What is a pentathlon?
A pentathlon is a contest with five events. The Olympic sport of modern pentathlon combines fencing, swimming, obstacle racing and a laser run, which mixes running and pistol shooting.
The ancient Greek pentathlon, held at the Olympic Games from 708 BC, included running, long jump, discus, javelin and wrestling. Modern pentathlon was created by Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympics, and first held in 1912. It was based on the skills a 19th-century cavalry officer might need behind enemy lines.
For more than a century, the modern pentathlon included horse riding, in which athletes rode unfamiliar horses. After a troubling incident at the Tokyo 2020 Games, the sport voted to replace riding with obstacle racing, inspired by ninja-style courses. The change takes effect at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Other pentathlons
In track and field, the indoor pentathlon for women includes the 60-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump and 800 meters. The heptathlon replaced the pentathlon as the main outdoor women's combined event in the early 1980s.
Did You Know?
American general George S. Patton competed in the first Olympic modern pentathlon in 1912 and finished fifth.