Choong to chase gold before change 'no-one wanted'

Olympic champion Joe Choong has 1 chance remaining to triumph different modern pentathlon badge earlier nan arena changes successful a measurement he says "no-one wanted".

Paris 2024 will beryllium nan past Games to characteristic nan existent format, pinch showjumping being replaced pinch a ninja warrior-style obstacle people astatine Los Angeles 2028.

The equestrian constituent of nan five-sport arena came nether nan spotlight astatine nan Tokyo Games successful 2021 erstwhile a German coach was thrown out for appearing to punch a equine who was refusing to jump aliases trot.

Choong, who was connected Wednesday named successful Team GB's Olympic team, says nan athletics should person considered changes to nan showjumping constituent earlier bringing successful a wholly different athletics that athletes for illustration him person ne'er done before.

"I deliberation nan measurement it was announced follows connected from nan mediocre guidance of nan sport; we arsenic athletes were wholly ignored. No-one wanted it to happen," nan 29-year-old told BBC Sport.

He added that measures to amended equine use successful basking conditions were among nan changes that could person been explored.

“The committee are arguing that ninja warrior is simply a large athletics and tin make our athletics a wide information one. It doesn't ringing existent because equine riding is already a immense athletics connected its own.

"If we can’t get nan numbers pinch equine riding I don’t spot really we will pinch obstacle racing."

Choong has ne'er trained successful obstacle people racing but will commencement aft Paris and, while he is unfastened to nan change, believes it gives an advantage to younger pentathletes.

"We will only person 4 years to train for this wholly caller athletics and past compete astatine it astatine an Olympic Games, wherever we're expected to beryllium elite," he said.

"It's not going to beryllium nan aforesaid modular arsenic what we tin nutrient successful nan different sports."

Choong will caput to Paris alongside chap Olympic champion Kate French, Kerenza Bryson - who took an individual bronze and squad metallic astatine past year's world championships - and Myles Pillage, a world metallic medallist successful nan squad event.

"I want to beryllium arsenic bully arsenic I tin beryllium and nan first British man to take sides an Olympic pentathlon title," Choong said.

Modern pentathlon has been connected nan Olympic programme since 1912, pinch nan women’s arena introduced successful 2000.

It presently consists of fencing, equine riding, swimming, moving and laser shooting.

In nan equestrian element, horses are allocated astatine random to each athlete, who is past fixed 20 minutes to enslaved pinch nan animal earlier embarking connected a showjumping course.

During nan 2020 Tokyo Olympics, German pentathlete Annika Schleu was fixed a equine that was not co-operating.

The animal refused to jump astir nan people and arsenic a consequence Schleu, who had been a golden badge contender, importantly fell down nan rankings.

Schleu and her coach Kim Raisner were accused of animal mistreatment aft nan event, arsenic accusations arose of nan pentathlete whipping nan equine and her coach punching nan animal.

An investigation was launched into nan incident but has since been dropped.

However, nan accusations resulted successful equine riding being removed by nan modern pentathlon committee aft Paris 2024.

Modern pentathlon has besides had a agelong struggle pinch viewership, ranking arsenic 1 of nan weakest sports successful position of societal media metrics and hours watched according to nan International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The preamble of obstacle racing played a large portion successful keeping modern pentathlon successful nan Olympic programme, pinch nan sport’s president Klaus Schormann saying nan arena would beryllium "more move and breathtaking for spectators and fans" aft being confirmed for Los Angeles 2028.

Obstacle racing was selected from 61 suggestions – including climbing, javelin and orienteering - to switch nan equestrian element.

But questions person arisen from nan pentathletes connected whether nan replacement arena has nan aforesaid transferable skills.

Choong’s partner Olivia Green, who is besides a GB pentathlete, said: "You can't conscionable get connected a equine and spell astir and commencement jumping. It's a method accomplishment and I conscionable don't deliberation obstacle people racing is.

"It’s for illustration they've conscionable benignant of fixed up, I'm still rather a young jock and I was looking guardant to nan years to travel of riding, which has been taken away."