Lights, camera, action for LA28
This Olympic cycle has seen an injection of glitz into the sport itself. These World Championships are the first to be held largely indoors, giving a more immersive experience to fans inside the arena and out.
“We also had the World Cup in Budapest this year where it was like an indoor venue,” says Whitaker. “There were loads of lights, it’s really dark and it looked really good on camera. I’ve enjoyed watching the boys after I finish competing – it’s so nerve-racking and the atmosphere is great.”
Yasser Hefny, a former world champion for Egypt, agrees. “Every era had its beauty,” he says.
“I think the team who’s working to improve Pentathlon has done an incredible job taking us from these very long days to a very exciting, complex event that excites people a lot with very short breaks. It’s more appealing for the younger generation.”
That appeal is one reason Modern Pentathlon has gone from having its Olympic place threatened, to being a spectacle that will open LA2028.
For Whitaker, that should mean a first Olympic experience, after she missed out on Paris 2024. “It was really unfortunate that each nation only had two spots because we are all very much capable,” she concludes.
“But Kerenza Bryson and Kate French were the right pick, they’re two incredible athletes who were deserving to go and it’s made me hungrier for the next four years. It’s a shame that I didn’t get to go with the riding being there for the last time. But we’ve got to move on and adapt and become OCR ninjas.”