Fairplex, located in eastern Los Angeles County and home to the annual LA County Fair, has been awarded the USA stop on the men’s and women’s Olympic Modern Pentathlon World Cup Series Tour for 2017 through 2020. The Union International de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), the international federation of Modern Pentathlon based in Monaco, awarded the USA the rights to the World Cup event for those four years. The USA Modern Pentathlon (USAMP) board of directors, a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, awarded the competitions unanimously on July 15, 2015 following a successful joint bid by Fairplex, the Los Angeles Sports Council and the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games (SCCOG).
The Modern Pentathlonis an Olympic sport comprised of five events: fencing in a one-touch round robin format; 200m freestyle swimming; equestrian show jumping; laser pistol shooting and a 3200m cross-country run. Athletes compete in all five disciplines in a single, grueling day of competition. Modern Pentathlon was created by the founder of the Modern Olympic Games as a test of the world’s most complete athlete. World War II General George S. Patton was the USA’s first modern pentathlete, competing in the 1912 Olympic Games.
“Being awarded the bid for the Modern Pentathlon is a boon for Fairplex and all of Los Angeles County,” said Michelle DeMott, vice president of branding and knowledge management at Fairplex. “It’s also a big win for sports fans in the area. They get a chance to see an Olympic-class, international competition. We are extremely pleased and excited.”
Fairplex’s location, ease of accessibility from five counties and flexibility of its campus were major factors in USAMP’s decision in awarding the bid. Fairplex has a successful history of hosting major sporting and entertainment events. A unique addition to having the World Cups at Fairplex that benefits all the organizations involved is Fairplex’s close connection to its local communities – from municipalities to school districts to recreational sports leagues.
“Hosting the Modern Pentathlon World Cup at Fairplex for at least four years will expose this historic Olympic sport to a whole new fan base,” said David Simon, president of the L.A. Sports Council and SCCOG. “Plus, the international television exposure and economic impact will be tremendous for the local area.”
“Fairplex has assembled a top-notch team and without question will give this global competition the world-class spotlight it deserves,” said USA Modern Pentathlon chairman Barry Matchett. “Fairplex and the Southern California community have the expertise and Olympic passion to take our sport to the next level of success.”
The competitions in 2017, 2018 and 2019 are tentatively scheduled to take place in late February and the 2020 event in May. The 2017 World Cup is expected to draw teams from approximately 40 nations and will lead the U.S. effort into the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The 2020 World Cup event will serve as the United States Olympic Trials for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
About Fairplex: Under the direction of the Los Angeles County Fair Association, Fairplex is home to the L.A. County Fair, one of the largest county fairs in the world, as well as more than 500 year-round sports/entertainment/consumer events. LACFA educational branch is The Learning Centers, which encompasses FairKids Field Trips, The Child Development Center, The Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC), the Junior Fair Board and the Millard Sheets Art Center. Fairplex also operates a diverse hospitality business with the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center, McKinley’s Grille, KOA RV Park, Finish Line Sports Grill, Barretts Sales and Cornucopia Foods. The campus is also home to the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum and the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona as well as the Los Angeles International Wine, Spirits, Beer and EVOO competitions. For more information, please visit www.fairplex.com.
About the Los Angeles Sports Council: The Los Angeles Sports Council is a non-profit civic organization whose primary purpose is to promote economic development through sports in the Los Angeles/Orange County area. Over the last 25 years the Sports Council has successfully bid for and staged numerous major events throughout the region. For more information, visit www.lasports.org.
About the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games (SCCOG): Formed in 1939, the SCCOG is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the Olympic movement in Southern California. Further information can be found on their website at www.sccog.org.
About USA Pentathlon: USA Pentathlon is the national governing body for the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon in the United States and a member of the US Olympic Committee and the UIPM and is a non-profit organization. USA Pentathlon is one of the oldest governing bodies in the Olympic movement and has fielded US Olympic teams in the sport since 1912 winning nine Olympic medals and world championships. USA Pentathlon is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado where the national team trains for international competition at the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center. For more information visit our website www.usapentathlon.org or email USA Pentathlon at info@usapentathlon.org or phone direct to 719-866-3029.
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