USA Fencing Hall of Famer Rob Stull OLY Tapped to Lead Modern Pentathlon’s International Governing Body

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Rob Stull OLY, a three-time Olympian, four-time Division I men’s epee national champion and USA Fencing Hall of Famer (Class of 2019) has been elected to lead the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne, the international governing body for the Olympic sport of modern pentathlon.

Stull holds the rare distinction of being a two-sport Olympian. He was an alternate to the 1984 U.S. Olympic modern pentathlon team, competed in both fencing and modern pentathlon at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and then competed in modern pentathlon at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

It’s only fitting that an American will guide the sport toward the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 — the first home Summer Games in 32 years.

Modern pentathlon is a five-sport event that, for LA 28, will include fencing (one-touch epee), freestyle swimming, obstacle course racing (replacing equestrian), laser pistol shooting and cross-country running. 

Because fencing is such a unique skill, many modern pentathletes join their local fencing club to improve that element of their arsenal. Indeed Jess Savner (Davis) OLY, the New York Athletic Club fencer who competed in modern pentathlon at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, is a Division IA women’s epee national champion.

Stull won four Division I national championships in men’s epee in his late 20s and early 30s, earning titles in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1995.

And now the 64-year-old Stull becomes the second American to lead the modern pentathlon federation, succeeding Germany's Klaus Schormann in the role.

"We have to get to work immediately because Paris 2024 has been phenomenal for modern pentathlon,” Stull said in a statement. “The bar has been raised, and we have to meet it.”

USA Fencing wishes to congratulate Rob Stull on his election and continues to welcome modern pentathletes into our clubs and tournaments.

“Success for modern pentathlon is success for fencing,” says USA Fencing CEO Phil Andrews. “Rob Stull is one of the few Americans to lead an international federation, which itself is an accomplishment worth celebrating. But to have it happen in modern pentathlon is even more thrilling. Good luck to Rob and congrats to our friends at USA Pentathlon.”