How much do you know about the modern pentathlon? Of all the events at the Olympics, pentathletes are rarely in the headlines like medal-winning sprinters, swimmers, or cyclists.
Whether you have experience analysing the pentathlon sports betting markets or not, we would recommend reminding yourself of the rules, regulations, and scoring before wagering on the Paris Games.
This event lends itself to live betting, too. Let’s learn a bit more about the modern pentathlon, starting with a look at its history.
History
Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who founded the modern Olympic Games, is considered the father of the modern pentathlon. Others have also credited Viktor Balck.
Despite being part of the Olympics for over a century, the word ‘modern’ at the start of the name still carries weight. The original pentathlon was part of the Ancient Olympic Games, including a foot race, wrestling, the long jump, javelin, and discus.
Just as the Ancient pentathlon was based around the skills of a solider, Coubertin looked to replicate that with the skills required to be an effective solider in the late-19th century. This meant fighting enemies with a pistol and sword, ride a horse, swim, and run.
Initially, only amateurs could compete in the modern pentathlon. The upper-class officers could compete, as they were not riding or training horses on a daily basis, but lower-ranking soldiers were unable to compete until 1952.
While the modern pentathlon has been ever-present on the Olympic schedule dating back to 1912, it has faced waves of disapproval. In 2013, it was confirmed as part of the 25 core Olympic sports until 2020, though many still question its relevance due to its complexity and obscure nature.
A team pentathlon ran from 1952 to 1992, and a women’s pentathlon was only added in 2000. Previously taking place over four or five days, it has been condensed to a one-day format to improve the sport as a spectacle.
For the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, the show jumping leg will be replaced by an obstacle course.
Rules
The modern pentathlon is composed of a show jumping event, where the rider is given a random, unknown horse 20 minutes before they compete. They have a maximum of five practice jumps. There are 15 jumps on the course overall, which are no higher than 1.2 metres.
Fencing is split into two rounds – athletes compete against each other in rounds lasting one minute or until the first hit is landed.
There is a 200-metre freestyle swimming race. Pentathletes can use any stroke or style to complete the race.
The final event is a combination of running and shooting referred to as the ‘laser run’. This sees competitors alternate between running and shooting at targets at a distance of 10 metres.
The sport has been sped up for the 2024 Games in Paris, with the semifinals and final taking place over just 90 minutes:
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35 minutes of equestrian
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5-minute break
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20 minutes of fencing
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10-minute break
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15 minutes of swimming (200m freestyle)
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15-minute break
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20-minute combined event
Scoring
Points are accumulated in equestrian, fencing, and swimming. These points decide where competitors start in the laser-run. The person to finish the laser-run first is declared the winner.
Fencing sees every competitor take part in quickfire bouts against each other. Athletes earn 250 points if they record victories in 70% of their bouts. Neither person recording a hit results in a defeat for both parties.
A time of two minutes, 30 seconds in the swimming earns 250 points. Every third of a second above or below that time equates to gaining or losing a point.
Completing the show jumping in the allocated time will see a pentathlete earn 300 points. Penalty points will be deducted as normal.
For the final event, the person with the most points starts first. The next pentathlete’s start time is dictated by how many points they trail by. It’s one point per second, so a 10-point deficit would see the leader get a 10-second head start.
Athletes have unlimited attempts to hit the targets on the four stops in the laser run. If they take longer than 50 seconds to hit the targets, they can continue running.
There are 500 points for an exact finish of 13 minutes, 20 seconds in the laser run. Every second above or below that time results in plus or minus one point.
Course Size & Dimensions
There are multiple courses used in the modern pentathlon. The final event is a run of 3200 metres with four stops to shoot at targets.
The swim is a distance of 200 metres, while the show jumping course features 15 overall jumps.
Equipment
Given the variety of sports in the modern pentathlon, athletes need plenty of equipment. The right clothing for swimming, running, show jumping, and fencing is necessary.
A laser pistol is used to hit the electric targets in the final run. All of the other equipment is standard for the respective sports.
Most Successful Countries at the Olympics
Hungary are the most successful country in the modern pentathlon. They have 23 total medals. Sweden are tied with Hungary on nine gold medals, but have two fewer overall.
The Soviet Union are the only other country with more than nine total medals. Since the event was introduced in 1912, 25 different countries have won a medal.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
