Pentathlon-Olympic champion Choong vows to quit if sport ditches equestrianism

Olympic champion Joe Choong will walk away from modern pentathlon if its governing body (UIPM) pushes ahead with a controversial plan to replace horse riding with obstacle racing, the Briton told Reuters.

UIPM has selected two variations of obstacle racing for testing, from more than 60 options, to replace show jumping in time for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The decision followed widespread criticism after a German coach struck a horse that refused to jump a fence at last year's Tokyo Games.

Pentathlon United, a group formed to oppose the change, has urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to intervene, saying UIPM's consultation process was "illusory at best".

It said an April survey of 310 athletes - 168 of them active - showed more than 95 per cent were unhappy with the way the change was being made, while 77 per cent said they would probably leave the sport if equestrianism was removed.

Choong, 26, said he would "100 per cent be stopping" if UIPM went ahead. "By taking horse riding away, it's not the same sport I fell in love with," he added.

UIPM said in a statement that a focus group of 26 athletes from 22 countries was involved in the decision-making process.

Modern pentathlon was introduced by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, at the 1912 Stockholm Games as a representation of the skills required of a cavalry officer - fencing, swimming, equestrianism, shooting and running.

In the 1990s it was squeezed into a one-day format, while cross-country riding was replaced by show-jumping.

"AFRAID OF CHANGE"

The equestrian aspect has been criticised because athletes cannot ride their own horses, competing instead on those assigned to them. That criticism was among the reasons why UIPM