In the modern pentathlon, in which an athlete contests five events, a “race with hurdles” was chosen as a candidate to replace the parade, which was excluded from the debate over justice.
The International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) announced in a statement after its Executive Committee meeting in Budapest, Hungary, that it had selected the Discipline Barrier as an event to be tested to replace riding.
The International Boxing Federation (UIPM) has named two contestants from among more than 60 proposals related to equestrian alternatives, adding that it will test the race immediately after the World Cup final in Ankara, Turkey in June, and make a final decision at the next public meeting. The specific content or format of the event was not presented.
Even if a new event is confirmed immediately, the current competitions in swimming, fencing, horseback riding and athletics will be held until the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, so five categories including the new event will officially apply.
The modern pentathlon is said to have been invented by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, as a model inspired by a young 19th century French equestrian officer who was carrying a messenger.
The Olympic Games have been held as an official event since the Stockholm Games in 1912.
It’s a symbolic event, as Baron de Coubertin put it, “modern pentathlon can only be called a true Olympic athlete,” but it risks being expelled from the Olympics because it requires multiple stadiums and is time-consuming. Represent.
The five-sport structure has been kept despite frequent changes such as the introduction of the “Laser Run,” a mix of athletics and archery, but after the equestrian event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics last year, demand for the change increased. Significantly led to sports joint replacement.
The defining moment was that Annika Schro (Germany), who competed in the women’s section at the Tokyo Olympics, scored a “0 point” in the dressage race because her horse refused to jump over obstacles and did not listen.
At the time, after a fencing and swimming, Shroe was kicked out of the 30th for a performance ride and walked away from the medal, and this has been argued not to be the case.
When the horse did not move as intended, Schloy’s trainer shouted for a stronger whip and struck the horse with his fist.
Then the International Boxing Federation (UIPM) formalized the exclusion from riding in November last year and began discussing an alternative sport, and the introduction of a new sport was announced about six months later.
As an alternative event, cycling was initially mentioned as a strong competitor, but has been known to have been left out due to the existence of triathlon, which already includes cycling as a dedicated event.
The International Boxing Federation (UIPM) stated that the obstacle course event was selected as a candidate in light of the cost and universality, keeping in mind the core spirit of modern pentathlon and considering the requirements of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for the 2028 Olympic events in Los Angeles.
In that day’s announcement, the UIPM said that players’ opinions were also reflected in this decision, but that there were also objections surrounding the discussion process.
According to the Guardian, athletes such as Joseph Chong (UK), the men’s gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, sent a letter to IOC President Thomas Bach to protest the alternative sports selection process before the Executive Committee.
The athletes stated in the letter that “the IOC previously stated that it expected the athletes to play a key role in the judging process for the fifth event to replace riding in the modern pentathlon events, but this was not actually the case.”
They also urged the International Olympic Committee to intervene, noting that the International Sports Federation determined the results and only had a formal discussion, although most players did not agree with the FIFA’s decision as a result of an investigation by the athletes’ group.
(Image = UIPM Facebook Capture, EPA, Yonhap News)
