Modern pentathlon first entered the Olympic program in 1912. The idea to combine such different sports as fencing, show jumping, swimming, cross-country track and shooting was proposed by the founder of the modern Olympic movement Pierre de Coubertin at the end of the last century. Competitions in various types of all-around have been held before, but modern pentathlon has its own legend.
Legend has it that at the beginning of the 18th century, a Swedish officer had to deliver a package to the command. First, he set out on horseback, then he had to run, swim across the river, shoot back and eventually fight the enemy with swords. The officer brilliantly overcame all the tests and completed the tasks. It is possible that Pierre de Coubertin knew this legend. But even if not, the combination of such sports is a fairly common thing for an officer at the beginning of the last century.
At the first Olympics, where this sport was presented, the modern pentathlon was called the "officer's Olympic pentathlon". Only the military could participate in it, and the legend of the Swedish officer was realized at the very first Games. The first Olympic champion in this sport was the Swede Gustav Lilienhöck. In a bitter struggle, he managed to defeat more than three dozen rivals, among whom was the future commander-in-chief of the US Armed Forces during the Second World War, George S. Patton. In those years, the competitions were held for five days, one type every day. Now two days are enough for athletes. At the first Olympiads, medals were awarded in individual and team competitions.
Until the end of the 40s, no other competitions in this sport were held. In 1948, the International Federation of Modern Pentathlon was created. It was headed by another Swedish officer, Olympic champion in 1920 G. Dirsson. A year after the formation of the federation, the first world championship was held, which was also won by a Swedish athlete.
The Swedes dominated this sport until 1956. It was the representatives of this country that won all the Olympic competitions of this period, with the exception of the Games in Berlin in 1936. The Swedes retained their leading position even when the competition ceased to be for officers and civilians began to participate in them. Since 2000, women have taken part in the Olympic competitions in this sport.
Modern pentathlon competition begins with shooting. Athletes shoot from a pneumatic pistol of 4.5mm caliber. It is necessary to fire 20 shots at a 10-meter distance from one position at a circular target consisting of 10 rings. The preparation for the shot and the shot itself are given 40 seconds. A sports pistol for this type of shooting should not be heavier than one and a half kilograms. Athletes are not allowed to use support devices. In general, the conditions are pretty tough. The participant must be able to prepare for shooting and familiarize himself with the target in two and a half minutes. To repair the weapon, if it suddenly fails, 5 minutes are given.
The second type of modern pentathlon is fencing. The sword fight lasts 1 minute. Each participant meets in turn with all opponents. The winner is the one who has time to inject the injection earlier. If the opponents hit each other at the same time, the hits will not count. If the score is zero, both are considered losers. In this form, a rather complex counting system. Scoring 1000 points are awarded to the one who wins the most battles. All other points are added or subtracted depending on the number of won or lost fights.
Athletes enter the swimming distance in the order determined by the rating of the previous types. They must swim 200m freestyle. Credit 1000 points are awarded for a result of 2 minutes 30 seconds. for men. In the competition of women who also mastered this sport, this result is 10 seconds more.
Participants receive horses for show jumping by lot. It is necessary to have time to get used to the horse and examine the distance in 20 minutes. Each participant is given 1100 points. They must complete a 350-450m course with 12 hurdles in the allotted time. For each obstacle knocked down or extra time, points are deducted.
The last type of program is cross-country cross-country. Athletes must cover a distance of 3000m. The starting order is determined by the previous results, the first to start is the one with the most points. The difference in points is translated into seconds, and each next pentathlete starts later than his predecessor as much as he lags behind in points. Anyone who has performed brilliantly in four events gets a tangible advantage in cross-country, because the athlete's task is to cross the finish line first.
