Guiyang Selected to Host UIPM 2026 Pentathlon World Championships

The southern city of Guiyang will host pentathlon’s flagship competition in August 2026, kickstarting a two-week festival of UIPM (Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne) sports in China styled “Race Across China.”

The UIPM 2026 Pentathlon World Championships (August 24–30) in the capital of Guizhou Province will be followed closely by the second edition of the UIPM Obstacle World Championships, taking place 2,000km further north in the capital Beijing.

The selection of Guiyang to stage pentathlon’s most prestigious competition outside of the Olympic Games was rubber-stamped by the UIPM Executive Board in its first online session of 2026, along with other key decisions.

Among the decisions was the approval of two changes to Modern Pentathlon Competition Rules, which were proposed by UIPM last year and will now take effect immediately.

As the governing body of the Olympic sport of modern pentathlon and five other multi-discipline sports – laser run, tetrathlon, triathle, biathle and world schools biathlon — UIPM announced that a fifth shooting series will be added to laser run, while the swimming distance will be reduced from 200 meters to 100 meters.

It comes after a decision was made to replace equestrian show jumping with obstacle course racing in the pentathlon at the 2028 Olympic Summer Games, which means it will join swimming, fencing, laser run and running in Olympic competition. The shift is designed to modernize the sport and make it more accessible and relatable, particularly to younger demographics.

The changes follow a consultation call with national federations on December 9 and subsequent tests carried out by athletes and coaches from three countries, with detailed feedback then provided to the EB to inform its decision-making.

Furthermore, fencing tests were carried out to assess the impact of a reduction in the duration of bouts from 60 to 45 seconds, but following the recent receipt of additional proposals, the current fencing rules will remain in place for the 2026 season. Adjustments will be made to the piste structure in the meantime to optimize timings.

UIPM First Vice President

The EB voted to approve the president’s appointment of Kitty Chiller as its first vice president of UIPM. As a pentathlon ambassador for several decades, Chiller also serves the 2032 Olympic Games host nation as an EB Member of the Australian Olympic Committee. At UIPM, she will assume the role vacated by International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice President Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr, who stepped down from the EB at the end of 2024.

In doing so, Chiller becomes the highest-ranking elected female in UIPM’s history.

Russia and Belarus Restrictions

In alignment with IOC guidance, the UIPM EB has voted to permit youth athletes (aged 19 and under) with Russian and Belarusian passports to compete for Russia and Belarus respectively in youth competitions, with no changes to the restrictions on junior or senior athletes that have been in place since 2023.

Meanwhile, restrictions on Belarus applying to host UIPM competitions have been lifted, but UIPM will continue to refrain from organizing or supporting international events in Russia.

President Rob Stull said that UIPM would “depend heavily on the guidance of the IOC”, and insisted that it and the IOC could navigate any friction that could arise from Belarus hosting pentathlon events. He also revealed that no Belarusian hosting bid had yet been submitted, but that UIPM would evaluate any bid and take multiple factors into consideration to ensure an “inclusive not exclusive” environment.

The UIPM added that it remained committed to supporting the pentathlon community in Ukraine, which has suffered since Russia began its military operation in the country, supported by Belarus.

President’s Reaction

“The Race Across China promises to be one of the most exciting festivals of sport we have ever seen in the Pentathlon movement,” said Stull. “I’m thrilled that Guiyang will host our flagship Pentathlon World Championships for the first time, after which we go to Beijing for the second edition of the Obstacle World Championships that was born in spectacular style in October 2025.

“The Executive Board had an invigorating first meeting of 2026 and I’m delighted that our global sports family is moving forward as one unified community. This team spirit starts at the top and it was great to hear so many EB Members becoming the first to congratulate Kitty Chiller on her richly-deserved appointment to the coveted first vice president position.

“The innovative changes to Laser Run and swimming are designed to make pentathlon a more dynamic spectacle for viewers and will be implemented in the coming 2026 season in the interests of adding compelling value to all future Olympic Games starting in LA28.”