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“Ninja Warrior” athletes could be making their way from the world of reality television to the Olympics Games in the near future.
TBS, a Japanese TV network and the creator of the original Ninja Warrior reality show, revealed Monday that the show’s signature obstacle course competition will be tested for possible inclusion in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The Ninja Warrior course is currently under consideration to be added as the fifth discipline in the modern pentathlon for when the Games return to the United States later this decade. The pentathlon has consisted of five disciplines previously–fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, laser pistol shooting and running– but organizers of the sport, the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), announced in May that an obstacle course would be tested as a possible replacement for the riding discipline after the 2024 Paris Olympics.
According to the UIPM, two types of obstacle sports will be considered and tested for addition to Olympic competition. One such format will be similar to the courses created and made popular by the Ninja Warrior show and the first test will be held in Ankara, Turkey in late June, immediately after the UIPM 2022 Pentathlon World Cup Final.
“UIPM has undertaken a comprehensive and transparent process to transform Modern Pentathlon into one of the most popular, accessible and exciting sports on the Olympic program,” UIPM President Klaus Schormann said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “The upcoming first Obstacle Discipline Test Event in Ankara will be an important step and we look forward to watching pentathletes and obstacle athletes test themselves on the obstacles provided in collaboration with TBS and the Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles.”
In the U.S., American Ninja Warrior is currently in its 14th season. In total, 20 international versions of the show exist around the world.
