AUSTIN (KXAN) — If Zorro carried a pistol, he probably would have been an Olympic gold medalist at the modern pentathlon.
The obscure event that combines five disciplines — horse jumping, fencing, swimming, running and shooting — has been part of the Olympics since 1912, but due in part to its traditional days-long format making it not spectator-friendly, casual Olympics fans probably shrug their shoulders when asked what it actually is.
For the 2024 Paris Olympics, the modern pentathlon is getting, well, more modern. Rather than spreading the event across an entire week by doing one event per day, athletes are now completing all five in 90 minutes. Klaus Schormann, the president of the International Modern Pentathlon Union, said the event’s evolution is in line with making it more accessible to fans and easier to understand.
“Our new Modern Pentathlon format is strongly aligned with these two principles: it will dramatically improve the experience for fans and viewers, while maintaining the essence of the sport,” Schormann said via the union’s website.
So what’s the deal with it, anyway? Here’s some history along with how it works and some future changes.
History of the ‘ancient’ pentathlon and how it became modern
France is the birthplace of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the man credited for creating and introducing the modern event in the 1912 Olympics. He was inspired by the “ancient” style of the event that featured wrestling, running, javelin throw, jumping and discus throw contested in 708 BC. The union’s website said Coubertin’s adaptation of the event “embraced the spirit of its ancient counterpart.”
It’s considered to be the only sport created specifically for Olympic competition, so having the event in Paris be the last under the sport’s current format is fitting. More on that later …
For the 2024 Games, 36 men and 36 women will spend Aug. 8-11 in competition with a fencing ranking round to open competition. That sets the order for the fencing round in the semifinals.
The action really takes off from Aug. 9-11 with the semifinals and finals. The competition will be at one venue, the Palace de Versailles. Here’s how the event breaks down:
- 35 minutes of equestrian (jumping)
- 5 minutes break
- 20 minutes of fencing (épee) – bonus round
- 10 minutes break
- 15 minutes of swimming (200-meter freestyle)
- 15 minutes break
- 20 minutes combined event (laser run)
The field gets cut in half after the semifinals with 18 advancing to the medal round.
Shooting and running were combined at the 2012 London Olympics to make a “laser run.” Competitors run 3,000 meters and make four stops along the way to shoot targets with a laser pistol. In the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the event was condensed into a single day.
Competitors accumulate points over the first three events to determine handicaps for the laser run. The competitor with the most points gets a head start for the laser run, and with each point off the lead, the following athletes start that many seconds afterward. The first person to cross the finish line wins the gold medal.
An interesting wrinkle in the event is none of the competitors bring their own horse for the equestrian event. They are assigned a horse at the venue and have 20 minutes to get acquainted with their equine partner before the competition begins.
Future changes to the modern pentathlon
For the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, horses won’t be needed. That portion of the event is being replaced with an obstacle course race similar to races on the television show “American Ninja Warrior.” It makes even more sense when factoring in that the show is filmed in Los Angeles.
After the International Olympic Committee approved the changes for 2028, Schormann said the move to obstacle course racing makes it even more accessible.
“Through a democratic process, we came together to create the pathway to a new future, breathing new life into our sport with the idea to replace Riding with Obstacle,” he said. “This discipline enables our sport to become less costly and complex for organizers, more accessible around the world and more dynamic and exciting for spectators and fans.”
Who to watch and how to watch
On the men’s side, Great Britain’s Joseph Choong is the reigning Olympic champion after his gold in Tokyo, but he’s not considered a favorite to repeat as champion or even finish on the podium.
Csaba Bohm of Hungary won the 2024 Pentathlon World Cup and world title in record-breaking fashion and is considered the favorite. His countryman Balazs Szep won the silver medal at the world championships while Egypt’s Ahmed Elgendy (2020 Olympic silver medalist) and South Korea’s Woongtae Jun (2020 Olympic bronze medalist) should also be in the mix.
For the women, 21-year-old Seungmin Seong from South Korea will make her Olympic debut as the 2024 world champion. She’ll look to fend off 2020 Tokyo gold medalist Kate French of Great Britain, Lithuania’s Laura Asadauskaite and Gintare Venckauskaite along with the French duo of Elodie Clouvel and Marie Oteiza.
The event will be available on a pop-up limited channel, Paris Extra 2. It will also be available online at NBCOlympics.com. The men’s semifinals are scheduled for 6 and 10 a.m. CDT, Aug. 9 with the finals at 10:30 a.m., Aug. 10. The women’s semifinals are set for 2:30 and 6:30 a.m., Aug. 10 with the finals at 4 a.m., Aug. 11.
