BACH IOC 11-2021

International Pentathlon Federation . Warendorf
Association of Westfphalian Modern Pentathletes e.V.
Warendorf . Lemgo . Paderborn .
Mr.Thomas Bach
President
International Olympic Committee
Rte de Vidy 9
CH- 1007 Lausanne
Warendorf, November 11, 2021
Tradition Is Not To Keep The Ashes. But To Pass On The Flame.
Current Situation “Modern Pentathlon” (UIPM) / Situation At The Base/ Perspectives / Request
Dear Mr. Bach,
As you surely know the town of ‚Warendorf‘ has a great history regarding Modern Pentathlon as
well as Horses and Riding. The Modern Pentathlon Germany was founded here in 1961 and the
German Riding and the German Olympic Riding Association are still located here.
My name is Stefan Ahaus, President of the ‘Association of Westphalian Pentathletes’ and the in
May 2021, in Warendorf established ‘International Pentathlon Federation’ with the purpose to act
in a more international way, connecting young people from all over the world ( we have a strong
interest in the USA, where we are already active ) who are involved in sports, here especially
Fencing, Riding, Modern Pentathlon.
Beside that I am in charge of three fencing and Pentathlon clubs in Eastern-Westphalia (OWL) with
over 100 active members, primarily youngsters. I have the honor to be their representative.
I deliberately have never looked for positions in sport-organizations on a national/international and
purely concentrate on basic work in our region. I am also a father of three daughters (11/17/20) who
are passionate Pentathletes, Fencers and Riders.
I kindly ask for your understanding that I take the liberty to write to you directly, but the present
situation within our sport, within the UIPM and within our regional and global community prompts
me to take this step.
You almost certainly know about the current situation within the global Pentathlon community,
the frustration and the outcry about a surprise-decision made by the UIPM-board couldn’t be higher.
We, the global Pentathlon family, are told by UIPM President Mr. Klaus Schormann, that the decision
already is made, that the Equestrian-part of Modern Pentathlon will be eliminated in about three
years, right after the Olympic Games in Paris, in 2024

Page 2 Letter to IOC President Mr. Thomas Bach
Crucial argument for this decision, as Mr. Schormann clearly pointed out, is the “Tokyo 2021
Scandal”, - meaning the non-confident, a great lack of self-discipline and lack of stress-resistence
showing German female Pentathlete and her coach, - in front of the world.
Yes, these pictures were not nice for all of us, were “dramatic” and aroused high emotions.
Situations like this can happen in sport, we all know this ! We don’t like it, but there will always
be situations like this. You just cannot avoid it to a 100 percent.
You just can learn of it and try to improve every time a little bit more to minimize any such risk.
I will not list up all the incidents (especially Doping, etc. ) that have happened in sports during the
last centuries, the ones still happening and the ones that for sure might happen in future
Mr. Bach, we know your impressive biography, especially the sports-part.
You have been an extremely successful Fencer, even an Olympic Champion, with a high reputation.
You have our greatest respect and we honor every person that has reached such heights, as we know
what it takes to get there.
Why do we seek a direct contact to you, Mr. Bach !?
The UIPM President Mr. Schormann is pointing out again and again that the pressure to eliminate the
Equestrian part of our sport Modern Pentathlon by 2025 is not his idea, but caused by the pressure
from “you”, the ‘International Olympic Committee’, connected with the threat to UIPM not be a part
of the Olympic family anymore by 2028, if not obeying your request to change our sport significantly,
meaning - to eliminate the Equestrian part.
We got the message that this decision in the meantime is not even negotiable anymore and we are
confronted with the situation, just to be allowed to talk about “how another future 5 th discipline
could look like” …. . This “friendly” but “strict” IOC request ( or order !? ) to the UIPM ( as we were
told..) to eliminate the Riding- discipline, means to rip the heart out of our sport.
And from what we see, hear and notice around us, most Pentathletes and involved families are
desperate and also feel like their hearts are ripped out as well,
This special sport with it’s five demanding disciplines (especially the work with a horse - or even their
own horses ) is an integral part of their daily life, the work with all the youngster, sometimes already
over several generations.
Dear Mr. Bach, this “Drama of Tokyo” was not a nice situation for all of us and we can understand
critical voices, but the huge global Pentathlon-family has a lot of high-professionals in their rows,
especially among those who are they key-element of this sport, the supporting parents of the
athletes, who are dealing with much worse problems every day, as Lawyers, Doctors, Managers,
Veterinarians, Horse-Experts, …( you name it..! ) and - more important - the professional solving of
such problems. And any problem that occurs in our sport can be solved, any improvement that has
to be done, can and will be organized and executed by these high potential people, in case the UIPMboard
should be limited in their capacity, creativity or willingness to do so.

Page 3 Letter to IOC President Mr. Thomas Bach
In this context I would like to remind you (the IOC) of one the most heart-breaking, most tragic
incidents in sports-history: The tragic death of Russian (Foil-) Fencer WLADIMIR SMIRNOW (28)
at the World Championships 1982 in Rome. Being the Olympian Champion and No1 in the World
he met your personal friend, the German fencer Matthias Behr (27) in the quarterfinal.
Behr attacked, his blade broke, pierced Smirnows mask, his eye and brain.
Blood on Behr’s weapon (Foil) and all over the place. Smirnow died three days later in a hospital.
The event stopped that day but was continued the next day.
You, Mr. Bach, at that time ‘Member of the German Olympic Committee’ had to watch this terrible
situation closely, live from the gallery, the devastating tragedy of two of your friends, Wladimir
Smirnow, who died - and - M. Behr, who killed his friend and opponent by accident in a sport
competition and had to live with this immense pain since then, now for 39 years.
When you read about this incident on internet sport-pages today it just says :
“ The Drama was the reason for significant safety improvements in fencing : blades had to be made
out of break-proof steel, impenetrable Wests had to be introduced as well as stronger masks, etc.”
Note: As Fencers we know that blades are still breaking, injuries in fencing happen regularly, foils and Epees are
still called “Weapons” and have to be carefully handled like such.
Fortunately for the Fencing- sport was, that not millions of people were watching the a.m. terrible
incident on TV or “live-stream”. They outcry would have been immense and people would have
shouted loudly to abandon this “deadly, bloody sport” (that would be the reaction today) Fencing.
But in this spectacular and deadly case some safety-improvements were made and the worldwide
fencing community could keep on going and taking part in every further Championship and Olympic
Games, uninterrupted since 1896.
Some safety-measures were installed - but we (as Fencers) are not fighting with “plastic-weapons”
today or had to switch to something totally different, eliminating the challenging and potentially
dangerous part of this sport. NO, it would not have been “Fencing” anymore, fencing in that case
would have disappeared. Fencing has been one of the first Olympic sports (1896) as well as Modern
Pentathlon (since 1912), with Pentathlon even being the only sport especially created for the
Olympic Games, a.o. to bring people together from different areas from society.
Talking about attractiveness for today’s broadcasting world etc., it has to pointed out, that Modern
pentathlon still is one of the most challenging and most spectacular sport-formats ever.
When today the I O C with their big and powerful partners in media, industry /service industry talk
about “attractiveness”, “audience-ratings” and “marketing-value”, you are in first line talking about
“selling a product”.
We Pentathlon-athletes/-families/-supporters are no “yesterday’s people”, we are professionals in
our fields and are dealing with today’s reality daily. Some of us might be even working for those
companies who are sponsoring the Olympics and your organization, the IOC.
So if you want to be an “attractive product” as a sport to sponsors, spectators, media, the “market”,
potential future athletes and their highly supporting/financing parents, - when Modern Pentathletes
are wanted to be seen as representatives of a highly challenging spectacular sport, a certain lifestyle
and being brand bearer for IOC’s sponsoring-partners or the IOC itself, - then beside being that good
“product” YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT PROFESSIONAL MARKETING !

Page 4 Letter to IOCC President Mr. Thomas Bach
Every company that will have more self-focused, so called “representatives” than real “sales-people”,
tough people, who are literally burning for their product, - will not survive and “die” sooner or later !
If you want to survive in today’s tough environment you have to “sell” your “product” tirelessly on
the highest level. Who knows that better than you, Mr.Bach.
The “product” Modern Pentathlon is a high-potential-product +++++ but is not advertised and sold
in the right way and not “brought to the market, to the target groups” professionally.
The visibility of this “product” between Olympic Games is far too low and has to be much higher.
Some of the worst products (even in sports) on this earth have a higher visibility than our fantastic
product Modern Pentathlon. There is no doubt that ‘Modern Pentathlon’, the Sport invented by IOC
founder Baron de Coubertin, certainly can be developed to THE flagship of the Olympic idea and
movement, under the strategic leadership of top-professional people and be successful in the
concert of sports competing for an Olympia-spot.
Dear Mr. Bach, we know that you are very busy trying to keep the Olympic idea alive around the
globe and the IOC business going at the highest standards and quality.
You have all the experience and knowledge in the fields of sports and business to know what it takes
to be successful. You have our full appreciation and our support ! ( Pentathletes : athletes/families/
supporters/ etc. )
So far we were convinced and didn’t really worry that there would be a strong, uncomplicated,
trustful relationship between the members of the elected UIPM Board of Executives and our
President, Mr. Schormann (now in office for 27 years (!!)) and “YOU” , the I O C .
We always heard about the strong and long term relationships between UIPM and IOC officials and
assumed that an open and trustful working relationship would be the strong base of these two long
term partners in the Olympic family. But now we are confronted with a situation that leads to a
different impression, namely that our UIPM President and UIPM-Executive Board seems to be
somehow afraid of the IOC , acting in advanced obedience, obviously in total fear of negative
perspectives and decisions caused by alleged IOC-announcements and making sudden “surprise”-
announcements and taking incomprehensible decisions, with questionable legitimation and perhaps
fatal consequences for our sport, that is still Olympic.
On our level of activity (Worldclass & Olympic level) and public perception, any irritation in the
working relationship between IOC and us Pentathletes should and must be avoided.
Mr. Bach, you have been a highly successful fencer, an Olympic Champion, a “fighter” in a highly
honorable sport, - with many parallels to Pentathlon, your fencing even being a part of Pentathlon - ,
with strict rules, great tradition and high values.
You are known as an honorable Gentleman with a high reputation.
It is said that “YOU” (the IOC) are pressuring UIPM to eliminate our Pentathlon-Riding-discipline for
reasons we do not understand at all, the UIPM-communication-strategy made it even worse.
So we - and I know I speak for many hundreds of our friends around the globe - very kindly and
respectfully ask you, Mr. Bach, to inform us in detail which problems or challenges you see regarding
our sport Modern Pentathlon, the sport established by the founder of the ne Olympic Games, Baron
de Coubertin and now to be said to get thrown out of the Olympic family.

Page 5 Letter to IOC President Mr. Thomas Bach
If the global Pentathlon community would get a direct and comprehensible explanation/answer
from “YOU” (IOC) directly what the clear situation is, it would solve a current dramatic problem
within the Pentathlon family, who in great parts have lost trust in their leadership.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the current situation - the result of an obviously existing
communication problem between the UIPM and the IOC - , followed by an internal communication
chaos within the UIPM, could cause the Pentathlon community break apart and even make this
unique sport disappear.
We Pentathletes prefer straight talk - face to face - with an open visor -, we can stand critical
situations, - and we SOLVE them !
Mr. Bach, please express your ( the IOC’s) concerns regarding our Modern Pentathlon.
Let us know the arguments that lead you to the decision to eliminate us in the Olympics in 2028.
We are absolutely sure that we can deliver professional and long term solutions within record time,
for every concern or proposal you might have. There will be no limit in terms of willingness,
motivation and professionality to work together with you and to solve A N Y problem that might
exist. For every problem or challenge there is a solution, also in Pentathlon.
After a professional evaluation of those, you just need the right professionals to do the job to
everyone’s satisfaction.
The challenges we are facing in an Olympic sport, the professionalism and competition we meet on
all levels make a quote of famous US-firefighter Red Adair (we need “firefighters” in sport ) is more
than true, when it comes to leadership-quality in global sport organizations :
“If you think it’s expensive to hire a Professional, wait until you hire an amateur.”
Our goal is to do the utmost to create a basis to keep Equestrian alive in Modern Pentathlon and
Pentahlon in the Olympics, - as an interesting, spectacular, attractive “well selling product” .
If the wording “Olmypic Family & Olympic Spirit” has a true meaning to all of us , our plea to you for
an open exchange should not be seen as outrageous. We all live the Olympic ideals within our many
sport clubs and training centers and we are bringing this idea closer to the young generation of
athletes, of whom some even dream and live “the Olympic dream” .
“YOUR” global Pentathlon community is looking forward to your response with great anticipation.
I remain respectfully and
with the very best regards
Stefan Ahaus
President
Association of Westphalian Modern Pentathletes e.V.
International Pentathlon Federation . Warendorf
Director of four Pentathlon Clubs/ Departmetns in Westphalia, Germany
Contact: Gut Dinglinghausen
32657 Lemgo /GER
Phone +49 151 522 494 75
Email stefan.ahausgmx.de