pentathlon

[ pen-tath-luhn, -lon ]

noun

1. an athletic contest comprising five different track and field events and won by the contestant gaining the highest total score.
2. modern pentathlon.

pentathlon

/ pɛnˈtæθlən /

noun

1. an athletic contest consisting of five different events, based on a competition in the ancient Greek Olympics Compare decathlon

Derived Forms

• penˈtathlete, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pentathlon¹

1700–10; < Greek pénthāthlon, equivalent to pent- pent- ( def ) + âthlon contest

Word History and Origins

Origin of pentathlon¹

C18: from Greek pentathlon, from penta- + athlon contest

Example Sentences

Sixty years ago in Tokyo, Rand won long jump gold, pentathlon silver and 4x100m relay bronze, 36 years after swimmer Joyce Cooper took three medals home from the 1928 Games in Amsterdam.

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Great Britain's defending Olympic champion Kate French has withdrawn from the modern pentathlon final in Paris because of illness.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

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

Modern pentathlon has never been a fan favorite.

From Los Angeles Times

More About Pentathlon

What is the pentathlon?

A pentathlon is an athletic competition in which athletes compete in five different events. There are different versions of pentathlons involving different events.

The event known as the modern pentathlon (or sometimes the military 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.

There are also track-and-field competitions known as pentathlons that usually include long jump, high jump, shot put, a sprint with hurdles, and a longer race. (A similar competition with two additional events is called a heptathlon.)

The pentathlon dates back to the ancient Greek Olympic Games. The traditional pentathlon events include running, long jump, discus, javelin, and wrestling.

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

Athletes who participate in a 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 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 pentathlon event was added to the Olympics. In 2012, light-based laser pistols were introduced.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to pentathlon?

• pentathlete (noun)

What are some synonyms for pentathlon?

• modern pentathlon
• military pentathlon

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

• athlete
• decathlon
• triathlon
• heptathlon

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

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

How is 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.

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

After a gutsy 800m run, Fabia McDonald shatters her own SCHOOL RECORD and finishes 6th in the #SECTF pentathlon with 4,168 points.

— Ole Miss Track&Field (@OleMissTrack) February 27, 2015

Try using pentathlon!

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

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