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    Pentathlon to add obstacle course, lose horses in '28 Olympics

    4 hours ago

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=13SS0a_0urUq09T00

    PARIS -- The sport of modern pentathlon, a niche outlier at the Olympics, is getting rid of its horse competitions after the Paris Games and bringing in "American Ninja Warrior"-style obstacle courses for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

    Modern pentathlon's governing body, the UIPM, briefly considered cross country cycling -- which was reportedly considered too similar to triathlon -- before opting for obstacle courses similar to those on "American Ninja Warrior" for 2028.

    The UIPM believes it will make "a perfect product for the TV audience," general secretary Shiny Fang said, and that it can diversify a sport dominated by European countries.

    The quirky sport -- the five events involve running, swimming, horse riding, shooting and fencing -- was originally modeled on the exploits of a dashing soldier on horseback behind enemy lines.

    Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, invented modern pentathlon in a quest to find the ultimate all-round athlete at the Games.

    When it joined the Olympic program in 1912, it was just two years before World War I showed just how obsolete horses were in modern warfare.

    The push to lose the horse-riding portion of the event got stronger after video footage of Kim Raisner leaning over a fence at the Tokyo Olympics to strike the horse Saint Boy went viral. Raisner was coaching Germany's Annika Schleu, whose gold medal chances disappeared when Saint Boy refused to cooperate.

    Athletes have to ride unfamiliar horses, and Schleu was drawn with Saint Boy, who had already refused to work with a Russian competitor.

    Under pressure from the International Olympic Committee to avoid a repeat, modern pentathlon soon announced it would replace equestrian.

    The format in Paris packs the five disciplines into 90 minutes of competition time -- just over two hours including breaks -- for men's finals Saturday and the women's event Sunday. It's hosted in the grounds of the Palace of Versailles.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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