The Modern Pentathlon first debued at the 1012 Stockholm Games. As the original Pentathlon, the modern Pentathlon consisted of 5 events in this order: Shooting, Fencing, Swimming, Riding, and Fencing. These events were chosen because it was still aimed at a soldier. It was thought to simulate what a soldier might encounter:
First, an officer would be called do deliver a message and has to ride a horse he is not familiar with in rough terrain. Then, he must use his pistol and sword to fight off the enemies. When he comes to a river, he must cross it and then run to deliver the message.
As the modern Pentathlon continued, many people had completely lost interest in it so it was taken out of the olympics. But, in 1912, Baron Pierre de Coubertin brought the event back because he thought that soldiers would have good relations if they could compete together. He said that this event will test a man's moral qualities as much as his physical resources and skills producing thereby the ideal complete athlete.
Unlike the original Pentathlon, the modern Pentathlon had a very complex scoring system. Scoring was based on an average of 1,000 points per event. To earn 1,000 points, you needed to get a pre-determined result in that event. Depending on how much better or worse you did than the pre-determined result, you gained or lost points.
Created and Designed by Pete Fritchman
Last Updated 12-14-97