"UIPM is thrilled about this new concept in 2013," said UIPM President Dr h.c. Klaus Schormann.

"Everyone loves the mixed relay, so hopefully we will have the mixed relay in the programme for Rio 2016.

"It shows how a man and women can work together, learn off each other for the best of their nation."


The mixed relay - which involves a male and female competitor working in tandem for each team - made its debut on the senior circuit at the 2010 World Championships after its successful premier at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and has been a regular fixture at all World Championships since.

The Mixed Relay World Series 2013 will comprise four main events - scheduled for the United States, Brazil, China, Hungary - followed by a final in Novogorod, Russia, on June 2.

The programme is: Palm Springs, February 24; Rio de Janeiro, March 24; Chengdu, April 21; Budapest, May 12.

Each mixed relay pair is made up from a man and women from the same country.

Each pair fences against each other in a round robin, with the man fencing the man and the women fencing the women from the opposing team.

Each pair swims in a 2x100 metres relay.

Both team members take it in turn to ride a nine-obstacle equestrian course.

All the pairs points are tallied from the previous three disciplines and the pair with the most points starts first.

The women from the pairs start first and complete two rounds of the combined event which involves two shooting series (hitting the target five times) and two rounds of 800m running.

Once this is completed, the men then have to do the same and whoever crosses the finishing line first is the winner.

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