Modern Pentathlon
The modern pentathlon was introduced at the 1912 Olympics as a test of military skills--or, at least, the skills that were traditionally taught at military academies of the time. It was designed by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the chief founder of the modern Olympic Games.
The concept behind the competition is that a military courier sets out on horseback to carry a message. Along the way, he has to fight a duel with epees, use his pistol, swim across a river, and then run through the woods to reach his goal.
Only Army officers were allowed to participate in 1912, when the United States was represented by a 26-year-old second lieutenant, George S. Patton, a skilled rider and fencer. Patton did very well in four of the events and might well have won the gold medal except for his poor marksmanship. He finished 21st in the pistol shooting event, which dropped him to fifth overall.
Scoring was originally based on a competitor's placing in the various events, with the lowest score winning. It's now based on a scoring table similar to the one used in track and field for the decathlon. Standards are set for each event and a competitor receives 1,000 points for equalling the standard. Points are added if the standard is exceeded and subtracted if the performance falls below the standard.
The events have changed somewhat since 1912. The equestrian event, originally a 5,000-meter cross-country ride against time, is now a 400-meter stadium jumping course. The swimming event has been cut from 300 meters to 200 meters, the cross-country running event from 4,000 meters to 3,000 meters. The shooting event, originally a 22-caliber pistol shot from 25 meters at a turning target, has become a 10-meter air pistol shot at a stationary target.
As in 1912, the fencing portion of the modern pentathlon is a round robin-tournament, with a single touch deciding each match.
The competition originally took place over a five-day period, with a single event on each day. Beginning in 1984, the pistol shooting and cross-country run were both conducted on the fourth and final day. Since 1996, all five events have taken place on a single day.
Competition was dominated by military officers until the 1950s, when the International Union of Modern Pentathlon and Biathlon (IUMPB) was founded to conduct annual world championships. At the 1952 Olympics, Lars Hall of Sweden became the first civilian gold medalist in the sport.
In the U. S., the Army was entirely responsible for the development of modern pentathletes through its training center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Civilians were invited to enter the Olympic trials at the center for the first time in 1956.
Overall control of the sport shifted in 1959 to the newly-founded U. S. Modern Pentathlon and Biathlon Association (USMPBA), which established a Junior Olympic development clinic in 1961 to broaden participation. The U. S. Biathlon Association was spun off as a separate organization in 1981 and the USMPBA became simply the USMPA.
The Army continued to operate the training center at Fort Sam Houston until 1985, when the USMPA took it over.
Woman began competing in the modern pentathlon in the late 1970s and the first women's world championship was conducted in 1980. The women's event was added to the Olympic program in 2000.
