FILE PHOTO: Italian pentathlon athlete Pier Paolo Petroni shoots during a training session at the shooting range in Montelibretti, outside Rome April 3, 2012. Laser guns will replace traditional air pistols in the modern pentathlon at the 2012 London Olympics. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi
(Reuters) – The International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM) is launching a virtual ‘Laser Run’ competition, where entrants will compete online from home amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Laser Run is the finale to the Olympic Modern Pentathlon competition, where athletes alternate between shooting a laser pistol and running in a race to the finish line.
In the virtual event, entrants will complete a series of exercises before hitting five targets with a laser pistol in the fastest possible time, the UIPM said in a statement on Wednesday.
“At a time when all UIPM Sports activity has been suspended, social media is playing an important role in enabling people to meet online, compare their home training activities with each other and have fun,” said UIPM board member Andrejus Zadneprovskis, a two-time Olympic medallist in modern pentathlon.
The virtual competition, #LaserHomeRun, will be held on May 4-5 with the finals being staged on May 7.
Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis