Nathan Benderson Park to host a modern pentathlon

It was announced Friday that The 2015 Modern Pentathlon World Cup No. 1 will be hosted at Nathan Benderson Park and the YMCA Shelby Aquatic Center from Feb. 17-22.

The 2015 Modern Pentathlon World Cup No. 1 is the second of four modern pentathlon events to be held in the Sarasota-Bradenton area from 2014-2016. The first event (the 2014 World Cup Final) took place in June, 2014, with the 2016 U.S. Olympic team trials and the 2016 World Cup Final being held in next year.

World Cup No. 1 is a series of qualifying events for the 2016 Olympics and it is the first World Cup No. 1 to be held in the United States.

Not only is this an event that will showcase elite athletes from around the world, it will also reintroduce art back into the Olympic stage with numerous special performances by some of the area’s most noted arts organizations.