History

The modern pentathlon was created for the 1912 Olympics by Baron Pierre de Coubertin himself, and it's been in every Olympics since then, though the women's event wasn't added until 2000. A men's team competition was held from 1952 through 1992.

The sport combines pistol shooting, fencing, equestrianism, cross-country running, and swimming. Originally, it was held over a period of four or five days, but since 1996 all the events have been held on a single day.

Up until 1952, a competitor's score were the total of his placings in each event, so the lowest score won. Since 1956, scoring tables have been used, as in track and field's pentathlon, heptathlon, and decathlon.

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