Pazardzhik, Bulgaria May 13–17, 2026 Day two of World Cup Pazardzhik continued today in Bulgaria with the men’s qualification rounds, as the next stop on the 2026 UIPM World Cup circuit brought together 115 men representing 31 nations. Team USA had six men competing across the four qualification groups. While no U.S. men advanced to the next round, the day provided valuable international competition experience, with five of the six athletes opening their World Cup season and Michael Arishita continuing to build from his previous World Cup start in Cairo. Qualification Group A Temirkhan Sabdenbek opened his World Cup season in Group A, finishing 21st with 1456 points. Sabdenbek delivered one of Team USA’s top swim marks of the day, scoring 305 points with a time of 0:59.00. His full discipline scores were 201 fencing, 324 obstacle, 305 swimming, and 626 laser run. Qualification Group B Tristen Bell began his World Cup season in Group B, placing 18th with 1472 points. Bell posted one of the top U.S. fencing performances of the day, earning 215 points with 14 victories, while also putting together a solid obstacle round. His full discipline scores were 215 fencing, 344 obstacle, 300 swimming, and 613 laser run. Qualification Group C Luke Filar had one of Team USA’s strongest individual discipline performances of the day, placing 5th in his group in obstacle with a time of 0:22.31 for 379 points. Filar finished 20th overall in Group C with 1483 points, with full discipline scores of 187 fencing, 379 obstacle, 292 swimming, and 625 laser run. Michael Arishita also competed in Group C, finishing 27th with 1446 points. After making his World Cup debut earlier this season in Cairo, Arishita improved his overall score in Pazardzhik and continued gaining experience against a deep international field. His strongest score came in the laser run, where he earned 635 points. His full discipline scores were 152 fencing, 360 obstacle, 299 swimming, and 635 laser run. Qualification Group D

Team USA Recap – Women’s Qualification Day Pazardzhik, Bulgaria | 2026 UIPM World Cup Competition got underway today in Bulgaria with the women’s qualification round at the 2026 UIPM World Cup Pazardzhik. A total of 95 athletes from 26 countries were split across three groups, with only the top 12 in each group advancing to the semifinal, making for a highly competitive and unforgiving opening day. In Group A, Madison Gonzalez finished 24th with 1338 points. She showed strong form in the swim (282 points) and closed her day well with a 581-point laser run, keeping her within striking distance in a tightly packed field, but ultimately falling short of the top-12 cutoff. Group B saw Rebecca Langrehr deliver the top American performance of the day, placing 16th with 1398 points—just four places shy of advancing. Rebecca set the tone early with an impressive 21V–10D fencing round (244 points) and backed it up with consistent efforts across swimming and obstacle. While her laser run was a little off her season's best, her overall performance showed improvement compared to the first World Cup this season, continuing to close the gap toward semifinal positions. Also in Group B, Phaelen French finished 31st with 1284 points, gaining valuable international experience against a deep international field. In Group C, Yu Hannah Kim placed 29th with 1213 points, showing resilience throughout the day and continuing to build experience at the World Cup level. With tight margins across all three groups and limited advancement spots, the qualification round highlighted the depth of the global field and the importance of putting together five complete disciplines. The competition now shifts focus to the men’s qualification round, as the World Cup action continues in Pazardzhik.

Steven's ninja training gym (Rock Solid Warrior) shared this, and I thought there may be others in the community who would find it useful. -------------------------------------------------- As ninja warriors, we put our hands through a lot—taking care of them is key. Check out our quick video—Coach Brett and Izabela walk you through proper hand care to keep your ninja strong and training! Daily & Post-Training Care - Keep calluses smooth by filing them down regularly to prevent tearing using an electric callus remover or pumice stone - Moisturize daily with a quality hand balm to avoid cracks - Skip heavy lotions right before training—they can soften skin too much - Wash hands after training to remove chalk and dirt that dry out skin

I'm interested in upgrading my levels as a referee and judge for all 5 events. is there a website I can go to?

Register today for the 2026 USAPM National Championships in Kannapolis, NC (15 miles north of Charlotte), June 27-28, 2026. USAPM will host a 5 day training camp prior to the event for all levels. The official event invitation will be released soon which will include venues and more information on the camp schedule. Link to register: https://USAPentathlon.redpodium.com/2026-usapm-national-championships