Modern pentathlon at the Summer Olympics

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Modern pentathlon at the Summer Olympics
Modern pentathlon pictogram (pre-2025).svg
IOC CodeMPN
Governing body UIPM
Events2 (men: 1; women: 1)
Summer Olympics

Modern pentathlon is a sport contested at the Summer Olympic Games.

Contents

History

Development as an Olympic sport

Modern pentathlon was created by the founder of the modern Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, and was first contested in 1912. [1] [2] Coubertin was inspired by the pentathlon event in Ancient Olympic Games, which was modeled after the skills of the ideal soldier at the time. Modern pentathlon was also influenced by the tradition of civilian and military multi-sport events in Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century. [3] It combined events that were considered to be of upper-class origin like épée fencing, pistol shooting and riding with more popular ones like running and swimming. [3]

The five events making up modern pentathlon are (as of 2021):

After more than half a century of relative stability, modern pentathlon has been the subject of numerous changes since the 1980s with its place on the Olympic programme in question several times. [4]

Beginning at the 1996 Summer Olympics, the five components were held on a single day instead of five. [2] The same year, the Men's team competition was dropped from the Olympics. The women's event was first introduced at the 2000 Summer Olympics. [1] Since the 2008 Summer Olympics, the air-pistol shooting is held during the 3 km run. [2] Since the 2012 Summer Olympics, shooting is done using a laser gun, [2] and running and shooting was combined as one event. [5]

Modern pentathlon was still criticized as outdated and lacking popularity in the 2010s. [6] The Associated Press reported in 2013 that the International Olympic Committee was considering dropping it from the Olympics. [6] In response to the criticism, the sport's governing body, the UIPM, made changes to the sport, including by having all five contests held in a single stadium. It was planned for the 2016 Summer Olympics but held for the first time at the 2020 Summer Olympics. [6]

The events of modern pentathlon at the Olympic Games were as follows:

Event 1912 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 2000 04 08 12 16 20 24
Épée Fencing Round-robin Round-robin & bonus
Swimming 300 m200 m
Riding Cross-country Show Jumping
Shooting Pistol Air Pistol Laser
Cross Country Running 4000 m3000 m3200 m
Venues 51455531455455425533233322

Horse riding

The horse riding event in modern pentathlon has been debated - for different reasons - since the invention of the sport. [4] Coubertin and the organisers of the 1912 Summer Olympics had different views on the availability of horses: Coubertin wanted randomly assigned horses provided by the hosts while the Swedish committee preferred that the competitors bring their own horses. [3]

For the 1988 Summer Olympics cross-country riding was changed to show jumping.

In November 2021, UIPM announced that show jumping would not be a part of the Olympic modern pentathlon starting from the 2028 Summer Olympics, which was connected to an incident in the 2020 Games where German women's coach Kim Raisner had punched pentathlete Annika Schleu's horse. [7] In response, 650 pentathletes put their names on a letter criticizing the lack of collaboration with them and asking for UIPM executives to resign, with UIPM stating it will discuss the matter with them. [8]

Events

Modern pentathlon has been on the Olympic program continuously since 1912. A women's event was not included until the 2000 Games.

Event 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years
Men's individual26
Men's team11
Women's individual7
Total Events11111112222222222212222222

Medal table

Sources: [9]

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary  (HUN)108624
2Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden  (SWE)97521
3Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union  (URS)55515
4Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain  (GBR)4239
5Flag of Russia.svg  Russia  (RUS)4105
6Flag of Poland.svg  Poland  (POL)3014
7Flag of Italy.svg  Italy  (ITA)2248
8Flag of Germany.svg  Germany  (GER)2013
9Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania  (LTU)1315
10Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt  (EGY)1102
11Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic  (CZE)1012
12Flag of Australia.svg  Australia  (AUS)1001
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan  (KAZ)1001
14Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)0639
15Flag of France.svg  France  (FRA)0224
16Flag of Finland.svg  Finland  (FIN)0145
17Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia  (TCH)0112
Olympic flag.svg  Unified Team  (EUN)0112
19Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China  (CHN)0101
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan  (JPN)0101
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia  (LAT)0101
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine  (UKR)0101
23Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus  (BLR)0022
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea  (KOR)0022
25Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil  (BRA)0011
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico  (MEX)0011
Totals (26 entries)444444132

Nations and number of national participants

Nation96000408 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 Years
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina  (ARG)    3313216
Flag of Australia.svg  Australia  (AUS)    13333221313122122218
Flag of Austria.svg  Austria  (AUT)    123333231110
Flag of Bahrain.svg  Bahrain  (BRN)    332
Flag of Belarus.svg  Belarus  (BLR)    2344136
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium  (BEL)    4333116
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil  (BRA)    3333312112111
Flag of Bulgaria.svg  Bulgaria  (BUL)    33332117
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada  (CAN)    333223228
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile  (CHI)    233131118
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China  (CHN)    112344448
Flag of Chinese Taipei for Olympic games.svg  Chinese Taipei  (TPE)    122
Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba  (CUB)    1223
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg  Czech Republic  (CZE)    333325
Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg  Czechoslovakia  (TCH)    2321133339
Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark  (DEN)    443211321110
Flag of East Germany.svg  East Germany  (GDR)    31
Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador  (ECU)    11
Flag of Egypt.svg  Egypt  (EGY)    33312333411
Flag of Estonia.svg  Estonia  (EST)    1113
Flag of Finland.svg  Finland  (FIN)    2333333333333313
Flag of France.svg  France  (FRA)    24431333133333333234333424
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia  (GEO)    11
Flag of the German Olympic Team (1960-1968).svg  United Team of Germany  (EUA)    332
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany  (GER)    13333323444412
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain  (GBR)    344333333333333333122444428
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece  (GRE)    11124
Flag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala  (GUA)    1111216
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary  (HUN)    13333333333333344444421
Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland  (IRL)    32214
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy  (ITA)    14333331313331333334444224
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan  (JPN)    23333331133312
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg  Kazakhstan  (KAZ)    2222226
Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg  Kyrgyzstan  (KGZ)    122
Flag of Latvia.svg  Latvia  (LAT)    312222118
Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania  (LTU)    311243338
Flag of Morocco.svg  Morocco  (MAR)    21
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico  (MEX)    2223333332333222222420
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands  (NED)    1431336
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand  (NZL)    11
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway  (NOR)    2223
Flag of Peru.svg  Peru  (PER)    112
Flag of Poland.svg  Poland  (POL)    3333333234433315
Flag of Portugal.svg  Portugal  (POR)    12331117
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania  (ROU)    3331116
Flag of Russia.svg  Russia  (RUS)    53344437
Russian Olympic Committee flag.png  ROC     31
Flag of South Africa.svg  South Africa  (RSA)    1311116
Flag of South Korea.svg  South Korea  (KOR)    133312333410
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union  (URS)    3333333339
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain  (ESP)    323333118
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden  (SWE)    124433333333333333312121
Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland  (SUI)    3333131331111114
Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia  (TUN)    31
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey  (TUR)    112
Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine  (UKR)    13134317
Olympic flag.svg  Unified Team  (EUN)    31
Flag of the United States.svg  United States  (USA)    12433333333333333144433224
Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay  (URU)    33114
Flag of Uzbekistan.svg  Uzbekistan  (UZB)    21
Flag of Germany.svg  West Germany  (FRG)    333335
Nations    107111410161619162315182017171826302224262726283160
Athletes    32233837244245514060374859474352656632486472727272823+
Year96000408 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

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