Olympic & World Class Pentathletes shocked by proposal to leave Colorado Springs

Posted: May 24, 2010 2:23 AM by James Jarman
Updated: May 24, 2010 2:23 AM

Some Olympic and World Class athletes want to know why there's a proposal to move them out of the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

It all leaked out this past week, when word about moving USA Pentathlon and it's athletes from the Springs to San Antonio, Texas reached the media.

It all leaked out this past week, when word about moving USA Pentathlon and it's athletes from the Springs to San Antonio, Texas reached the media.

Several Pentathletes training at the Olympic Training Center in Colroado Springs told News First Investigates they don't want to leave.

"There's really no place else that's as good to train for Modern Pentathlon, everything's right here," said Margaux Isaksen.

Pentathlete Dennis Bowsher says the OTC has everything they need within walking distance including, "Sports Med, Sports Science, dining hall everything's just right here one location."

"Fantastic training great place to live, just can't beat it anywhere else," Pentathlete Will Brady told us.

The athletes and their coach told us they were shocked to here about a plan being floated by a 1960 Olympic Pentathlete to move the program to Texas, because no one ever asked them about it.

"We were all a little floored," said Brady.

"I would expect that they would consult, especially the elite athletes that are training here in Colorado Springs," said Isaksen, "so to just bring this out of the blue was definitely a shocker."

Last week News First Investigates got wind of it, and like the athletes, wants to know why anyone would consider forcing them to leave the Springs. Shortly after we made some calls about it, USA Pentathlon issued a statement through it's website stating the elite athletes would not move.

The proposal to move them was made by 1960 Olympic Bronze Medalist Robert Beck, who lives in San Antonio. We haven't been able to get a hold of him to ask why he wants to move the program and the athletes out of the Springs.

Robert Stull is the interim CEO for USA Pentathlon and says this is all a misunderstanding. "We love Colorado Springs. Our athletes are happy, our coaches are happy, we're happy and we want to be part of the Olympic family in the community here," he told News First Investigates.

Olympian Eli Bremer isn't so sure. He says the official statement from USA Pentathlon is carefully worded and he fears his sport's National Governing Body could be moved out of the Springs. He also says there are mixed messages, since behind the scenes the talk is that Beck's proposal is being considered. Bremer says it's also troubling that the USOC didn't choose anyone from the Springs to be on the board that governs pentathlon, someone who "could've stopped this moving the athletes and program talk before it got out of hand."

"They didn't pick one single person from Colorado Springs and I think that may be partly what's driving the issue," Bremer told News First Investigates, "I would like to see at least a few and maybe a substantial number of our board members from the Colorado Springs business community."

Stull says he's not sure why the USOC didn't appoint anyone from Colorado Springs to the board. "Ii think that's a good question," he said, "I think that certainly we'd like to have representation, the board is looking to expand absolutely."