Ninja Warrior obstacle course to debut at 2028 Olympic Games
· Yahoo Sports
A stalwart for more than 100 years, the equestrian leg of the Modern Pentathlon will officially be replaced at the 2028 Olympic Games with an obstacle course known as the Ninja Warrior.
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The development comes thanks to a licensing deal struck between the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), which produces the “Ninja Warrior” and related reality TV shows (based on its original “Sasuke” competition show in Japan), and the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM), the sport’s governing body.
UIPM has licensed from TBS the right to use some Sasuke/Ninja Warrior intellectual property and program elements, such as the design of certain obstacles, for the race that’s replacing the Modern Pentathlon’s equestrian segment, the UIPM announced Tuesday. They will also cross-promote both Sasuke/Ninja Warrior and Modern Pentathlon leading up to the Summer 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, UPIM said in a statement.
The Modern Pentathlon, introduced to the Games in 1912, has traditionally consisted of fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, running and shooting. As the event has kept place with the times, running and shooting have been combined into something called “laser run” since 2011.
In 2021 the UIPM voted to eliminate the equestrian portion of the competition and began searching for “another discipline that enhances the popularity and credibility of Modern Pentathlon, while preserving its status as the ultimate physical and mental sporting challenge,” the organization said at the time.
A controversy at the Tokyo Games sparked the change, when a German coach punched a horse that was refusing to budge. She was booted from the contest.
The International Olympic Committee voted unanimously in 2023 to include obstacle racing in the Modern Pentathlon.
There are some parallels to the two. The Modern Pentathlon equestrian segment is essentially an obstacle course for equestrians, who run their horses through a series of jumps and other maneuvers in as little time as possible, with the fewest mistakes.
The Ninja Warrior obstacle course is designed to test athletes’ strength, agility, coordination and endurance. The new contest “features a head-to-head race over a Ninja-style sprint course,” the Los Angeles Games site says.