The Executive Board of the International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) has appointed a broad group of experts to serve on the federation’s commissions for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle.

Following the announcement of the chairs of six commissions on January 31, seven commissions have been formed with a diverse mix of former athletes, sports industry specialists, technical experts and historians. In addition, prominent figures from the political, artistic, business and journalistic fields have been added.

FORMER OLYMPIC ATHLETES SERVING THE UIPM

Among the appointments are three Olympic medalists: Kate French (United Kingdom), champion in Tokyo 2020, and Yane Marques (Brazil), bronze medalist in London 2012, who will be part of the Women’s Commission. Anastasiya Prokopenko (Belarus), bronze medalist at Beijing 2008, will be a member of the Culture and Education Commission.

Justinas Kinderis (Lithuania), 2013 world champion, will chair the Sport for All Commission, while Joshua Riker-Fox (Canada) joins the Equipment Commission. In the Innovation Commission, Mexican Olympic pentathletes Ivar Sisniega and Horacio de la Vega will collaborate in the development of new strategies for sport.

LEADERSHIP AND EXPERIENCE IN DIVERSE AREAS

Sisniega, former first vice president of the UIPM, recently served as secretary general of the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) and is currently executive president of the Mexican Football Federation. De la Vega, executive president of the Mexican Baseball League, was world youth champion in 1995 and world team champion in 1998.

Dr. Klaus Schormann (Germany), who recently completed a 31-year term as UIPM President, will chair the Culture and Education Commission and will be part of the Pierre de Coubertin Commission, led by Alexandra de Navacelle de Coubertin (France), a descendant of the founder of Modern Pentathlon.

Cristina Vasilianov, vice-president and former secretary general of the National Olympic Committee of Moldova, joins the Women’s Commission.

DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN PENTATHLON

Each commission president will have the power to bring in additional experts as advisors. Current UIPM President Rob Stull expressed his enthusiasm for the new appointments, “I am delighted that the Executive Board has approved such an exciting group of individuals to serve on the UIPM Commissions during the Los Angeles 2028 cycle. Given our new motto ‘Athletes First,’ I am pleased to see so many champions of our sport on this list.”

Stull underlined the importance of the commissions in the development of Modern Pentathlon: “Our commissions play a vital role in the growth of our movement in a number of key areas, supporting the day-to-day operational work of the UIPM and the strategic oversight of the Executive Board and elected Committees. Each appointee will bring value and I challenge you to think innovatively and with an open mind. I look forward to their discussions and recommendations.”