Dr Klaus Schormann announces this thursday that he will not seek re-election as President of the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne at the 73rd UIPM Congress in November 2024. Dr Schormann, 77, intends to bring his Presidential tenure to a close at the end of this year having served at the helm of the global Modern Pentathlon movement since July 1993. He will leave, in the words of 1st Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch, “an extraordinary legacy”.
“It has been the privilege of my life to serve UIPM as President. I do my best every day to preserve the wonderful legacy of Modern Pentathlon’s founder, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, and I will continue to hold this responsibility until December 2024, always keeping in mind the need for our multi-sport to be modern and relevant to new generations as a pillar of the Olympic Movement,” said Dr Klaus Schormann, UIPM President.
INNOVATION AND MODERNISATION
Innovation and modernisation have been cornerstones of Dr Schormann’s Presidency, starting with the UIPM 1993 Modern Pentathlon World Championships in Darmstadt (GER) where a one-day format was adopted for the first time and fire pistols were used in Shooting for the last time.
Since then, Modern Pentathlon has evolved with a series of forward-thinking reforms driven by President Schormann, culminating in the decision of the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in October 2023 to approve the revitalised sport for the programme of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
At Paris 2024, Dr Schormann will oversee his eighth Olympic Pentathlon as UIPM President, bringing the Riding era to a close before the sport embraces a new future with Obstacle integrated with Fencing, Swimming and Laser Run (shooting/running).
THE NEXT PRESIDENT
Today’s announcement paves the way for the UIPM community to elect its seventh President at UIPM 2024 Congress in Riyadh (KSA) on November 16-17, 2024. However, having served the movement as a senior administrator since 1972, Dr Schormann does not intend to end his involvement in Modern Pentathlon.
SportsIn commentary: It is something unexpected after the success of modern pentathlon to remain in the Olympic program and that this development initiates multiple changes in the international federation. We will follow the developments with interest and the new persons will appear as candidates.