Ahead of the start of the UIPM 2016 World Cup, which is doubling up as the Rio 2016 modern pentathlon test event, the renovated swimming pool that will be used for the sport during the Olympic Games was inaugurated in Deodoro Olympic Park on Thursday (10 March) morning.

With the vast majority of the world’s leading modern pentathletes in town for the competition, the Deodoro Aquatics Centre – which was originally constructed for the 2007 Pan-American Games – will get a top-level testing. Among the 185 athletes from 37 countries are all six medallists from the London 2012 Olympic Games.

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Officially unveiled at 11am by executives from the Rio City Government, which is responsible for the construction the Deodoro and Barra Olympic Parks, along with Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman, the pool was then used for the women’s qualifiers, which begun at midday. The venue will receive 2,000 temporary seats for the Olympic Games.

The other two venues that will host the modern pentathlon events – Deodoro Stadium (horse riding, running, shooting) and Youth Arena (fencing) – were inaugurated earlier this month.

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Nuzman (left) with Education Minister Aloizio Mercadante and UIPM President Klaus Schormann (Photo: Alex Ferro/Rio 2016)

“Deodoro is now ready to host top-level events like this”

Rio 2016 President Nuzman

Klaus Schormann, President of the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM), was also present for the inauguration. “I was here for the Pan-American Games in 2007 and the World Military Games in 2011, both of which were very well organised,” he said. “Hosting the Olympic Games is obviously a more complicated task, but it’s one that is being very well dealt with by the organising commttee.”