Pentathlon, Modern << pehn TATH lon >>, is an athletic competition for men and women that tests skill in pistol shooting, fencing, swimming, horseback riding, and running. Competitors participate in all five events, receiving a point score for each performance. The athlete with the highest score wins. The modern pentathlon can be held in both individual and team categories. It differs from the pentathlon, which consists of five track and field events.
The modern pentathlon is held in one day in both the Summer Olympic Games and in world championships. The first event is fencing with an epee sword. Next is freestyle swimming, in which the athletes swim a 200-meter race. The third event is horseback riding over a course 350 to 450 meters long with 12 obstacles. The final event combines two disciplines, running and target shooting. This event includes a 3,000-meter (1.86-mile) or 3,200-meter (2-mile) cross-country race in which athletes stop at intervals to shoot at five targets, using an air pistol or a laser pistol.
In 2022, athletics officials announced that the horseback-riding portion of the modern pentathlon would be phased out before the 2028 Summer Olympic Games. Horseback riding is to be replaced with an obstacle-course race.
See also Heptathlon.
