Modern pentathlon

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Competitors in the final round of the Men's Modern Pentathlon push for the finish line at the Goudi Sports Complex on August 26, 2004.
Competitors in the final round of the Men's Modern Pentathlon push for the finish line at the Goudi Sports Complex on August 26, 2004.

The modern pentathlon is a sports contest consisting of five events, derived from the Greek root of pente, meaning five. The events are épée fencing, pistol shooting, 200 m freestyle swimming, a show jumping course on horseback, and a cross-country run. The epithet modern is important to discern it from the ancient athletics pentathlon – none of the events of modern penthatlon was part of the ancient Olympics.

The modern pentathlon was invented by the Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games. As the events of the ancient pentathlon were modeled after the skills of the ideal soldier of that time, Coubertin created the contest to simulate the experience of a 19th century cavalry soldier behind enemy lines: he must ride an unfamiliar horse, fight with pistol and sword, swim, and run.

The event was first contested at the 1912 Olympic Games, and was won by a Swede named Gösta Lilliehöök. Future American World War II General George S. Patton finished fifth.

The modern pentathlon has been on the Olympic program continuously since 1912. A team event was added to the Olympic Games in 1952 and discontinued in 1992 . An event for women was added in 2000 . In non-Olympic years, a World Championship is held, beginning in 1949. Originally the competition took place over four or five days; however in 1996 a one-day format was adopted in an effort to improve the event's commercial image. In spite of the event's strong pedigree in the modern olympics, and its status as the only event created specifically for the modern olympic games, its lack of widespread popularity outside of Eastern Europe has led to calls for its removal from the Olympic games in recent years.

However, a vote by the IOC on July 8, 2005 keeps it in the Olympic Program at least till 2012.

The sport is governed by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), the International Modern Pentathlon Union.

Contents

[edit] Disciplines of the modern pentathlon

[edit] Shooting

See also: 10 m Air Pistol

The shooting discipline involves using a 4.5 mm air pistol in the standing position from 10 metres distance at a stationary target. Each competitor has 20 shots, with 40 seconds for each shot.

[edit] Fencing

See also: fencing (sport)

The fencing discipline uses the épée. The competition is a round-robin, with each competitor facing all of the others. Each lasts about one minute, with the first to score a hit winning. If neither fencer scores within one minute, the bout is scored as a double loss.

[edit] Swimming

See also: Swimming

The swimming discipline is a 200 m freestyle race. Competitors are seeded in heats according to their fastest time over the distance.

[edit] Riding

See also: Equestrianism

The riding discipline involves show jumping over a 350-450 meter course with between 12 and 15 obstacles. Competitors are paired with horses in a draw 20 minutes before the start of the event.

[edit] Running

See also: Running

The running discipline involves a 3,000 m cross-country race. Competitors are ranked according to their score from the first four disciplines and given different start times, with the leader going first. The first person to cross the finish line is the overall winner of the pentathlon.

[edit] World champions

[edit] Individual men

Year Athlete Nationality
1949 Tage Bjurefelt Flag of Sweden Sweden
1950 Lars Hall Flag of Sweden Sweden
1951 Lars Hall Flag of Sweden Sweden
1953 Gábor Benedek Flag of Hungary Hungary
1954 Björn Thofelt Flag of Sweden Sweden
1955 Konstantion Salnikov Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1957 Igor Novikov Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1958 Igor Novikov Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1959 Igor Novikov Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1961 Igor Novikov Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1962 Eduard Sdobnikov Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1963 András Balczo Flag of Hungary Hungary
1965 András Balczo Flag of Hungary Hungary
1966 András Balczo Flag of Hungary Hungary
1967 András Balczo Flag of Hungary Hungary
1969 András Balczo Flag of Hungary Hungary
1970 Péter Kelemen Flag of Hungary Hungary
1971 Boris Onishchenko Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1973 Pavel Lednev Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1974 Pavel Lednev Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1975 Pavel Lednev Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1977 Janusz Pyciak-Peciak Flag of Poland Poland
1978 Pavel Lednev Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1979 Robert Nieman Flag of the United States United States
1981 Janusz Pyciak-Peciak Flag of Poland Poland
1982 Daniele Masala Flag of Italy Italy
1983 Anatoli Starostin Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1985 Attila Mizser Flag of Hungary Hungary
1986 Carlo Massullo Flag of Italy Italy
1987 Joël Bouzou Flag of France France
1989 László Fabian Flag of Hungary Hungary
1990 Gianluca Tiberti Flag of Italy Italy
1991 Arkadiusz Skrzypaszek Flag of Poland Poland
1993 Richard Phelps Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
1994 Dmitri Svatkovski Flag of Russia Russia
1995 Dmitri Svatkovski Flag of Russia Russia
1996 Alexander Parygin Flag of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan
1997 Sebastien Deleigne Flag of France France
1998 Sebastien Deleigne Flag of France France
1999 Gábor Balogh Flag of Hungary Hungary
2000 Andrejus Zadneprovskis Flag of Lithuania Lithuania
2001 Gábor Balogh Flag of Hungary Hungary
2002 Michal Sedlecký Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic
2003 Eric Walther Flag of Germany Germany
2004 Andrejus Zadneprovskis Flag of Lithuania Lithuania
2006 Edvinas Krungolcas Flag of Lithuania Lithuania
2007 Viktor Horvath Flag of Hungary Hungary

[edit] Individual women

Year Athlete Nationality
1981 A Ahlgren Flag of Sweden Sweden
1982 W Norman Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
1983 L Chernobrywy Flag of Canada Canada
1984 S Jakovleva Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1985 B Kotowska Flag of Poland Poland
1986 I Kisselyeva Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1987 I Kisselyeva Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
1988 D Idzi Flag of Poland Poland
1989 Lori Norwood Flag of the United States United States
1990 Eva Fjellerup Flag of Denmark Denmark
1991 Eva Fjellerup Flag of Denmark Denmark
1992 I Kowalewska Flag of Poland Poland
1993 Eva Fjellerup Flag of Denmark Denmark
1994 Eva Fjellerup Flag of Denmark Denmark
1995 K Danielsson Flag of Sweden Sweden
1996 Janna Dolgaschewa-Schubenok Flag of Belarus Belarus
1997 J Suworowa Flag of Russia Russia
1998 Anna Sulima Flag of Poland Poland
1999 Zsuzsanna Vörös Flag of Hungary Hungary
2000 P Svarre Flag of Denmark Denmark
2001 Stephanie Cook Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
2002 Bea Simoka Flag of Hungary Hungary
2003 Zsuzsanna Vörös Flag of Hungary Hungary
2004 Zsuzsanna Vörös Flag of Hungary Hungary
2005 Claudia Corsini Flag of Italy Italy
2006 Marta Dziadura Flag of Poland Poland
2007 Amelia Caze Flag of France France

[edit] See also

[edit] External links