The signing ceremony of the Modern Pentathlon World Cup One at the AUC
The Modern Pentathlon World Cup One will take place at the (AUC), the first time the world pentathlon family will hold one of their tournaments at the elite private Egyptian university.
Athletes from 40 countries will battle it out in the first edition of the World Cup series being held from 22 to 27 March at AUC’s sports facilities.
The pentathlon is an Olympic sport entailing five disciplines: fencing, freestyle swimming, equestrian, and a final combined event of pistol shooting and running (the laser run).
On Sunday, the university hosted the signing ceremony attended by Ashraf Sobhi, minister of youth and sports, and AUC President Ahmed Dallal.
The protocol was signed by Vice President of the Egyptian Modern Pentathlon Federation Hazem Al-Damanhouri and AUC Provost Ehab Abdel-Rahman. Also in attendance was Sherif Al-Arian, AUC’s athletics senior director and president of the Egyptian Modern Pentathlon Federation, Mohamed Al-Kordi, assistant to the minister of youth and sports, and Deena Borie, AUC VP for student life.
The World Cup Series, held annually, holds four to six World Cup competitions and a World Cup final staged over a period of three to six months. The entire affair is called The World Cup Series. The competitions are carried out on several continents. National Federations may organise only one World Cup each calendar year, in addition to the World Cup final.
As of the beginning of 2022, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) made changes to some of the sport’s disciplines.
According to UIPM regulations, in the sequence of the disciplines and stages of the competition in the finals of Category A, the order of events must be as follows: riding, fencing bonus round, swimming and laser run.
After athletes qualify for the semi-finals, a single fencing ranking round will be held. In the Olympic Games and World Cup finals, fencing must take place the previous day. The laser run (shooting and running) must always be organised with a handicap start.
The 36 pentathletes competing in the semi-finals are to be split in two groups of 18 athletes each. They will qualify as the top seven from each group, plus four with the highest score of both groups in the semi-final.
The riding course has also changed. It will be the first discipline. Speed will be 350 m/minute, the length of the course 350-400 m obstacles, there are time limits and eliminations following the fall of a rider and/or horse.
In the fencing bonus round each bout winning pentathlete/team receives two bonus points. The top placed pentathlete/team of the ranking round will receive double bonus points if they win their bout at both the semi-finals and final groups.
In the laser run sequence, for all distances in the senior, junior and Under-19 age categories, the first lap (individual or relay) has no shooting.
AUC will host a press conference on the World Cup on 22 March after the conclusion of the first day of qualifications.
*A version of this article appears in print in the 17 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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