Forging Ahead: USAPM’s Bold Steps Toward 2025 and Beyond

Hello everyone,

It’s been some time since I have communicated en masse to the US Pentathlon Multisport community. 2024 was a year of significant change for us and as we enter 2025 we do so with renewed sense of optimism, which includes the long-term security of the sport on the Olympic/Paralympic program, along with a renewed sense of purpose as we ramp up to LA 2028.

To underscore a number of the changes that we have undergone in the US let me start by welcoming a significantly changed Board with 7 new members, including four new athlete representatives - hopefully all bringing new energy and ideas to USAPM.

One of the biggest changes that we have undergone in the last decade is a change at the very top of USAPM. We are extremely proud to have supported and witnessed the appointment of our own Rob Stull to be the President of the International Federation of Pentathlon (UIPM). Rob becomes only the third American to hold an international Federation presidency currently. This is significant for the American Olympic/ Paralympic movement, and of course for USAPM. We can’t thank Rob enough for his many years of dedication and support of USA Pentathlon.

The board has appointed Kevin Montford as the incoming CEO. Kevin being brings tremendous energy to the role and as a successful business owner, with a strong Pentathlon background who brings a new skill set to the office. We are very excited to work with Kevin to execute our 2025 objectives. I can tell you from personal experience that Kevin has done a tremendous job during this transitional period.

Critically important in 2025 and beyond is the positive integration of the Obstacle community into the Pentathlon community and vice versa. To that end, we think the United States can be a leader in creating a partnership with the Obstacle community. One that is mutually beneficial, and it is one of our top priorities. Ian Adamson, the head of Global Obstacle is now also on our Board.

Additionally, you’re probably all aware by now of the creation of a high-performance resident program that is centralized, supported, and operational in Charlotte, North Carolina. This has been done with the partnership and the support of the US Performance Center. We’d like to thank Ike Belk and his team for making this possible. This program has significant implications, as it provides a centralized training environment with dedicated resources. Elite and developing athletes now have a place where they can train to work toward their goals.

To that end, we also now have a new head coach in Vaho Iagorshavili. We are very excited to have someone of his talent and experience to be leading our efforts. We will be holding international camps at our training facility, along with domestic and international competitions in the future in Charlotte.

We are entering 2025 with a reaffirmed commitment to furthering our relationship with the USOPC and it’s foundation, increasing our transparency, and doing a better job to communicate to our athletes, coaches, and stakeholders. Hopefully you will see an immediate improvement in the number of these activities and we look forward to your input as we move forward together.

We have also prioritized our commercial efforts to be able to bring in the necessary funding to support our athletes and coaches. I could not be more enthusiastic for what lies ahead of us. I look forward to communicating and seeing you often in the coming year.

Go USA Pentathlon Multisport!

Sincerely,

Tom S Chair USAPM