This year is the 67th edition of the WMC Military Pentathlon. Halmstad was supposed to host the competitions in 2020 and then in 2021, but the games were cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic.
"Third time's the charm. We have started and it feels so good. We've been looking forward to welcoming the world’s elite of military pentathlon to Sweden and Halmstad", says deputy Army Chief Brigadier General Anders Svensson.
The military pentathlon world championship is organised by the Swedish Armed Forces on behalf of the International Military Sports Council (CISM). The CISM was founded in 1948 and is an international sports organisation for the armed forces of the member states. The main purpose of the CISM is to contribute to peace through sports events in the member states. Friendship through sport is the CISM motto.
"I’m expecting a good competition with great results and good sporting spirit. Sporting spirit is all about camaraderie, self-discipline, courage and perseverance. These are all characteristics that we know from the military profession, and in these troubling times it is important that we can meet and manifest the motto friendship through sports", says Anders Svensson.
The participants arrived in Halmstad on 20 August. The following day had training, welcome meetings and an opening ceremony on the agenda. The competitions start on 22 August and finish on 26 August.
Military pentathlon is comprised of obstacle run, shooting, grenade throwing, obstacle swimming and cross country. The competitions finish with a relay obstacle run.
"The tracks have been tested and I think we will see many record times during the competitions", says Jesper Lindberg, head of the World Championship Military Pentathlon.
The regimental area, swimming arena Brottet and the hill Galgberget, are the sites in Halmstad where the competitions will take place and are open to the public. The obstacle run competition will be broadcast live on the Swedish Armed Forces’ website.
The public is welcome to attend the following events:
23 August - at 08.00 Obstacle course at the regimental area. Broadcast live (for link please see forsvarsmakten.se/wmpc23).
24 August - at 08.00 Obstacle swimming at the swimming arena Brottet.
25 August - at 09.00 Cross country run at Galgberget.
26 August - at 10.00 Relay obstacle run at the regiment (team race that is not part of the pentathlon). Broadcast live (for link please see forsvarsmakten.se/wmpc23).
Countries participating in the Military Pentathlon World Championships are Norway, Bahrain, Italy, China, Turkey, UAE, Spain, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Colombia, Austria and Sweden.