The UIPM has expressed its "full commitment" to delivering a "successful" riding competition at Paris 2024 following the scandal that rocked the sport at Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images

The International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM) has pledged to deliver a "successful" riding competition at next year’s Olympics in Paris as it looks to avoid a repeat of the horse-abuse scandal that overshadowed Tokyo 2020.

A three-day meeting of the UIPM Joint Committees was held in German city Frankfurt where officials discussed the delivery of the discipline at Paris 2024 and Olympic qualification events.

UIPM members pledged their "full commitment" to ensuring that there are "thorough processes" in place for horse selection and "accurate" course design and athletes performances.

All areas are expected to be monitored in the qualification events for Paris 2024 in parallel to the work of the UIPM Riding Review Panel.

The UIPM promised riding camps would also be staged before the Games where the equestrian discipline is due to feature for the final time before being axed.

Paris 2024 is set to see a new 90-minute format of modern pentathlon.

German coach Kim Raisner was sent home in disgrace for punching horse Saint Boy that refused to jump for Annika Schleu during the women's competition at Tokyo 2020.

Schleu had been leading the women's competition before the riding stage, when Saint-Boy was one of several horses who refused to jump.

Germany's Annika Schleu was left in tears after her horse Saint-Boy refused to jump in the women's competition at Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images
Germany's Annika Schleu was left in tears after her horse Saint-Boy refused to jump in the women's competition at Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images

A decision was taken by the UIPM to drop riding after Paris 2024 in the wake of the Tokyo 2020 scandal.

The UIPM Congress in November 2021 approved a proposal by the Executive Board to exercise the force majeure clause to remove riding but the move sparked outrage from the Pentathlon United pressure group, which counts reigning Olympic champions Joe Choong and Kate French of Britain among its supporters.

Critics have slammed the UIPM leadership over a lack of transparency in the removal of the discipline and claimed it had been made against athletes’ will.

Obstacle is set to replace riding as the fifth element of modern pentathlon.

The controversial decision to establish obstacle as the replacement discipline for riding after Paris 2024 was taken at the UIPM Congress in November last year by 69 votes to 11.


Horse riding's last Olympic appearance as part of modern pentathlon at Paris 2024 topped the agenda at the UIPM Joint Committees meeting in Frankfurt ©UIPM
Horse riding's last Olympic appearance as part of modern pentathlon at Paris 2024 topped the agenda at the UIPM Joint Committees meeting in Frankfurt ©UIPM

Modern pentathlon, created by modern Olympics founder Pierre de Coubertin, has featured at the Games since making its debut at Stockholm 1912.

The sport has been left off the initial Olympic programme for Los Angeles 2028 by the International Olympic Committee.

Yasser Hefny, Christian Roudaut and Janusz Peciak, who chair the respective UIPM Athletes’, Coaches and Technical Committees, came together for the meeting in Frankfurt from February 24 to 26.

Besides the heads of the three committees, the UIPM Executive Board was also represented by President Klaus Schormann, treasurer John Helmick, secretary general Shiny Fang and member for development Viacheslav Malishev.

Atanas Andreev represented the UIPM Medical Committee in the joint sessions, while Bernhard Petruschinski was invited as a modern pentathlon technical expert.