US Pentathlon Athletes Call for CEO Rob Stull’s Immediate Resignation and For UIPM Publicly Retract False Statements
Global Athlete has been asked to release this open letter on behalf of US Pentathlon Multisport Athletes
10 November 2022: Over the past several years, the USA Pentathlon Multisport (USAPM) leadership, led by CEO Rob Stull, has continuously failed us as athletes in the sport of modern pentathlon. Most recently, Mr. Stull falsely reported that he convened and led an athlete meeting to discuss the proposed changes to the sport at the 16-20 August 2022 NORCECA Championships in Santo Domingo.
This meeting, however, never happened - and despite this, a lengthy description of it was published in a UIPM press release with elaborate quotes about the meeting from Mr. Stull.
Not only did this meeting not happen but Mr. Stull has persisted in promoting the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne’s (UIPM) agenda that suggests that athletes support the removal of riding in favor of a ninja race. This again is a blatant disregard for the truth. USAPM athletes, like 90% of pentathlon athletes worldwide, have been very clear on their stance that riding should remain part of the sport, and we certainly have not been aware of or privy to any in-person discussion on this topic with Mr. Stull or other UIPM officials at the NORCECA Championships.
Today we are calling for accountability and truth. In doing so we are demanding that Mr. Stull set the record straight by publicly retracting his statement that an athlete meeting occurred at the 2022 NORCECA Championships. We also call on UIPM to issue a formal and public retraction via the same distribution network as the original, erroneous press release.
Due to the gravity of Stull’s fraudulent actions in fabricating a meeting and issuing detailed quotes as to the content of that meeting, we are also calling for the resignation of Rob Stull as CEO of USA Pentathlon Multisport. Our membership has lost any reason to trust Mr. Stull and our organization cannot move forward with a CEO who has betrayed our trust and goodwill in such an egregious manner. We expect that USOPC will support us in our demands as USOPC’s stated mission is to champion the integrity of sport and promote and protect athletes’ rights.
This recent fabrication by the USAPM CEO comes on the heel of approximately 50 formal complaints by pentathletes to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USPOC) about the lackluster governance and ethical concerns with the USAPM leadership. With no response from USOPC thus far, athletes continue to be used as pawns in a broken system and their voices silenced.
It’s time for change.
On Behalf of US Pentathlon Athletes
CC:
United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee
International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM)
International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee Athlete Commission
Pentathlon United
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