The modern pentathlon is an Olympic multisport that currently consists of fencing, freestyle swimming, equestrian show jumping, laser pistol shooting, and cross country running. Equestrian will be replaced by a form of obstacle course racing at the 2028 Summer Olympics.
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 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney was held from 30 September to 1 October 2000. The men's and women's events each involved 24 athletes. The venues for the events were The Dome and Exhibition Complex, the Sydney International Aquatic Centre (swimming), and Sydney Baseball Stadium. For the first time in Olympic history, modern pentathlon at these Olympic games had the highest ratio of NOC representation with respect to its quota out of all the sports, and also, the women's event was officially included in the program.
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.
Modern pentathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Only an individual competition was held; the team event was removed by the International Olympic Committee after the previous games. The competition was significantly changed compared to 1992, with athletes now competing over a single day instead of 4–6 days to generate more fan interest.
The modern pentathlon at the 1984 Summer Olympics was represented by two events: Individual competition and Team competition. As it was usual in Olympic modern pentathlon until 1992, a single competition was held to determine both the individual and the team (country) ranking. In particular, the sum of each competitor's individual score from the same country determined the Team competition event result.
Modern pentathlon is a sport contested at the Summer Olympic Games.
Biathle is a sub-sport of modern pentathlon invented to create opportunities for training the run and swim parts of pentathlon in real race conditions. It is a sport in its own right. It bears close resemblance to aquathlon which also contains swimming and running but comes from triathlon sport.
Modern pentathlon competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were held on August 21 and August 22 at the Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, Ying Tung Natatorium (swimming), and the Olympic Green Convention Center. Modern pentathlon contained five events; pistol shooting, épée fencing, 200 m freestyle swimming, show jumping, and a 3 km cross-country run.
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 in 2018 and 133 members in 2024. 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 UIPM World Modern Pentathlon Championships is an annual global international competition in modern pentathlon. It was first held in 1949 under the organization of the International Modern Pentathlon Union (UIPM).
The modern pentathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London was held from 11 to 12 August 2012. The men's and women's events each involved 36 athletes. The venues for the events were the Copper Box (fencing), the Aquatics Centre (swimming), and Greenwich Park.
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.
European Modern Pentathlon Championships is main modern pentathlon championships in Europe.
The modern pentathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo took place in 2021 at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza and Ajinomoto Stadium.
Deodoro Stadium is a temporary stadium at Deodoro Modern Pentathlon Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The stadium hosted rugby sevens and modern pentathlon events during the 2016 Summer Olympics. The stadium served as the venue for the seven-a-side football at the 2016 Summer Paralympics.
The 2019 World Modern Pentathlon Championships were held in Budapest, Hungary from 2 to 9 September 2019.
The men's modern pentathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo was held on 5 and 7 August 2021. Two venues were used: Musashino Forest Sport Plaza (fencing) and Tokyo Stadium.
The women's modern pentathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo was held on 5 and 6 August 2021. Two venues were used: Musashino Forest Sport Plaza (fencing) and Tokyo Stadium.
The Pakistan Modern Pentathlon Federation (PMPF) is the governing body for the Olympic sport of modern pentathlon in Pakistan. The Federation was formed in 2014 and has its headquarters in Lahore.
