Starting on February 22, Fairplex in Pomona, California will host the Modern Pentathlon World Cup. This Olympic sport combines fencing, swimming, running, horsemanship and shooting. Fairplex will be holding four of the five events. Swimming will be held at a partnership facility in nearby Claremont.
The fencing portion will take place indoors within seven large exhibit halls. The shooting, running and horsemanship portions will be held outdoors in the grandstands. Should weather not cooperate, all events have the capability to be moved indoors. Throughout the five day competition, Fairplex will welcome more than 140 athletes from 30 nations.
This will bring nostalgia to the area, since this is the first time the Pentathlon will be coming to Southern California since the 1984 Olympics. The event was awarded by the UIPM after a successful bid by Fairplex, the L.A. Sports Council and the Southern California Committee for Olympic Games. Fairplex is hoping to gain a three-year extension for hosting the event.
Los Angeles is preparing a bid to host the 2014 Summer Olympics. With its massive footprint and strategic location just 30 miles east of downtown LA, Fairplex seeks to be a major venue for outdoor sports.
“Should L.A. get the 2024 bid we are hoping that Fairplex will be able to host one or two of the events at the Olympics. It would be really exciting for our region. We are on the eastern end of Los Angeles County where four counties converge, San Bernardino County which is the largest county in the state, Orange County and Riverside County and Los Angeles County. So if Los Angeles 2024 could have one of the Olympic sports out here, they would have a huge audience” says Renee Hernandez, Marketing Manager of Fairplex.
With the diverse nature of this sporting event, it is no surprise that Fairplex will be hosting the Pentathlon. Home to 487 acres, this facility isn’t limited to sports. It is famous for holding the Los Angeles County Fair, which welcomes 1.3 million annual guests and is one of the top ten fairs in the county.
Opportunities for sporting events are plenty. Cheerleading, fun runs and roller derby are just a few examples. The campus holds two soccer fields and is currently working on creating two more. The staff hopes that this will attract more soccer events in the near future. The facility is also capable of holding large volleyball tournaments and cheerleading competitions.
Fairplex has made it easy for event planners with onsite needs like bleachers and guests who can stay at the Sheraton right next to campus. They even have their own five-acre organic farm that provides produce for their onsite restaurant.
Whether hosting the Modern Pentathlon World Cup or throwing the Los Angeles County Fair, the possibilities are seemingly endless at Fairplex.
