Unleashing the Inner Child: Obstacle Racing Set for Olympic Debut in 2028

It remains to be seen if cricket icon Andrew Flintoff and AFL legend Shane Crawford will be seen on the sidelines as commentators, but the inclusion of a Ninja Warrior-style sport in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics is confirmed.

A prominent figure in obstacle racing, which will take centre stage in the revamped modern pentathlon, believes that this twist will attract both crowds and television audiences.

The International Olympic Committee had planned to eliminate modern pentathlon after Paris 2024, as it was not initially included in the sports programme for LA 2028. However, the introduction of obstacle racing has breathed new life into the beleaguered multi-event sport.

To simplify the competition and reduce costs, organisers opted for obstacle racing to replace the equestrian segment after a series of trial events.

At the LA Olympics, modern pentathlon will feature swimming, fencing, obstacle racing, shooting, and running.

Australia’s own Chloe Esposito famously made an astonishing comeback to clinch gold in modern pentathlon at the 2016 Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro.

Todd Liubinskas, the CEO of an emerging Australian obstacle racing brand named YOHKA, is gearing up to host events in Sydney and Melbourne this weekend.

“Modern pentathlon has never included obstacle racing before, and they [the IOC] needed to keep evolving and refreshing that brand … It’s a great opportunity for the sport to evolve and refresh,” Liubinskas told Wide World of Sports.

“I liken it to the speed climbing showcased in the Paris Olympics last year — that short, fast-paced speed climbing was a spectacle and really enjoyable to watch.

“We genuinely believe that obstacle racing is an emerging sport, drawing inspiration from the fun we had as kids with monkey bars and balance beams … You tend to lose that joy as you get older, and we hope it brings out the inner child in every athlete participating.”

“The obstacle racing community has been eager for an opportunity like this in the Olympics.”

The anticipated format for obstacle racing at LA 2028 includes head-to-head competition over a 60-70 metre course comprising eight obstacles.

Liubinskas’ YOHKA brand features four disciplines — pursuit, stampede, classic, and challenge — with stampede being the closest to modern pentathlon’s structure. This format involves head-to-head racing over a 100-metre distance with 12 obstacles in total.

Obstacles such as monkey bars, rope swings, walls, hurdles, cargo nets, mud pits, and even barbed wire are commonly used in competitions around the globe.

This weekend, YOHKA will host tournaments at the Sydney International Regatta Centre in Penrith and as part of the AusFitness Expo at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Olivia Vivian, who competed for Australia in artistic gymnastics at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, has also participated in several editions of Australian Ninja Warrior, a show broadcasted on Nine with big-name commentators like Flintoff and Crawford remarking on each thrilling move just metres away from the action.

Liubinskas is optimistic that obstacle racing will eventually evolve into a standalone Olympic event.

“Our hope is that by bringing OCR [obstacle course racing] into modern pentathlon, it starts to carve out a unique identity for itself, and that recognition comes from the number of participants looking to engage,” Liubinskas stated.

“If we can demonstrate the popularity of our courses, we want to advocate for inclusion as a standalone event in the next Olympics [Brisbane 2032], which I believe carries significant weight.”