COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, June 16. USA Pentathlon’s High Performance Director Genadijus Sokolovas is back with a quick update on a few events forthcoming in his organizations summer.
First, USA Pentathlon will be hosting a regional Biathle, which breaks out two of the sport’s two categories of running and swimming and puts them into an exciting event.
Biathle is an event of Modern Pentathlon and consists of running and swimming. There are two categories of Modern Biathle competitions – Category A (World Championships and World Tour) and Category B (regional/continental competitions and qualification competitions). Organized outdoors, the format is, run, swim, and run with continuous transitions. The distances in Biathle competition depend on athlete’s age:
| Group | Age | Run Distance | Swim Distance | Run Distance | Total Run Distance | Total Swim Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth F | 8 and younger | 200 | 50 | 200 | 400 | 50 |
| Youth E | 9-10 | 500 | 50 | 500 | 1000 | 50 |
| Youth D | 11-12 | 500 | 50 | 500 | 1000 | 50 |
| Youth C | 13-14 | 500 | 100 | 500 | 1000 | 100 |
| Youth B | 15-16 | 1000 | 200 | 1000 | 2000 | 200 |
| Youth A | 17-18 | 1500 | 200 | 1500 | 3000 | 200 |
| Juniors | 19-21 | 1500 | 200 | 1500 | 3000 | 200 |
| Seniors | 22 and older | 1500 | 200 | 1500 | 3000 | 200 |
Biathle competition is organized as a non-stop event. Athletes must wear a swimsuit or tight-fitting one-piece body suit capable of being worn for each segment of the competition. Running shoes must be worn when running and must not be worn when swimming.
The first Biathle Regional is going to be held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs on Sunday, June 22. Athletes and teams are invited to register for this competition by emailing to Shannon LaBianco at SLaBianco@usapentathlon.org or Dr. Genadijus Sokolovas at genadijus.sokolovas@usoc.org. We would ask you to apply earlier to secure beds at the Olympic Training Center. Athletes may arrive for the competition a day before on June 21. Training sessions will be offered before the competition.
Based on the results from this competition, athletes will qualify for the Biathle Nationals to be held in Colorado Springs on September 27-28. 2014 Biathle World Championships will be held at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala on October 3-5, 2014. USA Pentathlon will select athletes to represent Team USA at this event. Please, visit the USA Pentathlon website to learn more about USA Pentathlon events and how you can get involved with this exciting sport:
www.usapentathlon.org
Secondly, USA Pentathlon will host a coaches clinic at the end of this month in Colorado Springs.
USA Pentathlon announces free clinic is for interested coaches who would like to learn more about Modern Pentathlon! Coaches from all pentathlon events are invited to attend (swimming, running, fencing, shooting, horse riding). Coaches will be certified as a Pentathlon Coach after the successful completion of the clinic.
Presenters:
Janusz Peciak, Olympic Champion, UIPM Sports Director
Rob Stull, 4-time Olympian, Managing Director, USA Pentathlon
Dr. Genadijus Sokolovas, High Performance Director, USA Pentathlon
Topics for Level 1:
Pentathlon competition rules
Competition calendar and National Youth/Junior/Senior Teams
Talent ID and long-term training in Pentathlon
Training in Pentathlon: from youth to elite level
Practical sessions in four Pentathlon events (fencing, shooting, swimming, and running)
Topics for Level 2 coaches:
Organizing pentathlon events
Training design for pentathletes
Recovery techniques to optimize training
Developing swimming technique for young pentathletes
Practical sessions in four Pentathlon events (fencing, shooting, swimming, and running)
Room, board and materials at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs will be provided. Please, submit applications to Dr. Genadijus Sokolovas, High Performance Director of USA Pentathlon: gsokolovas@gmail.com, tel.: 719-321-6975. Space is limited for an effective teaching environment—apply now.
We are looking forward to seeing you in Colorado Springs!