Pentathletes test American Ninja Warrior skills in Beijing as warm-up for the LA Olympics

Pentathletes used to need to know how to ride a horse as well as run, swim, shoot and fence.

Now, they have to be able to swing from monkey bars, climb vertical walls and display the kind of skill contestants need on American Ninja Warrior.

Obstacle racing will replace show jumping at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and as the discipline’s world championships finished at Universal Studios Beijing on Sunday, organisers are ready for what comes next.

Like many other sports, modern pentathlon has...