The modern pentathlon is an Olympic sport consisting of fencing, freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting, and cross country running. The event is inspired by the traditional pentathlon held during the ancient Olympics. The modern pentathlon was first held in 1912, and its rules have changed several times over the years. The latest structure, as of the 2020 Olympics, consists of three separate events for fencing, swimming, and equestrian, which determine each athlete's starting time in the final event. The last event, called the laser-run, alternates four legs of laser pistol shooting followed by an 800 m run.
A pentathlon is a contest featuring five events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words pente (five) and -athlon (competition). The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Ancient Olympic Games. Five events were contested over one day for the Ancient Olympic pentathlon, starting with the long jump, javelin throwing, and discus throwing, followed by the stadion and wrestling. Pentathletes were considered to be among the most skilled athletes, and their training was often part of military service—each of the five events in the pentathlon was thought to be useful in war or battle.
The modern pentathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics was held from 26 to 27 August 2004, at the Olympic Modern Pentathlon Centre at the Goudi Olympic Complex. The men's and women's events each involved 32 athletes, an increase of eight from the previous games.
The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne, commonly known by the acronym UIPM, has been the international governing body of modern pentathlon since its foundation in London in 1948. Its headquarters are in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, and it has 115 national federation members. Modern pentathlon was introduced at the fifth Olympiad in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1912, comprising the contemporary sports of pistol shooting, fencing, swimming, horse riding and running, which embraced the spirit of its ancient counterpart.
The modern pentathlon at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro took place from 19 to 20 August 2016 at Deodoro Aquatics Centre, Deodoro Stadium, and Youth Arena.
Jean Maxence Berrou is a French modern pentathlete. He is also a two-time champion at World Cup circuits, two-time silver medalist at the European Junior Championships, and is currently ranked no. 26 in the world by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM).
John Zakrzewski is a French modern pentathlete. He is currently ranked no. 179 in the world by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM).
Bartosz Majewski is a Polish modern pentathlete. He won a silver medal for the relay at the 2010 European Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, and is currently ranked no. 63 in the world by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM).
Galina Dolgushina is a Kazakhstani modern pentathlete. As of 2011, she is ranked no. 194 in the world by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM).
Omnia Abdel Khalek Fakhry is an Egyptian modern pentathlete. Fakhry qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where she competed in the women's modern pentathlon, along with her teammate Aya Medany. During the competition, Fakhry made a strong performance in the early rounds, when she finished fifth in pistol shooting, and eighteenth in a one-touch épée fencing. She placed second in the third heat in the 200 m freestyle swimming, but displayed a poor performance in the show jumping, when her horse Naonao repeatedly stopped short, veered left before the obstacles, and nearly tossed her over the barrier. In the end, Fakhry finished the event with cross-country running in thirtieth place, for a total score of 4,996 points.
Lucie Grolichová is a Czech modern pentathlete. She is a six-time medalist at the World Championships.
Nam Dong-Hong is a South Korean modern pentathlete. He is also a silver medalist at the 2008 Korean Open & Asian Championships in Seoul, and is currently ranked no. 123 in the world by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM).
Yun Cho-Rong is a South Korean modern pentathlete. She also won a gold medal for the women's individual event at the 2006 Asian Modern Pentathlon Championships in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Belinda Schreiber is a Swiss modern pentathlete. She is currently ranked no. 63 in the world by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM).
Andrea Valentini is an Italian modern pentathlete. He won a bronze medal in the men's team event at the 2004 World Championships in Moscow, Russia. Valentini is a member of the modern pentathlon team for Gruppo Sportivo Fiamme Azzurre, and is coached and trained by Luigi Filipponi.
Sara Bertoli is an Italian modern pentathlete. She won two medals, silver and bronze, in the women's relay event at the 2002 and 2004 World Championships in San Francisco, California, United States and in Warsaw, Poland, respectively. Bertoli is a member of the modern pentathlon team for Gruppo Sportivo Fiamme Azzurre, and is coached and trained by Luigi Filipponi.
Karla Marlene Sánchez Rodríguez is a Mexican modern pentathlete. She is currently ranked no. 82 in the world by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM).
Angie Darby is an Australian modern pentathlete. As of August 2011, Darby is ranked no. 141 in the world by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM).
The modern pentathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo took place in 2021 at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza and Ajinomoto Stadium.
The modern pentathlon at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris is scheduled to take place from 8–11 August 2024 at the Palace of Versailles and the Vélodrome National. The Palace of Versailles will host all the modern pentathlon events, excluding the fencing ranking rounds which will occur at the National Velodrome. Two events will be contested, one for men and another for women.
Poland 
