundermann, CEO of Lotto Hesse.

The same day, President Dr Schormann joined a video conference between UIPM, Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and the IOC Sport Department.

He made a sport-political statement about the importance of strong TV coverage based on the new format of Modern Pentathlon for the Olympic Summer Games Tokyo 2020 hosted in July/August 2021 and the future format linked to Paris 2024.

The conference was coordinated by the UIPM Secretary General, Shiny Fang.

Members of the Wiesbaden Rotary Club during Dr Schormann’s speech

 

 

05.10.2020: IOC / IF video conference

Dr Schormann took part in a video conference with IOC President Dr Thomas Bach and all Presidents and Secretaries General of Olympic Summer Sport IFs.

President Bach gave a very detailed briefing about the latest situation of preparatory steps by Tokyo 2020 and various IOC departments. He asked the IFs for a strong and open dialogue between the IOC Sport Department and the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee.

The IF Presidents – including the UIPM President – briefed the IOC President about actions for their sport community and presented thoughts and hopes for a new and better future after the pandemic.

IOC Sport Director Kit McConnell underlined the fruitful communication and cooperation between the IFs and Tokyo 2020. The IOC and IFs are focusing with unity on a successful Olympic Summer Games Tokyo 2020 hosted in 2021.

IOC President Dr Thomas Bach addresses the video conference (above) along with Sport Director Kit McConnell (below)

 

 

13.10.2020: EB / IOC video conference

President Dr Schormann chaired a UIPM Executive Board (EB) video conference, in which IOC Sport Director Kit McConnell also took part.

The main item on the agenda was the new Modern Pentathlon format proposed for the Olympic Summer Games Paris 2024.

Following the meeting, the EB approved the new 90-minute Modern Pentathlon with a new elimination system.

This vision for Paris 2024 is designed to raise the profile and popularity of Modern Penathlon, and the IOC EB will decide on the proposed format and UIPM’s application for a Mixed Relay on December 7.

 

 

14.10.2020: UIPM Archive

The Olympic champion from Beijing 2008, Lena Schoeneborn of Germany, visited the UIPM President’s Office and UIPM Archive together with her husband Alexander Nobis and another pentathlete who competed at world-class level for Germany, Claudia Knack.

Lena Schoeneborn (GER) retired in 2018 and recently gave birth to her first baby. Alexander Nobis (GER) retired in September 2020 having won three gold medals at the UIPM Pentathlon World Championships in 2015, 2017 and 2019.

15.10.2020: DOG Session

At a meeting of the Darmstadt section of the German Olympic Society (DOG), the UIPM President gave a presentation about the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He spoke of the close contact between the IOC, IFs and Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee in relation to the financial situation now and in future and important steps linked to athletes, who are the centre of the Olympic movement.

Olympian Dr Hans Joachim Klein gave a presentation of his life as a world-class swimmer – he won a bronze and three silver medals in Tokyo 1964 as an amateur athlete, setting him up with unforgettable memories for his life as a very successful person in politics and business.

19.10.2020: DOSB Session

A session entitled ‘International Sport during and after the Pandemic’ brought together experts from the Ministry of the Interior of Germany and the German Olympic Sports Federations (DOSB) as well as German IF Presidents and Vice-Presidents.

UIPM President Dr Schormann provided a briefing about projects which have been arranged since summer and will be offered to National Federations in the coming months. They also discussed the high value of Olympic sport and the value of close cooperation inside the international sport society together with media and business.

26.10.2020: Darmstadt, GER

Pagona Sonndag (former Executive Assistant to the UIPM President) returned to the President’s office from her maternity leave. She will work part-time and provide support based on her extensive work experience.