'Ninja Warrior' Course Might Be Coming To 2028 Olympics

Daniel Mitchell-Benoit
A statue of the Olympic rings agaisnt a city skyline.
Pexels | Pixabay

Every other year we all gather together to watch some of the greatest athletes of our time compete against one another in a world event known as the Olympics.

Though it doesn't happen often, we may be seeing an update to an Olympic event in the coming years, with the source of inspiration cited for the change seeming a little strange.

The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics might have something new in store.

The Olympic rings on the side of a building.
Unsplash | Dave Kim

A revisioning of the modern pentathlon might be making its debut in a few more years at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, with one key category of the race swapped out for something a little more unique.

Pentathlons currently consist of five elements.

A horse jumping over a hurdle with a jockey on its back.
Unsplash | K. Mitch Hodge

Equestrian show jumping, fencing, laser pistol shooting, running, and swimming.

Earlier this year, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne, or UIPM, announced that equestrian show jumping would be removed, and an obstacle course of sorts would take its place.

This is where 'Ninja Warrior' comes in.

The Ninja Warrior franchise began as a Japanese show called Sasuke, which eventually became Sasuke Ninja Warrior. From there, it spread across the world in various formats but with the same core concept, people competing in ridiculous obstacle courses.

The UIPM has hinted at a 'Sasuke'-inspired course being introduced.

A man in a white shirt and grey shorts trying to vault across slanted platforms without falling in the water.
youtube | SASUKE Ninja Warrior【TBS公式】

In fact, the obstacle course being supplied for testing purposes is from TBS' European version of the show.

The first test competitions have already happened in Turkey and featured five pentathletes who gave the obstacle course a go.

With any luck, the new pentathlon format will be finalized ahead of the 2028 Olympics.

A statue of the Olympic rings against a city skyline.
Pexels | Pixabay

Ian Adamson, president of the the Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles, said, "Obstacles have a long history in pentathlon, and introducing a new discipline that is practiced and watched by millions of people in over 160 countries in the form of Sasuke [Ninja Warrior] shows has the potential to widen the audience for all stakeholders and enhance the appeal of the sport on the Olympic program."

h/t: LADBible