Modern Pentathlon-Triathlon

Find out more about Modern Pentathlon at the Olympic Games on the International Olympic Committee website.

The basics

Modern Pentathlon competitions are staged over a single day. The first element is fencing, in which athletes are required to fence against every other athlete. The fencing is followed by swimming (200m freestyle) and riding (jumping over a 12-jump course). Athletes are given a score for each element of the competition.

After the first three elements, the athletes’ total scores are converted into a time handicap. The handicap determines the starting times for the combined event, in which athletes are required to shoot five targets within 70 seconds (three times) and run 1,000m (three times). The winner of the competition is the athlete who crosses the finish line first.

For a complete set of rules, please refer to the website of the International Union of Modern Pentathlon (UIPM), governing body for the sport.

Competition format

Fencing: Athletes compete against all others, using the epée. The first athlete to score a hit wins the bout. If neither scores within one minute, both athletes register a defeat. An athlete scores 1,000 points for winning 70 per cent of his/her bouts. Each win above or below the 70 per cent mark scores +/- 24 points.

Swimming: Athletes are seeded into heats dependent on their personal best times over the previous 12 months. A time of 2:30 for the 200m freestyle race scores 1,000 points. Each 0.33 seconds above or below this time scores +/- four points.

Riding: Athletes start with 1,200 points. They lose 20 points for each jump they knock down, 40 points for a refusal to jump or disobedience, and 60 points for a fall. They lose four points for each second they are over the allotted time (which is determined by the course size). If an athlete takes twice the allowed time, his/her participation in the event is terminated.

Combined event: The athlete with the most points from the previous events starts first. Athletes after that start in order at handicapped time intervals of one second for every four points. They must run to the shooting range, hit five targets in a 70s time period, followed by a 1,000m run; three times over.

The first athlete to cross the finish line in the combined event is the winner of the gold medal.

Officials

Such a complex sport requires many different officials, who preside over the individual events as they would in the sports themselves. A competition jury oversees each event; they have the power to disqualify athletes for serious infringements of the rules.

Keys to success

Modern pentathletes are all-rounders. A good performance in the first three events is the perfect set up for a strong finish, but with a staggered start to the run/shoot, an athlete who is exceptionally strong in this event can come from down the field to take gold.

Breaking the rules

Consistent performance is important, but an athlete who has done well in the fencing, the swimming and the riding can still be beaten on the run if they don’t have the strength and stamina to stay ahead.

Jargon buster

Epée: A thrusting sword, the épée is used in the fencing element of Modern Pentathlon competitions.

Freestyle: The swimming element is a freestyle race, which in effect means that all athletes favour the front crawl, as it is the fastest stroke.

Handicap start: In the combined event, the event leader starts first and the other athletes begin afterwards in competition order, with the start times dependent on the results of the previous three events.

Triathlon 

Number of medal events
Two: men’s and women’s competition.

Number of competitors
110: 55 men and 55 women.

Each country is limited to six athletes (three men and three women).

Field of play
The course is a 1,500m swim, followed by a 43km bike (seven laps of a 6.137km course), finishing with a 10km run (four laps of a 2.5km course). Download a map of the course

History of Triathlon at the Olympic Games
More than half a million spectators lined the Sydney streets to watch the first ever Olympic Triathlon at the 2000 Games. The six Triathlon events held since the sport’s Olympic debut have been won by athletes from six different countries: Canada and Switzerland in 2000; New Zealand and Austria in 2004; and Germany and Australia in 2008.

The basics
Triathlon races combine swimming, cycling and running, in that order. Events are conducted over a variety of distances: for the Olympic Games, the men’s and women’s Triathlons will consist of a 1,500m swim, a 43km bike ride and a 10km run. The race is completed from start to finish, with no breaks. The transitions between the swim, the bike and the run are part of the race – crucial seconds can be gained or lost in the transition area.

Competition format
There are no heats; both the men’s and women’s events consist of a single race. The first athlete to cross the finish line is the winner.

Officials
Officials are assigned to many different areas in a Triathlon competition: the start and finish, the transition areas, lap counting, timing, wheel stations, penalty boxes and vehicle control. There is also a competition jury that rules on any protests or appeals.

Keys to success
Triathletes are all-rounders: great swimmers, great cyclists and great runners. The event is gruelling and the winning athletes have exceptional reserves of stamina. They also need the tactical ability to plan their races, move from one stage to the next, and keep strong until the end.

Breaking the rules
Around the course athletes can incur time penalties for various infringements. This can happen, for instance, for blocking or impeding another athlete; not completing the transition fully (eg, keeping the bike helmet on to complete the run); or cycling in the transition zone. Time penalties are served either in the transition area, or in a penalty box during the run.

Jargon buster
Transition: The changeovers between the three elements of the race.

Transition time: The time it takes each competitor to complete their transition. These times are counted in their overall time for the race.

Transition area: A location within which each athlete is allocated an area for the storage of clothing and equipment.

Penalty box: An area on the run course set aside for the implementation of a time penalty for an infringement of the rules.

Mount line: A line at the exit from the transition area on to the bike course after which athletes must mount their bicycles and proceed. There is also a dismount line at the end of the bike course, at the entrance to the transition area.