Modern Pentathlon

See also: Pentathlon

The modern pentathlon is a sporting test made up of 5 disciplines from where the name of pentathlon. These tests are the Escrime, the shooting with the gun, the Natation, the horsemanship and the Cross-country. Also called modern pentathlon, it should be distinguished from the old pentathlon -- none the tests of the modern pentathlon belonged to the first Olympic Games.

The pentathlon in its modern form was invented by the baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the Olympic Games modern. As the tests of the old pentathlon were selected according to competences of the ideal Soldat of this time, Coubertin created the test to imitate the tests of a soldier of Cavalerie of the 19th century behind the lines ennemies : it must assemble an unknown horse, fight with a gun and a sword, swim and run.

The test was disputed for the first time at the Games Olympic of 1912 and gained by a Swedish named Gösta Lilliehook. The future American general of the Second world war George Patton finished fifth.

The pentathlon always belonged to the Olympic program since 1912. A test by team was added to the Olympic Games in 1952 and was stopped in 1992. A female test was added in 2000. At the time of the nonOlympic years, a championship of the world takes place, since 1949. In the beginning the competition lasted four or five jours  ; but in 1996 the test was shortened at one day to improve its commercial image. In spite of the very strong membership of the test to the modern Olympic Games and its statute of event created specifically for the Olympic Games, its lack of popularity out of Eastern Europe led to requests for suppression of the Olympic Games during the last years.

This sport is governed by the Modern International union of Pentathlon (UIPM).

Disciplines of the Pentathlon

  • Shooting with the gun  : The test of shooting consists in using an air gun upright 4,5 millimetres in position with 10 meters of a fixed target. Each competitor has 20 shootings, with a 40 seconds maximum between each shooting. a score of 172 out of 200 corresponds to 1000 points. Each participants having more than 172 points gains 1000 points and +12 point by points with the top of 172, each participants having less than 172 points gains 1000 points and -12 point by points below 172
  • Escrime  : The discipline of fencing uses the sword. The competition is a test where all the participants meet. Each attack lasts one minute, with the first gaining key. So at the end of the minute there are no keys, there is double defeat. A good international level of fencing ranges between 950 and 1000 points. After a percentage, a score of 70% is worth 1000 points, each pourcents moreover is worth +12 points and -12 points by pourcents in addition to 70 (compared to 1000.)
  • Swimming  : The test of swimming is one 200 meters freestyle. The competitors are classified according to their best time at the distance. A good female international level corresponds to a fork of 2 ' 10 and 2 ' 15. For the men, between 2 ' and 2 ' 05.
  • Horsemanship  : The discipline of horsemanship consists of a Saut of obstacles on a race from 350 to 450 meters with 12 to 15 obstacles. The competitors are associated by drawing lot with a horse 20 minutes before the beginning of the test. Each horse twice makes minimum the turn and to the maximum 3 in a limited time. There are also one or two horses of reserve if a horse is wounded or if it made a too catastrophic course the first turn.
  • Race  : The test of race consists of a Cross-country of 3  000 meters. The competitors are classified according to their scores in the first four disciplines and leave with different times, the leader leaving the first. 4 points correspond to 1 second of variation. The first nobody to cross the finishing line is gaining it of the pentathlon.

Olympic champions

Men

Men by team

The test is stopped since 1992.

Women

World champions

Men

Women

External bonds

  • official Web site of the UIPM

  • official Web site of the French federation of Pentathlon Modern
  • a guide on the pentathlon
  • official Web site of the Modern Pentathlon Perpignan the Catalan woman

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