Obstacles from Japanese 'ninja' sports TV show to be used in test event for 2028 Olympics

TOKYO -- Obstacles in the popular Japanese sports entertainment TV show "Sasuke/Ninja Warrior" will be used in a trial of an obstacle course event that may become a new modern pentathlon discipline from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Tokyo Broadcasting System Television Inc. (TBS) announced on June 27.

Organizations including the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) asked TBS for permission to use a Ninja Warrior production set in the first test event, to be held after the final of the Pentathlon World Cup in the Turkish capital of Ankara on June 27-28. They plan to use four types of obstacle from the TV show.

Modern pentathlon currently consists of five disciplines: fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, laser pistol shooting and running. The UIPM had revealed its plan to remove the riding discipline after the 2024 Paris Olympics and adopt a new one from the 2028 Games. The reasons for the move include an incident during the Tokyo 2020 Games where a German coach was suspended for striking a horse, and the sport's stagnant popularity.

(Japanese original by Shun Morino, Sports News Department)