Ninja Warrior is an athletic phenomenon. The series that originated on Japanese network Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) now has 20 international versions, including the hit American Ninja Warrior in the U.S. Given the popularity of the long-running TV series and its American spinoff — which is currently airing its 14th season — it’s no surprise that TBS revealed it was working with several partners to see whether Ninja Warrior could be included in the 2028 Olympics as part of the modern pentathlon.
According to the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) via Deadline, two types of obstacle sports are being tested, with one being the ‘ninja competition’ popularized by Ninja Warrior. The modern pentathlon currently consists of five disciplines: fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, laser pistol shooting and running. Talks are underway to discuss whether the obstacle course will replace the riding discipline, but the competition must first be approved by the UIPM and then receive approval from the International Olympic Committee. Audiences won’t know whether Ninja Warrior will be approved until December.
Considering Tokyo 2021 introduced several new sports such as skateboarding — which previously seemed limited to video games — it’s not too far a stretch to include the obstacle course. The Olympic governing body explained that the decision “promises to make the sport more exciting to watch and more globally accessible, popular and sustainable” in an effort to improve viewer ratings. Surfing, skateboarding and sport climbing have already been confirmed to for both the Paris and the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Casey Wasserman, chair of the LA organizing committee, stated that “The LA28 Games have always been about bringing more freshness, youthful energy and creativity into the Olympic and Paralympic movement,” and people love ninjas in any form. Even Zion Williamson has been depicted as a ninja. But should the Ninja Warrior course be included in the Games? It could be seen as an unnecessary change to the centuries-old sport, but that could be exactly why it’s important. It would make sense for there to be changes to pre-existing sports to modernize them when even sports anime hasn’t changed in years.
Athletes have already come out on both sides of the argument. In an interview with The Guardian, former British pentathlete Kate Allenby said replacing riding would be a “disaster” for the modern pentathlon, but British Olympian Greg Whyte supported the change: “I don’t think it is necessarily a bad thing […] All sports evolve, and no sport is immune from change.” Joe De Sena, founder of Spartan Race (the world’s biggest obstacle race and endurance brand) suggested that the addition of the obstacle course would more closely echo the Olympic Games roots.
Writing for Sports Business Journal, De Sena stated that “The ancient Spartans used obstacles to train their warriors…Around the same time, the Greeks held their first Olympic Games. OCR [obstacle course racing] is a modern-day expression of Spartan training and the first Olympians’ competitive spirit.” With that in mind, perhaps the addition of a Ninja Warrior course is a necessary decision for the evolution of the Olympic Games.