Modern pentathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Last updated
Modern pentathlon
at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad
Modern Pentathlon, Tokyo 2020.svg
Venue Musashino Forest Sport Plaza
Ajinomoto Stadium
Dates5–7 August 2021
No. of events2
Competitors72 from 27 nations
  2016
2024  

The modern pentathlon at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo took place in 2021 at Musashino Forest Sport Plaza and Ajinomoto Stadium.

Contents

Thirty-six athletes competed each in the men's and women's events.

Format

Modern pentathlon contains five events; pistol shooting, épée fencing, 200.0 metres (656.2 ft) freestyle swimming, show jumping, and a 3.200 kilometres (1.988 mi) cross-country run. [1]

The first three events (fencing, swimming, and show jumping) were scored on a points system. Those points were then converted into a time handicap for the final combined event (pistol shooting and cross-country running), with the points leader starting first and each other competitor having a delayed start based on how many points behind the leader they were. This results in the finish order of the run being the final ranking for the event.

Similar to the previous Games, the fencing event consisted of two rounds: the traditional round-robin stage plus a "bonus round." In the round-robin, each competitor faced every other competitor in a one-touch bout. The competitors were ranked according to how many victories they earn. The bonus round was held on one piste in a ladder, knock-out system. The two lowest-ranked competitors from the round-robin faced each other in another one-touch bout; the winner was credited with the additional point (round-robin victories being worth 6 points) and advanced to face the next-lowest ranked competitor. This continued, up the ranking ladder, until all competitors had competed in the bonus round. [2] [3]

The swimming portion consisted of a 200-metre freestyle race, with score based on time. [3]

The show jumping competition involved riding an unfamiliar horse over a course with 12 obstacles. The score was based on penalties for fallen bars, refusals, falls, and being over the time limit. Following the show jumping in Tokyo concerns were raised regarding the poor horsemanship of some of the competitors and the ethics of this section of the competition; resulting in Modern Pentathlon's governing body promising a review. [3]

The running and pistol shooting events were combined in the laser-run as they have been since 2012: athletes face four rounds of shooting, each followed by an 800 metre (874.9 yards) run. In each round of shooting, they shoot laser pistols at targets 10 meters away. Competitors must hit five targets, or have 50 seconds elapse, before they can move to the next leg of the run; there is no additional penalty for missed shots. Because the athletes have staggered starts based on the first three events, the first athlete to cross the finish line is the winner. [1] [3] [4]

Qualification

Thirty-six athletes are eligible to qualify for each of the two events; a maximum of two per gender from any nation. Qualification methods are the same for both the men's and women's events. [5]

The host nation Japan has been guaranteed a single place each in the men's and women's events, while two invitational places will be allocated by UIPM once the rest of the qualifiers were decided. [5]

Between February and August 2019, the initial distribution of quotas to the athletes has taken place based on the competition results. Five continental championships afforded twenty places each per gender: one each from Africa and Oceania, five from Asia, eight from Europe, and five from the Americas with a maximum of one quota per NOC (winners from NORCECA and South America, and top three from the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru). [5] Qualified athletes will also be the winner of the 2019 UIPM World Cup final (held in Tokyo from June 27 to 30) and the top three finishers at the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, held from September 3 to 9, 2019. [5]

The top three ranked athletes, not qualified by any means, were awarded a place at the 2020 UIPM World Championships in Xiamen, China, while the remaining seven were based on the pentathlon's world rankings as of June 1, 2020. [5]

Participating nations

Competition schedule

Schedule [6] [7]
DateAug 5Aug 6Aug 7
Men's FRRSFBRRSJL-R
Women's FRRSFBRRSJL-R

FRR = Fencing Ranking Round, S = Swimming, FBR = Fencing Bonus Round, RSJ = Riding Show Jumping, L-R = Laser-Run (Finishing position in this event determines medalists)

Medal summary

Medal table

RankNOCGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 2002
2Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt 0101
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania 0101
4Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 0011
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea 0011
Totals (5 NOCs)2226

Medalists

EventGoldSilverBronze
Men's
details
Joe Choong
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Ahmed Elgendy
Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt
Jun Woong-tae
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea
Women's
details
Kate French
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Laura Asadauskaitė
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania
Sarolta Kovács
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary

See also

Related Research Articles

Modern pentathlon Five-event Olympic sport

The modern pentathlon is an Olympic sport that comprises five different events; fencing, freestyle swimming (200 m), equestrian show jumping, and a final combined event of pistol shooting and cross country running (3200 m). This last event is now referred to as the laser-run, since it alternates four legs of laser pistol shooting followed by an 800 m run. The event is inspired by the traditional pentathlon held during the ancient Olympics; as the original events were patterned on the skills needed by an ideal Greek soldier of the era, the modern pentathlon is similarly patterned on events representing the skills needed by cavalry behind enemy lines.

Pentathlon Combined sporting event of five contests

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.

Modern pentathlon at the 2004 Summer Olympics Modern pentathlon at the Olympics

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.

At the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, a single modern pentathlon event was contested. The event was held at the Aldershot Lido outdoor pool in Hampshire.

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.

<i>Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne</i>

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 5th Olympiad in Stockholm (SWE) in 1912, comprising the contemporary sports of pistol shooting, fencing, swimming, horse riding and running, which embraced the spirit of its ancient counterpart.

The mixed team's Modern pentathlon competitions at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore were held on August 24, at the Singapore Sports School.

Modern pentathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics Modern pentathlon events at the Olympics

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 Association Great Britain is the national governing body for the sport of modern pentathlon in Great Britain, recognised by the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne. Modern Pentathlon, the sport Baron Pierre de Coubertin called ‘the veritable consecration of the complete athlete’ comprises five events: fencing, swimming, riding, shooting and running. Today's competition involves fencing épée for a single hit against each of the other competitors; swimming 200 metres freestyle; riding an unknown horse round a show-jumping course, and then running four 800 metre laps each preceded by shooting at five targets with a laser pistol. First appearing in the Olympic Games of 1912 at the specific request of de Coubertin, founder of the Modern Olympic Games, the same five sports have comprised this greatest of all Olympic challenges and the sport completed one hundred years of unbroken Olympic participation in 2012. Despite technological changes the five events have remained essentially the same. In Stockholm in 1912, competitors brought their own horses, fenced outdoors without electric equipment, used military pistols and swam and ran outdoors. The Stockholm event took six days to complete while the super-athletes of today finish in a single day; in 1912 only men competed while today women share equal billing; the 1912 competitors were nearly all military men while today civilians generally dominate the sport. The recent changes in the sport which combine shooting and running in a single event and make use of laser pistols are some of the exciting new developments that put Modern Pentathlon at the forefront of 21st century sporting advances. Even after one hundred years of Olympic competition, Modern Pentathlon's ability to move with the times has made it the true test of the all-round Olympic super athlete.

Modern pentathlon at the 2016 Summer Olympics Modern pentathlon events at the Olympics

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.

The men's modern pentathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney was held on 30 September. Three venues were used: The Dome and Exhibition Complex, Sydney International Aquatic Centre (swimming) and Sydney Baseball Stadium. Dmitry Svatkovsky from Russia won the gold medal with a score of 5,376 points.

The inaugural women's modern pentathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney was held on October 1st. Three venues were used: The Dome and Exhibition Complex, Sydney International Aquatic Centre (swimming) and Sydney Baseball Stadium. Stephanie Cook from Great Britain won the gold medal in the first-ever women's event, with a score of 5,318 points.

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 men's modern pentathlon at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro was held on 19 August. Three venues were used: Deodoro Aquatics Centre (swimming), Deodoro Stadium and Youth Arena (fencing).

The women's modern pentathlon at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro was held on 19 August. Three venues were used: Deodoro Aquatics Centre (swimming), Deodoro Stadium and Youth Arena (fencing).

Modern pentathlon at the 2018 Asian Games was held at the APM Equestrian Center, Tigaraksa, Tangerang Regency, Banten, Indonesia. It was held from 31 August to 1 September 2018.

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.

At the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, the men's team modern pentathlon event was contested. It was the second appearance of the event. The team event used scores from the individual event except that fencing scores were recomputed to account for only team event competitors.

References

  1. 1 2 Branch, John (26 November 2008). "Modern Pentathlon Gets a Little Less Penta". New York Times . Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  2. Rowbottom, Mike (1 December 2014). "Modern pentathlon approves fencing bonus round from 2015". Inside The Games. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Modern Pentathlon 101: Competition format".
  4. "Modern Pentathlon | Olympic Sport". Tokyo 2020. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Tokyo 2020 – UIPM Qualification System" (PDF). UIPM . Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  6. "Schedule - Modern Pentathlon Tokyo 2020 Olympics". Olympian Database. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  7. "Modern Pentathlon Competition Schedule". Tokyo 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2020.