Summer Olympics to Include This Beloved Reality Show's Obstacle Racing
As the 2028 Olympics continue to take shape in Los Angeles, a new sort of competition has just revealed as part of the upcoming global event.
Variety reports that Ninja Warrior is making its way to the Games in the form of a new Modern Pentathlon discipline of "obstacle racing," which has become a trademark on the iconic reality series that started in Japan and has become hugely popular in the U.S. thanks to the long-running American version.
Fans of American Ninja Warrior are probably well aware that Season 18 premieres June 8, episodes that might hold antsy viewers over until the Summer Games - now that word is out about the obstacle racing inclusion.
For a bit of gold-medal history, the Pentathlon was introduced to the Olympics in 1912, consisting of five disciplines: fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, running and shooting. As Variety noted on Tuesday, May 16, the International Olympic Committee voted unanimously in 2023 to include the updated Modern Pentathlon - with obstacle racing - at the 2028 LA Olympics.
Under a new deal, some of the Ninja Warrior intellectual property and program elements, such as the design of certain obstacles, has been OK'd to be used for obstacle racing. The Summer Games are clearly continuing to up their spectacle game!
"What an incredible honor it is for our Federation to be working closely with TBS, the broadcaster that gave Ninja Warrior to the world," said Rob Stull, prexy of UIPM (aka Modern Pentathlon's world governing body), in a statement in part, per Variety. "It is 30 years since TBS turned obstacle racing into a television phenomenon with the original Sasuke, so our two organizations are a great fit in terms of heritage and innovation."
Meanwhile, with the 2026 Winter Olympics now behind us, fans are already thinking about 2030, whose Games will be set in the French Alps. Learn more about the unique plan here.
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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 6:56 PM.