modern pentathlon

noun

1. an athletic contest comprising five different events, a 300-meter freestyle swim, a 4,000-meter cross-country run, a 5,000-meter equestrian steeplechase, épée fencing, and pistol target-shooting at 25 meters, the winner being the contestant with the highest total score.

modern pentathlon

noun

1. an athletic contest consisting of five different events: horse riding with jumps, fencing with electric épée, freestyle swimming, pistol shooting, and cross-country running

Word History and Origins

Origin of modern pentathlon¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

The final of the modern pentathlon starts with the showjumping at 10:00 BST on Sunday.

From BBC

Great Britain's defending Olympic champion Kate French has withdrawn from the modern pentathlon final in Paris because of illness.

From BBC

Same with modern pentathlon, where Jessica Savner of the U.S. muses about finding “better ways to market and show our sport.”

From Los Angeles Times

Last year, Olympic officials met to decide the fate of modern pentathlon, a sport that for more than a century has combined running, swimming, fencing, shooting and equestrian show jumping.

From Los Angeles Times

Three years ago at the Tokyo Olympics, a German coach was thrown out of the Games for punching a horse who was refusing to jump during the modern pentathlon.

From BBC

More About Modern Pentathlon

What is the modern pentathlon?

The modern pentathlon is a multisport competition that includes épée fencing, a freestyle swim, equestrian jumping, and an event that combines a cross-country run with pistol target-shooting.

The modern pentathlon is an event at the Summer Olympic Games. It is sometimes called the military pentathlon.

The modern pentathlon is often simply called the pentathlon, but pentathlon is also used as the name for other five-event athletic competitions (especially one featuring five track-and-field events).

The term modern pentathlon also distinguishes it from the ancient version that dates back to the ancient Greek Olympic Games. The traditional pentathlon events include running, long jump, discus, javelin, and wrestling.

Events in modern pentathlons are usually spread out (unlike endurance competitions such as triathlons, in which the events happen directly after one another). In the modern pentathlon, winning is based on a point system.

Athletes who participate in a modern pentathlon can be called pentathletes.

Example: Most athletes are specialists—devoting all of their training to a single sport—but competing in a pentathlon requires mastery of multiple sports.

Where does modern pentathlon come from?

Pentathlon comes from a combination of the prefix penta-, meaning “five,” and the Greek term âthlon, which means “prize” or “contest” and is also the basis of the words athlete and athletics (as well as the ten-event competition known as the decathlon, the seven-event heptathlon, and the three-event triathlon).

The term modern pentathlon is first recorded in the 1940s. The first records of the word pentathlon in English come from the early 1700s. But the pentathlon event dates back to the ancient Greek Olympic Games, when it featured five track-and-field events.

From 1912 to 1924, the Olympic Games held both a traditional pentathlon (then simply called the pentathlon) and a modern pentathlon. The traditional event was discontinued in 1924. In 1952, the modern pentathlon was changed to a team event in which different athletes competed in each event. In 1992, it was changed back to an individual event. In 2000, the women’s modern pentathlon event was added to the Olympics. In 2012, light-based laser pistols were introduced.

Did you know … ?

What are some synonyms for modern pentathlon?

• pentathlon
• military pentathlon

What are some words that share a root or word element with modern pentathlon? 

• pentathlete
• athlete
• decathlon
• triathlon
• heptathlon

What are some words that often get used in discussing modern pentathlon?

• running
• freestyle
• swimming
• equestrian
• horse
• horseback
• épée
• fencing
• pistol
• target
• shooting

How is modern pentathlon used in real life?

The term modern pentathlon is often used to differentiate it from track-and-field versions or the ancient version, which included different events. Athletes who compete in the pentathlon are called pentathletes.

Historic win: Chloe Esposito wins gold for Australia in modern pentathlon. #Rio2016 https://t.co/yUZcJHqp1G pic.twitter.com/zqRmXWLTdg

— The Daily Telegraph (@dailytelegraph) August 19, 2016

There are two American Olympians competing in the modern pentathlon, an incredible event where athletes compete in fencing, swimming, equestrian riding, pistol shooting, and cross country running. Both are from Colorado.https://t.co/WfQg6YtmQl

— Paolo Zialcita (@paolozialcita) July 15, 2021

I cannot express how excited I am to watch my all-time favorite Olympic sport: modern pentathlon. Fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, then *combined* pistol shooting and cross country run. This is the official logo! Bananas pic.twitter.com/MVxrZnvRPU

— Richard Held (@rgsheld) June 25, 2021

Try using modern pentathlon!

Which of the following events is not part of the modern pentathlon?

A. shooting
B. fencing
C. swimming
D. wrestling