University to host 2023 World Championships

Pentathlon GB is delighted to have officially been chosen as hosts of the 2023 UIPM Modern Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships, which will take place in August 2023 at the University of Bath.

The combined World Championships will see athletes qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with the Modern Pentathlon Championship being contested in the exciting new 90-minute format which will make its debut in Paris.

The decision was announced by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), the international governing body of modern pentathlon, following a successful joint-bid between Pentathlon GB, UK Sport and the University of Bath.

It will be the sixth time that Britain has hosted the Modern Pentathlon World Championships, the last occasion being in London in 2009, and the first time it has taken place at the University of Bath, home since 1998 to Pentathlon GB’S National Training Centre which has produced seven Olympic medallists including Tokyo 2020 champions Joe Choong and Kate French.

The Laser Run World Championships, staged as part of the weeklong competition, will be taking place in Britain for the first time having been introduced as a sport in its own right in 2015.

David Armstrong, Chairman of Pentathlon GB, said: “We are proud and excited to have been selected as the hosts of the 2023 World Championships.

“It is testament to the strength of our partnership team and the vision and collaboration of all involved that the bid has been successful.

“We are also pleased to be able to share some positive news during a challenging time for the sport.”

The 2023 World Championships will be the third major international event hosted by Pentathlon GB in the past decade, following the successful staging of the European Championships in 2015 and 2019.

All five pentathlon disciplines will once again take place at one venue, the £35-million Team Bath Sports Training Village, which will be transformed to accommodate the new competition format for Paris 2024.

It will take place in the space of 90 action-packed minutes starting with the horse riding, followed by the fencing bonus round and a 200m freestyle swim before the decisive run-shoot.

Qualifying places will be available in both the men’s and women’s finals for the following summer’s Olympic Games, meaning spectators can expect to see some outstanding competition from the world’s top pentathletes.

Stephen Baddeley, Director of Sport at the University of Bath, said: “We are delighted that the Modern Pentathlon and Laser Run World Championships will be coming to Bath in 2023.

“We are incredibly proud of our association with modern pentathlon, both as the training centre for a world-leading high-performance programme and a vibrant multisport competition venue which can be adapted to meet the demands of the new format.

“It promises to be another truly memorable week of sport and we look forward to welcoming the world’s best all-round athletes to our beautiful city.”

The 2023 UIPM World Championships are scheduled to take place in August 2023.