"Ninja Warrior" obstacle course being considered for upcoming Olympics

Jun 28 2022, 6:56 pm

There’s nothing like grabbing a cold drink, turning on the Summer Olympics, and watching a nice lineup of track and field, swimming, and Ninja Warrior?

At the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, that could be a reality.

A reality competition TV show based on completing a difficult obstacle course, Ninja Warrior, began airing as Sasuke in Japan in 1997. Various versions have been exported to 20 different countries, with some form of the obstacle course broadcast in over 160 countries worldwide.

Now, Ninja Warrior wouldn’t be its own Olympic sport per se, but rather have its obstacle course included as one of the five events as part of the modern pentathlon.

Modern pentathlon has traditionally included five disciplines: fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, laser pistol shooting, and running. But in an effort to change things up a little, obstacle courses are being explored as a replacement for the show jumping event, as per the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM).

“UIPM has undertaken a comprehensive and transparent process to transform Modern Pentathlon into one of the most popular, accessible, and exciting sports on the Olympic program,” said UIPM President Klaus Schormann, via the Hollywood Reporter. “We look forward to watching pentathletes and obstacle athletes test themselves on the obstacles provided in collaboration with TBS and the FĂ©dĂ©ration Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles.”

Modern Pentathlon will remain in its current form for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but test events are on the schedule with the Ninja Warrior-style course, with one currently taking place on June 28 in Ankara, Turkey, using the same obstacle course as many European countries’ version of the show.

While it’s still six years away from the 2028 Games, who knows? Maybe one day we’ll see Ninja Warrior as an official Olympic subdiscipline.

Adam LaskarisAdam Laskaris

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