Quick USA Pentathlon Update: Biathle Regional, Coaches Clinic

Aug 11, 2012; London, United Kingdom; Dennis Bowsher (USA) swims at the men's modern pentathlon during the London 2012 Olympic Games at Aquatics Centre. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

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!

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