Out with the horses, in with the hanging hoops. A new licensing deal means athletes at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will race through Ninja Warrior obstacles instead of equestrian jumping as part of the Modern Pentathlon.
The International Olympic Committee originally voted in 2023 to replace horse jumping with obstacle racing in the Modern Pentathlon. Now, a new deal between Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (producers of Sasuke, which has been adapted around the world, including as American Ninja Warrior) and the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne means competitors in the LA Olympics will race through some of the same obstacles seen on the hit TV programs.
The UIPM ran its first Obstacle World Championships last year in Beijing. The new licensing deal allows them to bring elements of Sasuke/Ninja Warrior into the competition and the Olympics, including certain obstacle designs.
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Olympians have been preparing for this shift ever since the ’23 vote. The 2024 Paris Games were the last to feature the original five Modern Pentathlon events, which were modeled after a horseback soldier making their way through enemy lines: fencing, swimming, equestrian, running, and shooting. Debuted in 1912, the equestrian element changed from racing to show jumping in 1988, and running and shooting are frequently combined into a “laser run.”
The equestrian element came into question in 2020 after some riders had trouble with their randomly-assigned horses. German team coach Kim Rasiner was kicked out of the event after punching one of the animals on the rear. That caused the UIPM to vote on the switch to obstacle racing in 2022, with the IOC following suit the following year.
Said UIPM President Rob Stull in a statement, “It is 30 years since TBS turned obstacle racing into a television phenomenon with the original Sasuke, so our two organizations are a great fit in terms of heritage and innovation. Modern Pentathlon has held a continuous place in the Olympic Games since 1912, constantly evolving over the decades to satisfy the viewing preferences of sports fans around the world. Ahead of LA28, this agreement represents a wonderful and unique coming together of primetime entertainment and Olympic sports culture.” (via Variety)
The Los Angeles Olympics will open July 14th, 2028 and close on July 30th. While the city gets ready for the games and their new Ninja Warrior obstacles, it’s also gearing up to host matches of the 2026 World Cup, tickets for which are available here.